Help My Gsp Will Not Eat And Looks Awful!

[Gspmom]

So about four months ago I was at Wal-Mart and I saw this pathetic looking tank of GSP's. I had a 30 gallon well cycled tank with no one in it. I had transfered its inhabitants to a larger tank. I felt bad for the the little guys they had nearly no fins left cause they were bitting each other. So I brought home the healthiest looking one in the tank. I adjusted the salinity and added stress coat to the water. The next day I stocked the tank with pest snails and duck weed and a little moneywart. He has been doing fine but this last week he stopped eating well. I'm scared I am going to find him belly up one day. I wave fresh shrimp in front of him and he acts like he can't even see it. If he does go after it he spits allot of it out. I have never had a puffer before so I know the beak can be an issue but how do I tell if its the problem? I can see him kinda trying to chew and he deffinatley looks like he has more of a beak than he use to. I'm worried about a parisite or something. He has a sunken in tummy and his skin is looking kinda pruny. Iam in the US so I'm not sure what is available. Any advise is welcome I really want my little guy to make it!

BTW
I have had the water tested and and test it often myself it all comes back great. The temp is in the mid to low 80's when it gets any lower than 80 he won't move from the heater and stays curled up in a ball. I am really upset because I can tell he is suffering he looks terrible! I also do 25 to 50 % water changes every week with a vacuum and the water isn't quite brackish but at the correct parameters. Thanks!

 

[jennybugs]

When you say the water isn't quite brackish, what is it? Are you adding marine salt to the water? What is the SG?

I take it your little chap was eating and suddenly stopped? Have you been feeding him lots of crunchy foods to keep that beak trimmed? If his beak is overgrown you'll be able to see it. He'll look bucky toothed to put it plainly, as if he's baring his teeth at you or giving you a ridiculous toothy grin.

If his skin is looking like a prune that's definately not good. His tummy may be sunken because he just hasn't eaten, but it would tend to be IPs if he looked round when eating and then suddenly his tummy looked sunken and hollowed in not long after.

I can't recommend an IP med I'm afraid as I am uk based, but try soaking his food in garlic juice prior to feeding as this can pick their appetite up a bit. If he eats softer foods easier than crunchy stuff then it may well be a beak issue.