gsp have wholes

[fish_breeder_05]

I add salt to my water, I give them snails every other week, And I bloat them on omega one shrimp every night. I have 2 that I have had for about 2 monthes. the problem is I have a phobia of water changes. I add water when it gets to low,but im lazy about it. The last water change I did was at the beginig of the summer. My electric catfish refused to eat after new water was added until he was used to the conditions (2-3 days). The last one I did he stopped eating and got sick and died. This is one of the times I got lazy about adding water. It got so low the filters couldn't work. I stirred up the tank abd started feeding the water throgh the box filter. Afterwards I added stess coat,zyme, and aqaurium salt. the oxegen was low and all the fish were at the top. I added an air tube to the 8" blood parrots side and monitored their health. The puffers had their mouthes out of the water and half the time they din't move at all, not even their gills. As their heads poked their head over the water I could see holes the size of a neddle point all over their bodys. IS that normal? I moved them to a small plastic breeder cag for the night in a cleaner tank until the water setals. It is only for the night. they seemedhealthyer intheir. They can't go into the main tank because, even though my mom loves puffers, she won't let them go near her pair of 4" angles she grew from a half-dolar

[RTR]

GSPs will not do well long-term in water with salt added. They are brackish water fish, so need to have marine mix, not just "salt" added, and as they mature the spcific gravity need to move up to high-density brackish water or saltwater levels. That would be incompatible with the other fish. GSPs need about 30 gallons each, more is better, so unless you have an alternate tank larger than 60 gallons for them, perhaps you should trade them in.

If you are unwilling to do water changes, you are condeming all of your fish to a slow death. That you need to decide for yourself. Either you are willing to do the setup and maintenance necessary for keeping fish or you are not. If you are not, you should trade off all the fish. To do otherwise is cruelty to the fish.

[fish_breeder_05]

I do have water changes done every 4 monthes. Please anser the question and do not cretisizemy keeping on one skrew up. I am only 13 but I research constantly, and I can only get money for my hobby from desasiling and that doesn't support a 125gal. wich I will get as soon as I turn 14 and get a longer lasting job. :argue:

[Pufferpunk]

Not doing water changes is not just one screw up. It is the very most important part of fishkeeping. Lazyness is no excuse. The reason your fish died after a water change, is it got used to the extremely poor conditions it was living in & then went into shock when you changed the water. In cases like that, it is best to do several smaller water changes every day for a week, until the water conditions are improved. Puffers are not for novice or lazy fishkeepers. They are wild-caught fish that are best left in the wild, or to be cared for folks that appreciate the special care these exotic fish require.

See: GSPs (http://www.thepufferforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=12)

[wataugachicken]

plus if you're not doing water changes, but continuing to add salt when you top off the water, the salinity levels are going to get extremely high. then when you finally break down and do a water change, there is a huge difference in salt levels which completely messes up the fish.

unless you're paying the water bill and can't afford it, there's no reason not to do water changes. if that is indeed the case, which i doubt, then you need to take your fish back and start again when you can take care of them. laziness is no excuse, because it is nothing more than apathy, which means that you don't really care whether the fish live or die anyway.

[LittlePuff]

If someone can't afford to do water changes, what if they need medication? or special food? Can they afford filter media? and the inevitable MTS. :confused:



Kim

[fish_breeder_05]

Not doing water changes is not just one screw up. It is the very most important part of fishkeeping. Lazyness is no excuse. The reason your fish died after a water change, is it got used to the extremely poor conditions it was living in & then went into shock when you changed the water. In cases like that, it is best to do several smaller water changes every day for a week, until the water conditions are improved. Puffers are not for novice or lazy fishkeepers. They are wild-caught fish that are best left in the wild, or to be cared for folks that appreciate the special care these exotic fish require.

See: GSPs (http://www.thepufferforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=12)
I only changed less than 10 gal the time he got sick. besides, the electric catfish was very old and was at the fish store for longer than most of the emmpolyees there. As far as "one screw up" I ment holding off the water change for a few extra weeks. my fist sentence of the last post was that I make water changes every 4 monthes

[fish_breeder_05]

please awnser the question!!!!!! :mad2:

[Pufferpunk]

Those "holes" are their spines.

[LittlePuff]

Change 50% weekly. :devil:


Kim

[wataugachicken]

yes and no. i would do a 10% change every other day for about two weeks, then do 50% once a week or 20% twice a week. and you should get a hydrometer in order to accurately keep track of the salinity levels. constantly fluctuating salinity will stress your fish at the cellular level.

[Pufferpunk]

Are you using marine salt & how are you measuring it?