Help!!

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can 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.
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clivingston99
Puffer Fry
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2019 1:15 am
Location (country): United States

Help!!

Post by clivingston99 »

Hi-I am a new comer to the wonderful world of puffers. I have a 2 and half year old gsp. His name is Dave. He is currently in a 20 gallon tank (long) all by himself. Jimmie his brother didn't make it :cry:

I have been doing wc every 2 weeks faithly. His salinity is between 1.008 and 1.010. Ph is 7.5 temp 80 . Amonia 0 nitrite o nitrate .5. Sand substrate. Double filtration system
Lots of airation. Tank fully cycled.

I feed him hard pellets for his teeth. Some occasional dried krill, blood worms and clam on a half shell.

This past week he was acting stand off-ish and not eating. I took readings and it appeared the amonia was reading at .25. I immediately did my w c (30- 40 %). I found one filter clogged and the other other needing filter replaced. Which I took care if. Also I think I may have over fed and not cleaned the substrate very well in the past month. So I ended up doing 4 consecutive wc . I finally stopped. I think the amonia levels may have been fine all along and I may have misread ( I lost the saltwater chart and was going by the freshwater).

Dave went 8 days without food. :cry: I enticed him the other day with blood worms soaked in garlic. He went to town!! :razz: the next night I gave him clam on the half shell dipped in garlic and he are some. Today these no longer entice him. He just swims around and sits at the bottom. Go up near one of the filters.

Color looks good almost happy coloring . In at a loss. I live in a small town. My api kit amonia ran out . Using Jungke test strip. Coming up "safe" for amonia. I plan to go to the big city this weekend for a water testing.

I will be grateful for any advice or suggestions. I love this little guy with my WHOLE heart. Thank you :razz:
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Pufferpunk
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Posts: 32979
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
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Re: Help!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

[welcome]
Test strips are inaccurate. Get yourself an API liquid test kit. Also, he needs minimally, a 30g, 55g would be best. At his age, he could be in full SW. It it is recommended to do 50% weekly WC, for FW/BW tanks. If moved up to SW, you can do less, as there is much better biological filtration (live rock, sand).
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!"
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clivingston99
Puffer Fry
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2019 1:15 am
Location (country): United States

Re: Help!!

Post by clivingston99 »

Thanks . Yes will definitely buy a API test kit t( i hate the test strips too ) this weekend. I increased his salinity slightly above 1.010. Will start doing weekly wc . I have live rock. Thanks again!
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Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32979
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:
Contact Pufferpunk

Re: Help!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

What salinity is this LR in?
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!"
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clivingston99
Puffer Fry
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2019 1:15 am
Location (country): United States

Re: Help!!

Post by clivingston99 »

1.010 is the salinity.
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User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32979
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:
Contact Pufferpunk

Re: Help!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Then this is not "live" rock. The bacteria & detritus-eating creatures that make it live won't survive <1.018.
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!"
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clivingston99
Puffer Fry
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2019 1:15 am
Location (country): United States

Re: Help!!

Post by clivingston99 »

Interesting. I didn't know that. I guess the bio filters are working pretty good then.
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clivingston99
Puffer Fry
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2019 1:15 am
Location (country): United States

Re: Help!! Good News!!!!!

Post by clivingston99 »

My guy is finally pooping !! It looks like the Seachem magnesium treatment worked for my 20 gallon ( but really a 15 gallon ) one and a half tablespoon dosage. Appears to have worked within 24 hours. Soooooooo happy !!!!
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User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32979
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:
Contact Pufferpunk

Re: Help!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

That's great! You just paid more than necessary for Epsom salt though.
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!"
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