GSP scratching
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.
-
PufferBabe
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 90
- Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2011 7:17 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 4 green spotted puffers:
Izze, Nemo, Calogero, Capone.
1 f8:
fernando :)
1 Dp:
Bambina :) - Location (country): callifornia
- Contact:
GSP scratching
i have a GSP that scratchs on everything! hes in a 75gallon tank with 2 other puffers (they get along well) when i first got him i housed him in a tank alone with some meds to treat him for anything that he had when i got him...i've had him for about 2 months and he straches like crazy...he has little scratch markes on him from scratching so much...i've treated him for ich 2 times and he still scratchs...he doesnt have any white spots. im so worried about him 
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
*The Oceans work is Never Done.
- sevenyearnight
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1894
- Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2011 2:41 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: T. nigroviridis
Balki Bartokomous - Location (country): USA
- Location: South Carolina
Re: GSP scratching
![welcome [welcome]](./images/smilies/welcome.gif)
Please answer the questions above, as I moved this to the hospital for you.
They will sometimes scratch if ammonia is burning their gills, or certain medications, as they are very sensitive.
Could you explain your method for ich treatment?

- 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: GSP scratching
Maybe it's all those blue stars.
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!"
-
PufferBabe
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 90
- Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2011 7:17 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 4 green spotted puffers:
Izze, Nemo, Calogero, Capone.
1 f8:
fernando :)
1 Dp:
Bambina :) - Location (country): callifornia
- Contact:
Re: GSP scratching
i use coppersafe on them. i just put them in a ten gallon tank and treat them like that.
im not really sure what the Nitrite, Nitrates are because i just get my water tested at petsmart...
but the ammonia is around 0ppm (i only have the ammonia api tests.)
s.g 1.012
hes in a 75gallon tank with 2 other gsp's
i feed them frozen raw shrimp..and sundried baby shrimp.
i had an established filter media that cycled the tank.
but hes been scratching since i first put him in a 30 gallon that was fully cycled
(lol heres a better pic of him)
im not really sure what the Nitrite, Nitrates are because i just get my water tested at petsmart...
but the ammonia is around 0ppm (i only have the ammonia api tests.)
s.g 1.012
hes in a 75gallon tank with 2 other gsp's
i feed them frozen raw shrimp..and sundried baby shrimp.
i had an established filter media that cycled the tank.
but hes been scratching since i first put him in a 30 gallon that was fully cycled
(lol heres a better pic of him)
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
*The Oceans work is Never Done.
- 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: GSP scratching
Copper is always a LAST resort, as it it is extremely toxic to puffers. Especially when simple heat/salt method is so much safer than ANY meds.
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=28113
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=28113
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!"
-
Nuclear_Glitter
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 971
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 1:03 am
- Gender: Female
- Location (country): North Carolina, USA
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Re: GSP scratching
Your tank is going to need upgraded or you're going to have to adopt one puffer out. GSPs need 30 gallons per puffer, minimum. You should buy a water test kit. http://www.amazon.com/API-SALTWATER-MAS ... 584&sr=8-1
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." -- Henry Ford