Help - GSP seems sick

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S

shluffer

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 1, 2009
102
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Connecticut
My GSP seems very stressed out. His belly is not as white as usual, and he has black marks on both sides of his mouth. He is swimming around with his tail wrapped around (he kinda looks like a U). He is also hanging out on the bottom of the tank. He usualy swims around more.

Tank Size: 120 with 40 gallon sump
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrate: 20 - 40
PH: 8.2
SG: 1.014
Temp: 82

Readings are based on freshwater cards. I'm not convinced my ammonia readings are accurate. They seem to stay at 0.25 after 5 minutes. If I let the liquid sit over night it goes to yellow (0). It also isn't clear.

Tankmates: I have a second GSP (smaller and seems fine) and 4 monos.

The has been moving around a bit. The heaters are set lower, but it seems the heat from the pump is pushing it up a bit. Not much I can do about it since I don't have a chiller.

I feed them dried shrimp. They also eat some of the flake food I put in for the monos.

Recent changes: I have been slowly pushing up the SG. I have also added a sand bucket to try and reduce the nitrates. That was about a week ago , so I don't expect it to have done much as of yet.
 
How long have you had the puffer? What has he been eating? Is he thin at all? Nitrite?
They meed a much more varied diet than just shrimp & usually won't eat much flakes.
http://www.**************.com/forum/library/category/feeding/
 
Hes eating a product called "large Freeze Dried Medly" it includes freaze dried Red Shrimp, Krill, and Mysis shrimp. I was not expecting it, but for whatever reason both of my puffers eat the flakes.

From time to time I also drop some pond snails in. I offered freaze dried blood worms. they were not interested. There are a couple of guppies in the tank that are offspring of my freinds guppy tank. He needed to get rid of them so I took them as a snack. I'm not sure if the puffers are eating them though. The monos may be partaking. I think I am feeding them similar tothe article you referenced, with the exception that I am not soaking the foods. Are the foods soaked so that they will eat them, or for another reason?

The nitrates are high (20 - 40). I added a deep sand bucket to reduce them, but it takes a while to get going.

I have had the puffer for about a month. Water parameters are in the first post. Let me know if any more info will help.
 
I'm sorry, I don't see the results of nitrIte in your tests.

NitrAte really needs to be kept <20. Do do this, most pufferkeepers do a minimum of 50% weekly water changes. I know this is going to cost you a lot in salt but until you can get that tank to marine conditions, giving you the ability to add live rock & a protein skimmmer to the filtration, this is the best thing you can do for your fish.

Soaking freeze-dried foods is usually suggested so puffers don't ingest air by feeding at the surface of the water. Is the puffer still eating? I suggest more meaty foods, like shellfish you can buy at the grocery store.
 
He is reading, and I misread nitrite. I don't have a nitrite kit, so I will need to either pick one up, or bring my water in. I'll let you know which happens. Unfortunately, it will likely wait until tomorrow. I'll also start changing out some water.
 
I only ask because you have detected some ammonia, although with nitrate that high, the tank is probably cycled already but you never know. What test kits are you using? You should get your own Master Test Kit from API.
 
I use API. It could be that there is an issue with the cycling. The tank was cycled prior to my adding salt, but the salt can kill the backteria.
 
That is why you should raise the SG no faster than .002/week.
 
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