Dead GSP :(

[Nacoconut]

I had a gsp for a year purchased from walmart. Kept him healthy, no real issues. Someone took his lid off when I wasn't home, and that was the end.

2.5 years ago, we decided to try again, Walmart puffer. The tank was cycled for over a month, no salinity at first as he was in freshwater. He passed pretty quickly, I don't remember the details but the water was perfect. We added a piece of drift wood that still floated.

Sunday, we tried again with a 35 gallon cycled for 2 weeks using water and bacteria from our existing tank where the phone was around 7. Fish store puffer, very aggressive and active. I put the puffer in the tank and turned on the heater, waiting about 2 hours before adding some tank water to his bag. His face got a little brown and he was pretty upset. The husband put in PH up to get it to 8 in the tank. in the past we had used baking soda. We gradually added more water over several hours then put him in. He was almost all green, swimming but not super active, and appeared to be hunting snails.

The water is quite yellow from the 2.5 year old wood which now sinks. It was sitting in a small water garden. So, did the husband kill my fish or did the driftwood? I am checking to see if the ph is fluctuating, but not sure if that was the issue. I feel horrible. I really want another gsp but can't let this happen again.

Checking all other levels when I get home to see where we are now.

[Pufferpunk]

Oh gosh, so sorry you're getting this all wrong. pH needs to be stable, not up & down. Driftwood will lower pH & is not recommended for BW fish.
Read this & then ask more questions:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/lib ... d-puffers/
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/lib ... s-cycling/

[Nacoconut]

Pufferpunk,

I understand that fish need a stable ph. I have kept GSPs before successfully but before moving states. All my other tanks are stable and so are my other puffers though they are different varieties.

I brought my water to the store when purchasing the puffer and they said it was perfect and very close to theirs so it wasn't a huge jump at all. I checked daily to make sure nothing was changing.

The log has been leeched of tannins and the water is no longer yellow after the first water change. I think it was just residual from being in a water garden pot for several years and not being throughly cleaned. It has stayed a stable 8.5 the entire time. If this were an issue, my ph would be going down. But yes, I realize curtains woods aren't the best and those that have not been leeched.

Driftwood aside, I am concerned the gravel may be an issue? After multiple water changes, the ph won't go down at all which is odd since our water is 7.4 normally. The substrate used was Flourite, sand, and some little rock gravel which were all throughly cleaned, especially the Flourite (which is in our 7.5ph tank also) since it was so dusty. A few brakish suitable plants also live in the tank but no salt has been added yet as my fish store had them in completely fresh water.

[Nacoconut]

I will also note that the ph up was put in before the puffer was added and acclumated .He did it without checking the ph first so it could have been too much in the water. I started water changes for this reason.

I don't use chemicals, only natural methods of altering ph. I told him never to add it in again. The water has been changed at least 4 times 50% since. The gravel has not be taken out or cleaned after putting it in.