GSP twitching and gulping on Melafix and Pimafix - Help

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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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kristine888
Puffer Fry
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Location: Ottawa, Ontario

GSP twitching and gulping on Melafix and Pimafix - Help

Post by kristine888 »

Okay....I moved my GSP with the pink growth on his fin into a hospital tank and medicated him with the correct amounts of both Melafix and Pimafix.

He's twitching every minute or so, as if to shake something off his skin and every once in while he makes these big gulping motions. I'm wondering if this is normal...do they feel the medication inside and out and just get irritated or do you think I have a bigger problem?

Should I take him out and put him back in the big tank?

He didn't puff while I moved him. He is grey and swimming up and down the sides of the tank [he does this a lot anyway].
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Tihsho
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Post by Tihsho »

Sounds like he is stressed. What is the SG of the tank he is in ATM? What size is the main tank he was in? How about the QT tank?
<80 gal> 2 GSPs & a Ceylon!
<75 gal> 3 Figure 8s & 1 Butterlfy Goby
<75 gal> *Empty*
<55 gal> 3 Gymnothorax polyuranodon (FW eel)
<30 long> Pair of Lorteti's & Irrubesco's, 1 DP, Endlers Livebearers, Clown Pleco, Royal Pleco, 2 Bumblebee Cats
<20 long> 4 Flounders
<4 gal> 2 Sparkling Gouramis & 3 ottos heavily planted

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~Tihsho~
kristine888
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Joined: Mon Jun 12, 2006 12:36 am
Location: Ottawa, Ontario

Post by kristine888 »

The SG is the same as the big tank....I used the water from the big tank to fill up the small one. It's at 1.010 in both.

The big tank is 65 Gallons and the hospital tank is 10 Gallons.

All water tests come back fine except the Ph was a bit low. I increased it in both tanks just slightly to about 8.0.
2 GSPs
Tihsho
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Post by Tihsho »

Did you cycle the tank?
<80 gal> 2 GSPs & a Ceylon!
<75 gal> 3 Figure 8s & 1 Butterlfy Goby
<75 gal> *Empty*
<55 gal> 3 Gymnothorax polyuranodon (FW eel)
<30 long> Pair of Lorteti's & Irrubesco's, 1 DP, Endlers Livebearers, Clown Pleco, Royal Pleco, 2 Bumblebee Cats
<20 long> 4 Flounders
<4 gal> 2 Sparkling Gouramis & 3 ottos heavily planted

Image


~Tihsho~
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Phaedrus
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Post by Phaedrus »

kristine - you should post this in your other thread to keep everything together so everyone can follow it more easily. it'll save a lot of time and double posting information.

see the original thread here: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/vie ... ght=#41756
kristine888
Puffer Fry
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Jun 12, 2006 12:36 am
Location: Ottawa, Ontario

Post by kristine888 »

OMG isn't the tank already cycled if I used only the same water and substrate from the established tank? I also took some sponge material and put it where the carbon usually sits.

Please let me know, as I'll move him back ASAP.

Sorry, I'll post into the same thread next time....not sure how to move it now.
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Phaedrus
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Post by Phaedrus »

Don't worry about it. I'll reply to your questiosn in your original thread and lock this one.
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