The Puffer Forum

first, thanks for all the great advice suggests and the excellent website. My GSP was struggling the first week and the responses I got helped tremendously (thanks in particular to Nick)

It's been a couple weeks, things were going well, gsp was improving, etc.
Anyway, today I noticed he isn't eating as much or as enthusiastically. AND his right side gill seems more open than the other side. It seems like it's straining more but the other side seems fine. He's swimming fine though does seem to sit at the bottom quite a bit though not for prolonged periods (that i observe)

I did a 50% water change and am debating primeing the tank a little more. I don't have the liquid reagent test kit yet but am still using the dip ones I got and the parameters are all within normal range.

I did have the temp up to 84 to help with a fungal thing. And, I do have some anti ammonia tablets I could use.

Any thoughts?

I just checked in on him and noticed that his left gill does not seem to be functioning AT ALL so perhaps the right one is compensating??????

quick! am off to scan the website but any ideas would be great!



PS my filter is starting to smell...I changed the disposable one but according to the directions, the other harder one is supposed to stay put. could this be related?

Glad to help I'd suggest you do not use ammonia tablets, they might crash your tank by starving the ammonia eating bacteria. Also, I do not change the filters unless they are pysically broken down so much they don't work, as lots of good bacteria live in them, and they cost money Ammonia or nitrite burn can cause a puffer to use his gils differently. Also, temperature is not a help with fungs, it makes it spread faster, high temperature is used to speed the life cycle of microbes like ich that can only be destroyed when in a free swimming stage, but it will only make the fungus worse, I'd put the temperature down to 76, as water with lower temperature holds more oxygen and will help the breathing of your GSP.