Hi everybody! Sooo, I screwed up....

The forum for puffers that either live or start in brackish biotopes: GSPs, F8s, Ceylons & more.
Diz1
Puffer Fry
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu May 11, 2017 10:02 pm
Location (country): United States

Hi everybody! Sooo, I screwed up....

Post by Diz1 »

Hi Everybody, I'm Diz. I live in the U.S. and I am new to the world of Pufferdom...And the poo has hit the fan!

So, I just got my fish today, and I brought them back here to their new happy home. And then I learned that things where not as they seemed. I bought these puffers at our local Walmart, and it seems I have been given a TON of bad information. First off, I was told that these were dwarf puffers, and that they will eat flake food with no problems. I was also told that my 20 gallon tank would be just fine, and that live plants would be wonderful. I bought FIVE of these little guys. Well, all of that is wrong, as I have been reading on this very website.

First, upon some research I have determined, without a doubt, that these are Green Spotted Puffers. Which leads to a 20 gallon tank being a bit tiny. Which also leads to unhappy campers when it comes to flake food. Also leads to live plants going bye bye due to the brackish water requirements.

So where do I begin? Besides the obvious of eventually getting a larger tank(1-3 months likely) what can I do to ensure that some, if not all, of these little guys survive? Walmart (at least this one) will not take live fish back, and I'm not gonna kill these little fellas on purpose just to get a little bit of money back. I do have 2 different filters running( a 10, Tetra, and 20 gallon, Marineland) as well as aquarium salt, Seachem Prime, and Tetra EasyBalance to try and manage water quality. I also happen to have some bloodworms due to a 10 gallon tank I have with Shabunkins in it, so I can give them something other than flake food for now. I will be getting shrimp and snails soon as well as the appropriate marine salt to bring up the brackishness of the water. Aquarium is kept at a constant 80 degrees fahrenheit.

What else can I do? Any suggestions? HELP!!!!

(I will be posting this in the welcome area as well...)
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Pufferpunk
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Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
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Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
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Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
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Re: Hi everybody! Sooo, I screwed up....

Post by Pufferpunk »

You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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hadla
Mbu Puffer
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Re: Hi everybody! Sooo, I screwed up....

Post by hadla »

:) you're not the first and won't be the last! I don't see how anyone can resist those little innocent faces! Yay for you researching and wanting to give them a better home! In my opinion, its best to just start raising salinity until you get to saltwater since that's the cheapest way to go! Craigslist is your friend for great deals on big tanks, just be sure to ask questions on the quality of the glass and whatnot
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. -RTR
Diz1
Puffer Fry
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu May 11, 2017 10:02 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Hi everybody! Sooo, I screwed up....

Post by Diz1 »

Hi Pufferpunk! Thank you soooo much for your response. I have spent the last couple of days reading all of this stuff. I am in the midst of upgrading things to ensure my lil guys are as happy as possible!

I have come up with two questions that I am interested in hearing your views on(others are welcome as well!): I have GSPs. What things would you recommend I put in their tank to keep them occupied? I am currently using some various lengths and shapes of PVC pipe, but I do not know if that is good enough...

Is there a water filtration system that you would recommend over mechanicals? I am currently using a Marineland Penguin 100 and a Tetra 10 gallon. The Marineland does have a bio wheel.

Thank you for your time and for creating this great forum and library! It has been a lifesaver(literally!).....
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Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Hi everybody! Sooo, I screwed up....

Post by Pufferpunk »

Bio wheels can become extremely messy in a BW system, spraying salt everywhere. I suggest an Aquaclear 500 & add a canister, as you upgrade to a larger tank. Many of us eventually go to a marine system, as it is much cheaper as far as $alt for water changes. FW/BW WC - 50% weekly, SW WC - 30% monthly.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Diz1
Puffer Fry
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu May 11, 2017 10:02 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Hi everybody! Sooo, I screwed up....

Post by Diz1 »

Ok, thanks PP!

What about " I have GSPs. What things would you recommend I put in their tank to keep them occupied? I am currently using some various lengths and shapes of PVC pipe, but I do not know if that is good enough...?"
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Hi everybody! Sooo, I screwed up....

