Please help GSP sick. The tank stats are as follows:
50 gallon tank with a whisper power filter, heater, power jet, one bubble stone. 2 – 3.25” GSP live in tank, other one is not showing any signs of illness. Nitrite = 0ppm, Nitrate = 0ppm, Ammonia = 0-0.25ppm, PH = 8.0ppm, Salinity = 29ppt, specific gravity = 1.022, Our sick one is 3 years old and the other only slightly younger. Has been swimming around like it is blind. Colors are dark and can't seem to find food but acts hungry at feeding time comes to top of tank to be fed and opening his mouth every time the tank is open jumping out of water slightly, drop food right next to him it floats by as if he doesn't see it. Tonight we experimented and held food for him so he was able to eat hard time at first but once he bumped into it and realized it was food he ate, he can only see the food as a big object once it breaks down he can no longer find it. Their feeding habits are as follows. The are given a cube of frozen mussels or a chunk of crawfish or sometimes ghost shrimp every other day. Please help we are very worried and just want to be able to help him!!
Thank you for your time and informative site.
Help, my puffer seems to be blind....
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.
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purplecandle
- Mbu Puffer
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Re: Help, my puffer seems to be blind....
Any chance you can get a video?
How is he swimming? Does he bump into anything?
What kind of test kit are you using? Is it expired?
What is your water change schedule (be honest)?
How is he swimming? Does he bump into anything?
What kind of test kit are you using? Is it expired?
What is your water change schedule (be honest)?
Re: Help, my puffer seems to be blind....
I will try to get a video ASAP.
He is swimming slow and cautious. He bumps into the glass and sometimes to smaller objects but the larger objects he is aware of.
We are using an API master test kit. It doesn't seem to be expired but there isn't a date anywhere that I can see either. Do you know the shelf life on these?
We change 90% water every 10-12 days. Sometimes we aren't as diligent as we should be but we try to maintain that schedule.
He is swimming slow and cautious. He bumps into the glass and sometimes to smaller objects but the larger objects he is aware of.
We are using an API master test kit. It doesn't seem to be expired but there isn't a date anywhere that I can see either. Do you know the shelf life on these?
We change 90% water every 10-12 days. Sometimes we aren't as diligent as we should be but we try to maintain that schedule.
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purplecandle
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 2019
- Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 2:18 pm
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Re: Help, my puffer seems to be blind....
jwhiz26 wrote:I will try to get a video ASAP.
He is swimming slow and cautious. He bumps into the glass and sometimes to smaller objects but the larger objects he is aware of.
We are using an API master test kit. It doesn't seem to be expired but there isn't a date anywhere that I can see either. Do you know the shelf life on these?
We change 90% water every 10-12 days. Sometimes we aren't as diligent as we should be but we try to maintain that schedule.
jwhiz26 wrote:I will try to get a video ASAP.
He is swimming slow and cautious. He bumps into the glass and sometimes to smaller objects but the larger objects he is aware of.
We are using an API master test kit. It doesn't seem to be expired but there isn't a date anywhere that I can see either. Do you know the shelf life on these?
We change 90% water every 10-12 days. Sometimes we aren't as diligent as we should be but we try to maintain that schedule.
The reason I ask is that appearing to be blind can be a symptom of something wrong in the water..a spike of some sort..when was the last change?
You do a 90% change..you must be going throw a lot of marine salt..
When you do a video..try to (if you can) show your equipment (filters and such)
When you do the ammonia and nitrate tests to you shake the crap put of the bottles for 30 seconds before you use them?
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JRC3
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- Location: S.W. OH
Re: Help, my puffer seems to be blind....
The individual API solution bottles have a lot number on them and that contains the manufacture date.
He wasn't depleted of oxygen in any way was he?...I don't know how but maybe left in a bag or another container with a lid too long or something of that nature.
He wasn't depleted of oxygen in any way was he?...I don't know how but maybe left in a bag or another container with a lid too long or something of that nature.
There are many knowledgeable fish keepers on this forum willing to help and give great advice...The advice is free; What you choose to do with it gives it value.
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J-P
- Former Staff Member
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Re: Help, my puffer seems to be blind....
sounds like nitrate poisoning but with 0 in the water.. IDK...
if you follow me, you avoid stepping in the crap that I just did...
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZR55G ... pqlgec1A2Q
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZR55G ... pqlgec1A2Q
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CarmenH
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Re: Help, my puffer seems to be blind....
Carmen
Frankie, Monotrete Turgidus
Zephyr, Giant mutant Tetraodon Nigroviridis???
Odie, Tetraodon biocellatus RIP
Doug, Takifugu Ocellatus RIP
Frankie, Monotrete Turgidus
Zephyr, Giant mutant Tetraodon Nigroviridis???
Odie, Tetraodon biocellatus RIP
Doug, Takifugu Ocellatus RIP
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jus85411
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Re: Help, my puffer seems to be blind....
how long have you had these puffs? 90% water change i would guess your pretty much cycling your tank every week(not good). probably better off rarely doing water changes. your tank is not cycled which is causing problems, and going to cause problems down the line for the other puffer. doing large water changes at 1.022 your either (a) lying or (b) work for a marine salt manufacturer and get that stuff at will cause thats a couple hundred a month just on salt for a 50 gallon. you should take a picture of your test kits after performing the tests. tubes next to color charts. make sure you follow the directions in order they are put and do everything they say. otherwise you will probably end up with bad test results
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Dadof4
- Tech Team
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- Location (country): United States
- Location: North Wisconsin
Re: Help, my puffer seems to be blind....
