The Puffer Forum

I've have an established 55 gallon tank with one almost 5in GSP and 3 wasp fish. Decided to get another two GSP who are almost 3in. I've had the two for 5 months now and all of a sudden one of them is sick. The other two are fine. I've tried soaking shrimp in garlic and peas (which he ate some) and have tried putting Melafix in the tank and have also put in some stress coat. I have 6 tanks that are all happy and healthy. They have brackish water at 1.015, nitrates are at 40. Everybody else in the tank is fine except for him. He's been this way for a week now and I know he's suffering. Struggling to breathe, black, and is either floating at the top by the heater or laying on the bottom, looking dead. It's horrible and I don't know what to do. I can't find anything anywhere that's matching all of his symptoms. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. My fish are my family. Oh and I do 50% water changes once a week and add prime.

Thanks

Nitrate is extremely high. That's a lot of bioload for your tank, unless you are doing huge weekly WC on it. Please answer ALL the Qs above, in red. My guess is it also could have been stung by a waspfish.

Agree with PP. Your Nitrates are way too high, and you have overstocked your tank. It seems like your 50% weekly WC aren't enough. I'd isolate the little guy and start thinking about a solution for your bioload.