Post by Pufferpunk »

Can you post a shot of the tank?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Diz1
Puffer Fry
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu May 11, 2017 10:02 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Hi everybody! Sooo, I screwed up....

Post by Diz1 »

Front.jpg
Back.jpg
Here's the front and Back, PP. If you look closely you can see some of my lil guys in there!
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Diz1
Puffer Fry
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu May 11, 2017 10:02 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Hi everybody! Sooo, I screwed up....

Post by Diz1 »

Pufferpunk wrote: Sun May 14, 2017 5:29 pm Can you post a shot of the tank?
Posted, PP! Thoughts?
Diz1
Puffer Fry
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu May 11, 2017 10:02 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Hi everybody! Sooo, I screwed up....

Post by Diz1 »

Did I get forgotten here?...
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Hi everybody! Sooo, I screwed up....

Post by Pufferpunk »

Sorry, busy weekend.
Have you read the article on them? It is suggested to use aragonite sand to keep the water hardness up & the pH buffered around a steady 8. Also, those live plants you have in there will not survive BW conditions, which they should be in by now. I don't see PVC pips to be very natural/ascetically pleasing to me. By using rocks, to make swim-thoughs & caves, they should be very happy & entertained.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
User avatar
hadla
Mbu Puffer
Posts: 1626
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:33 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: 2 gsps and a big Stars and stripes
Location (country): California
Location: Sacramento, CA
Contact:

Re: Hi everybody! Sooo, I screwed up....

Post by hadla »

You can use aquarium silicone and sand or gravel to cover the pipes :) it just reeks like vinegar while it's drying which takes about 24 hours :/
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. -RTR
Diz1
Puffer Fry
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu May 11, 2017 10:02 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Hi everybody! Sooo, I screwed up....

Post by Diz1 »

Pufferpunk wrote: Sun May 21, 2017 12:18 pm Sorry, busy weekend.
Have you read the article on them? It is suggested to use aragonite sand to keep the water hardness up & the pH buffered around a steady 8. Also, those live plants you have in there will not survive BW conditions, which they should be in by now. I don't see PVC pips to be very natural/ascetically pleasing to me. By using rocks, to make swim-thoughs & caves, they should be very happy & entertained.
Hi, PP! I have read everything you suggested to me, and then some!

I am using Aragonite Coral for PH and Hardness. All plants except the Anacharis and Java Fern have been re-homed in a different tank. Current SG is 1.003 and growing weekly. We definitely plan on swapping the pipes with something more aesthetically pleasing soon, that was just a "fast and dirty" solution for now. I am going to try out some rock caves though!

My biggest issue now is trying to combat high Nitrite levels. I am at an average of 3.0ppm at the moment, despite lighter feeding and numerous water swaps. Any suggestions would be great!

Thank you Hadla for your input as well!
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Hi everybody! Sooo, I screwed up....

Post by Pufferpunk »

How was this tank cycled? ANY amount of nitrite is extremely toxic & 3 is VERY high! You can add Tetra Safestart to try & see if this helps, but it's for FW. What's your specific gravity now?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Diz1
Puffer Fry
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu May 11, 2017 10:02 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Hi everybody! Sooo, I screwed up....

Post by Diz1 »

Pufferpunk wrote: Tue May 23, 2017 12:01 am How was this tank cycled? ANY amount of nitrite is extremely toxic & 3 is VERY high! You can add Tetra Safestart to try & see if this helps, but it's for FW. What's your specific gravity now?
Honestly, just with Seachem Prime, Tetra EasyBalance, and Aquarium(and then!)Sea salt and a 10 and 20 gallon filter, one with Bio-Wheel, along with the live plants. We were badly mis-informed about these fish when we bought them and the stuff for them. We are now trying to right as many of the wrongs that we can.

The SG is 1.003, as measured by a refractometer. We are raising it weekly, per your specifications on the Puffer Library.

Isn't Safestart and Seachem Prime about the same?

I am definitely worried about the Nitrities...
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