First the tank isn't cycled. The nitrogen cycle goes like this: Fish produce biological waste that breaks down to (toxic) ammonia > ammonia comes in contact with bacteria and is oxidized to (less toxic) nitrite> another bacteria then oxidizes it to even less harmful nitrate. Cycling develops this bacteria. A good puffer tank should have parameters of 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and <= 10 nitrate.
Having ammonia showing in the tank means that it has not developed this bacteria or, in other words, it's not cycled. Your puffer is acting blind due to ammonia poisoning right now. First thing to do is an 80% water change to bring down the ammonia level. Second thing is get the GSP in to an established tank, do an emergency cycle, or return him to the LFS until you are ready to take care of him. Not having a cycled tank is one of the biggest problems we see from new puffer owners. Most are sadly misinformed by that "trusty" neighborhood LFS or large chain store.
Here's the article on emergency cycling: library/water-filtration/emergencycycle/
Having ammonia showing in the tank means that it has not developed this bacteria or, in other words, it's not cycled. Your puffer is acting blind due to ammonia poisoning right now. First thing to do is an 80% water change to bring down the ammonia level. Second thing is get the GSP in to an established tank, do an emergency cycle, or return him to the LFS until you are ready to take care of him. Not having a cycled tank is one of the biggest problems we see from new puffer owners. Most are sadly misinformed by that "trusty" neighborhood LFS or large chain store.
Here's the article on emergency cycling: library/water-filtration/emergencycycle/
"Darwin swings...annnnnnd a miss. Boy Jim, Chuck's suffered at the plate tonight. He's 0 for 3 and I'm not sure he's recovered from that shoulder pull a few weeks ago. I'll bet the front office is re-thinking that contract."
Re: Help, my puffer seems to be blind....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_EapuEUAUY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tExVaMi7uw
We have had these fish for 3 years and this is the first time we have had a problem in the tank.
These two videos show how our puffer swims around the tank very slowly running into things and the first video is how he is now fed by hand because he can't find the food to eat on his own anymore. He had become lethargic because he was not eating. You will notice when the food drops he loses it and can't find it again.
Thank you everyone for your help we are open to all suggestions right now as we just want to save our fish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tExVaMi7uw
We have had these fish for 3 years and this is the first time we have had a problem in the tank.
These two videos show how our puffer swims around the tank very slowly running into things and the first video is how he is now fed by hand because he can't find the food to eat on his own anymore. He had become lethargic because he was not eating. You will notice when the food drops he loses it and can't find it again.
Thank you everyone for your help we are open to all suggestions right now as we just want to save our fish.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Help, my puffer seems to be blind....
Bring your water in to be tested. You should be showing nitrate. Was that right after a WC? Why do you do such large, frequent WC? You must use a TON of $alt!
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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Nick
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Re: Help, my puffer seems to be blind....
Try feeding him with the tank light off, but a bright enough light in the room for you and him to see.
He could be blinded by the light - became sensitive to it for no reason, or it was switched for a more powerful light, etc, and now with the lights on, the puffer can only see light and shadows.
He might also have recently lost the use of one of his eyes. It took my GSP Shakespeare quite a while to learn to navigate with just one, though now you would never realize his injury. While adjusting, the puffer is likely to bump into things, miss bites at food, etc.
I'm wondering if he's recently "noticed" the reflections on the glass, and gets distracted by them, and his bumping into things is the puffer equivalent of "looking over your shoulder and falling into a manhole" at the new reflected world. I would think that would be odd given the fish is a three year tank veteran and the entire thought is me being crazy, but the reflections just about completely vanish with the tank light out, so it's something to check.
He could be blinded by the light - became sensitive to it for no reason, or it was switched for a more powerful light, etc, and now with the lights on, the puffer can only see light and shadows.
He might also have recently lost the use of one of his eyes. It took my GSP Shakespeare quite a while to learn to navigate with just one, though now you would never realize his injury. While adjusting, the puffer is likely to bump into things, miss bites at food, etc.
I'm wondering if he's recently "noticed" the reflections on the glass, and gets distracted by them, and his bumping into things is the puffer equivalent of "looking over your shoulder and falling into a manhole" at the new reflected world. I would think that would be odd given the fish is a three year tank veteran and the entire thought is me being crazy, but the reflections just about completely vanish with the tank light out, so it's something to check.
No matter how magnificent your successes or devastating your failures, the worlds' approximately 5 billion impoverished people could not possibly care less.
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Pufferpunk
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burrfish
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Re: Help, my puffer seems to be blind....
He doesn't seem totally blind to me.
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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Dadof4
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- Location (country): United States
- Location: North Wisconsin
Re: Help, my puffer seems to be blind....
Even with it being a 3 year old tank you can still be having a cycle issue in there. You have ammonia and no nitrate, the end product of ammonia breakdown. You really need to find out why, did you have any changes in the tank?jwhiz26 wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_EapuEUAUY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tExVaMi7uw
We have had these fish for 3 years and this is the first time we have had a problem in the tank.
These two videos show how our puffer swims around the tank very slowly running into things and the first video is how he is now fed by hand because he can't find the food to eat on his own anymore. He had become lethargic because he was not eating. You will notice when the food drops he loses it and can't find it again.
Thank you everyone for your help we are open to all suggestions right now as we just want to save our fish.
"Darwin swings...annnnnnd a miss. Boy Jim, Chuck's suffered at the plate tonight. He's 0 for 3 and I'm not sure he's recovered from that shoulder pull a few weeks ago. I'll bet the front office is re-thinking that contract."
Re: Help, my puffer seems to be blind....
I noticed a lot of answers about the water change. What is a good schedule if 90% is too much. Should it be only 50? Please any suggestions help at this point. Now that we have him eating he is looking much better, we just need to figure out what happened to him so we can save our other fish in time. We will be taking the water in to have it tested this afternoon, so hopefully we will learn something more.