My tank is set up at 1.008-1.009 salinity. I have 4 GSP's and 2 figure 8's in a 29 gallon tank. The water tests are appropriate and in order but it seems like one of the GSP's belly has been black for sometime and it's not eating now. It's getting kind of skinny now and kind of worrying me. All the others are eating just fine and very active. The black belly likes to hide in hard to find spots. The color has not really faded as much.
What can be the cause of this? I've just changed my tank 2-3 days ago and this has been going on for about a week or so. His belly has been black for about 2 weeks but he stopped eating probably just last week. His tails are all ok so no one has nipped its fins. The puffer is around 2 inches long at the moment. And YES i bought it at walmart but it looked fine when it was in the aquarium. I've had the tank for about 2 months now. Even if I show him live bloodworms or anything of sort, it does not like it and swims away or totally ignores it. Anyone has a clue on how to fix this?
Puffer Help
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.
-
Jase
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1579
- Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 3:13 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: RIP Hootey :(
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- Location: Montana
Re: Puffer Help
Do a 50% water change asap.
Please answer all the above questions in red. particularly the water parameters one... I have a feeling that will be your problem.
Please answer all the above questions in red. particularly the water parameters one... I have a feeling that will be your problem.
-Jase
edmlfc1 wrote:A house without a puffer is not a home.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Re: Puffer Help
![[welcome]](./images/smilies/welcome.gif "welcome")
Your tank is way over stocked. For example, even as juvies, I don't recommend <10g/GSP & 30g ea, as adults. Please read the articles on these 2 species in our Library. There is also an article on treating internal parasites but if they don't get into the proper-sized tank, no amount of treatment or water changes will save them from the overcrowding & stress they are feeling.
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!"
Re: Puffer Help
This is the result from what I have:
Ammonia: .25
Nitrate: 0-.5
hardness: 300
alkalinity: 300
ph: 8.4-8.8
See anything based on this? Please!!
Ammonia: .25
Nitrate: 0-.5
hardness: 300
alkalinity: 300
ph: 8.4-8.8
See anything based on this? Please!!
Re: Puffer Help
You shouldn't have any Ammonia in there. When did you take this reading? Do you have a test for nitrite? If not you need to get one and test that as well.
Re: Puffer Help
i will have to dig up the test result from the trash can. probably didn't type the nitrite solutions in there darn it.
The readings i got was from AFTER doing a 50% water change. There are no live plants or anything in the tank.
The readings i got was from AFTER doing a 50% water change. There are no live plants or anything in the tank.
-
Jase
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1579
- Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 3:13 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: RIP Hootey :(
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Montana
Re: Puffer Help
Are you using test strips? if so, you should really get a liquid test kit.puffer626 wrote:i will have to dig up the test result from the trash can.
what did you mean when you said you changed your tank? Have you changed the SG recently?
-Jase
edmlfc1 wrote:A house without a puffer is not a home.
Re: Puffer Help
the salinity is still hovering around 1.009-1.01.
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Jase
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1579
- Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 3:13 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: RIP Hootey :(
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Montana
Re: Puffer Help
No I mean have you changed it more than .002 recently?
And the tests?
sorry if it seems like you're being pestered. we just want to help you and your fish.
Pufferpunk's reply is a big one too. do you have a way of separating some of them? maybe get you LFS to help?
And the tests?
sorry if it seems like you're being pestered. we just want to help you and your fish.
Pufferpunk's reply is a big one too. do you have a way of separating some of them? maybe get you LFS to help?
-Jase
edmlfc1 wrote:A house without a puffer is not a home.
Re: Puffer Help
i've kept it at around 1.008-1.009 for like 2-3 weeks i think. i was sick so i wasn't able to change the water during that time. The nitrite looks like it's around .25. I was just doing the one inch per gallon rule, GSPx3 = 6"x3 = 18 and 2 figure 8's that's = 6" in total.. Total is 24 inches for 29 gallons. Right now my fish it's still black bellied, but not as black. At least I can see some whites on the belly but still skinny.
And yes I'm using test strips.
And yes I'm using test strips.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Puffer Help
The 1"/g rule is for 1-2" slender fish. Only small fish <2", like a guppy or zebra danio, not for large-massed fish like a puffer. Imagine a 10" oscar in a 10g tank! You MUST do something ASAP about your overstocking issue or you will lose them all.
How was this tank cycled? Can you return most of these fish to your LFS? If the tank has been properly cycled, it would be perfect for the 2 F8s.
How was this tank cycled? Can you return most of these fish to your LFS? If the tank has been properly cycled, it would be perfect for the 2 F8s.
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!"
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32987
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Puffer Help
Whew! Well, at least that's covered. 
Now to find homes (or return) the GSPs. Unless you happen to have another tank around you can cycle with more B-S (minimum 55g, IMO for the 4 juvies, although you're going to need at least a 120g for them as adults)?
Now to find homes (or return) the GSPs. Unless you happen to have another tank around you can cycle with more B-S (minimum 55g, IMO for the 4 juvies, although you're going to need at least a 120g for them as adults)?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!"
-
Idontknow
- Green Spotted Puffer
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- My Puffers: .
2 x GSPs (Puffo and Suzanne)
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1 x Valentini (Choco)
2 x Porcupine (Cutey and Yoshi)
1 x DP (Margarine)
1 x Irrubesco (Beni) - Location (country): Japan
- Location: Japan
Re: Puffer Help
Are your puffers still black-bellied? If so, I would suggest doing another 50% WC vacuuming the substrate really well. If you hadn't changed the water in 2-3 weeks with that many puffers there must be too much bio-matter for the bacteria to keep up with.
Multi-tank syndrome
Re: Puffer Help
ya i'm probably going to clean up the gravel again. that'll be changing it twice in 2 days but hopefully it's gonna save him. i'm gonna start looking for a new tank too. the strange thing is only one of them has a black belly sigh.