When the 2 GSPs were purchased and brought home by my over zealous ex roommate he only knew that they were brackish and should have aquarium salt. After he brought them home i started researching and found they needed marine salt, so i bought a big bag and a hydrometer. So, needless to say the tank was cycled improperly with the fish in it (big no no, i know). Okay, so the 2 GSPs have survived in the tank for 6 to 8 months. Both were seemingly doing very well, minus being bored which i've talked about alittle in the brackish hermit thread. I've noticed that recently one has stopped eating. The one who does eat is pretty aggressive with the food so I have been over feeding to try to make sure that the smaller gets some. Which i'm sure threw my nitrites and nitrates sky high.
My water conditions yesterday were
pH 7.5
ammo .25
nitrIte 5
nitrAte 160
after doing a 25% water change, new media bag with carbon chips and buying some Amquel and adding it to the tank last night my new results today are
pH 7.5
ammo 0
nitrIte 1
nitrAte 40
in a 45 gallon tank are my 2 GSPs, and several left handed hermit crabs and a couple trap door snails. I've added another dose of Amquel to keep the nitrite and nitrates down.
Also a month ago I moved out of the house that my ex roommate lives in and took the fish with me. So a month ago they had about a 90% water change to make moving easier. So I think that is pretty much it... If someone has any ideas, please let me know. And if I see the sickly one getting better, I'll post again. Thanks.
one GSP doing great, the other.... not so much :-(
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
-
crazedpuffer
- Former Staff Member
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1xValentini - Location: Long Island, NY
Re: one GSP doing great, the other.... not so much :-(
It's those nitrite and nitrate.
The nitrate are good now though. But was the nitrite really 5 or .5? 5 is just... woahh.
I'd do another 50% water change to get the nitrite as close to zero as possible.
The nitrate are good now though. But was the nitrite really 5 or .5? 5 is just... woahh.
I'd do another 50% water change to get the nitrite as close to zero as possible.
-
Pufferpunk
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Re: one GSP doing great, the other.... not so much :-(
What is your regular water change schedule? 2 adult GSPs need a minimum of 60g. Adding Amquel is only puting a Bandaid on the problem.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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daenja
- Dwarf Puffer
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Re: one GSP doing great, the other.... not so much :-(
a month ago i moved out, before that the fish were more responsiblity of my ex roommate.
that being said, water changes were pretty much whenever he felt like it.
so there wasn't
much of a schedule for that.
so now the fish are mine and i'm trying to make their living conditions as good as i possibly can.
they are going to have regular more frequent water changes. they are still young, only 1 1/2'' max
now. and i have plans on getting a 75 gallon tank when they get bigger... it's just not in the budget
now. i'm anxious to get it though so i can set it up properly.
tonight i'm going to do a 50% water change. Thank you pufferpunk for letting me know that Amquel
is only a bandaid. I think it was prolly a good move though cause it got some ridiculous water conditions
more under control until i can do a better water change.
I just hope that the sickly puffer pulls through. He's dark in color and still doesn't seem to be eating and
hangs out on the bottom of the tank not really moving much. I can see him breath so i know he's still alive... but
isn't doing very well. I hope that i'm not too late for him.
Thanks for everything.
that being said, water changes were pretty much whenever he felt like it.
so there wasn't much of a schedule for that.
so now the fish are mine and i'm trying to make their living conditions as good as i possibly can.
they are going to have regular more frequent water changes. they are still young, only 1 1/2'' max
now. and i have plans on getting a 75 gallon tank when they get bigger... it's just not in the budget
now. i'm anxious to get it though so i can set it up properly.
tonight i'm going to do a 50% water change. Thank you pufferpunk for letting me know that Amquel
is only a bandaid. I think it was prolly a good move though cause it got some ridiculous water conditions
more under control until i can do a better water change.
I just hope that the sickly puffer pulls through. He's dark in color and still doesn't seem to be eating and
hangs out on the bottom of the tank not really moving much.
I can see him breath so i know he's still alive... but isn't doing very well.
I hope that i'm not too late for him.Thanks for everything.
-
crazedpuffer
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1755
- Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:57 pm
- My Puffers: 1x Porcupine Puffer
1xValentini - Location: Long Island, NY
Re: one GSP doing great, the other.... not so much :-(
Lets see how he does after the WC. Its amazing the changes that can occur from some clean water.daenja wrote: I just hope that the sickly puffer pulls through. He's dark in color and still doesn't seem to be eating and
hangs out on the bottom of the tank not really moving much.
isn't doing very well.
Thanks for everything.
-
daenja
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 81
- Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 12:41 am
- My Puffers: 1 GSP Porkchop!
- Location: Maui, Hawaii
Re: one GSP doing great, the other.... not so much :-(
WC done. man i hope that helps!
so for now on for me Wedesdays are WC days!
so for now on for me Wedesdays are WC days!
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: one GSP doing great, the other.... not so much :-(
For right now, every day needs to be WC day.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
-
Jase
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- Location: Montana
Re: one GSP doing great, the other.... not so much :-(
good luck! I hope it gets to feelin better
-Jase
edmlfc1 wrote:A house without a puffer is not a home.
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daenja
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 81
- Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 12:41 am
- My Puffers: 1 GSP Porkchop!
- Location: Maui, Hawaii
Re: one GSP doing great, the other.... not so much :-(
his color is returning, and he's more active in the tank. i have yet to see him eat...
the improvement is very nice to see. i was getting worried. we'll see what happens
in the next couple of days.
the improvement is very nice to see. i was getting worried. we'll see what happens
in the next couple of days.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
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DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: one GSP doing great, the other.... not so much :-(
Yup, just read my sig...
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
-
t1gerbee
- Fahaka Puffer
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(Non puffs-)
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2 x goldfish - Location: london
Re: one GSP doing great, the other.... not so much :-(
be careful with trying to get him to eat...
you may end up overfeeding the tank in the attempt to get him eating, this will just increase the rotting waste in the water which is most likely what's causing puffs problems in the first place.
Just leave the food for a day or two, keep up big water changes and then try and feed... he will eat when he's feeling better, he's not going to feel better if you put as much waste back into the water as you take out...
glad things are looking up. :0)
you may end up overfeeding the tank in the attempt to get him eating, this will just increase the rotting waste in the water which is most likely what's causing puffs problems in the first place.
Just leave the food for a day or two, keep up big water changes and then try and feed... he will eat when he's feeling better, he's not going to feel better if you put as much waste back into the water as you take out...
glad things are looking up. :0)
1 x 90G Juv stars and stripes puffer, Ceylon Puffer + GSP + 2 black clowns
1 x 30G LPS Reef
1 x 30G 1 x Blind goldfish
1 x 30G LPS Reef
1 x 30G 1 x Blind goldfish
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Agnate
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Re: one GSP doing great, the other.... not so much :-(
Also, if you haven't already, invest in a Python! They're amazing for helping with water changes and cleaning up after those messy little critters!
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yunachin
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Re: one GSP doing great, the other.... not so much :-(
Glad the little one is getting better.
E.Ridgeway
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StormySkiez
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Re: one GSP doing great, the other.... not so much :-(
I keep putting off getting a python and they just raised the price at wal mart by 6 bucks! We really need one! Granted, it is a good work out carrying those heavy buckets but it sucks in my book. I want a python!Agnate wrote:Also, if you haven't already, invest in a Python! They're amazing for helping with water changes and cleaning up after those messy little critters!
55g-2 green spotted puffers 1 year old Nov 08!
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