Okay, so I got this puffer because I saw it at a Walmart (seriously), with about 15 barbs in a SMALL tank. They were trying to feed it only flakes, and it was hurting. He/she is a little over an inch long.
I first don't know if I need to have a brackish or freshwater setup, which might be the problem.
I have had the fish for about two weeks, and it has gotten dark in color, more brownish compared to the bright green originally. It still eats plenty (thawed, frozen bloodworms and live snails QT'd) but has lost almost all activity. I changed the water twice this last week to see if it was water quality, but again I don't know if I need to increase the salinity for this fish. (Question #1)
It also looks like it has a fungal infection on its head. White, cottony discharge that is isolated in only that spot. I bought and have been using for three days Pimafix, but to no avail.
I have a 20 gal. tank with three small cardinal tetras in the tank as well (I am working on getting a bigger tank, but needed to save this puffer from the horrid conditions).
78-80, 6.6 pH, 0.0 nitrates. No salinity. Tank has cycled for two months. I have tons of live plants from an established, disease free tank.
Help! my puffer is dying :(
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
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newpuff
Help! my puffer is dying :(
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crazedpuffer
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Re: Help! my puffer is dying :(
Read the article on GSPs in the library. Also one of our members hasa GSP website http://greenspottedpuffer.110mb.com/ that should help you too.
Salt won't affect your puffer at this age, but you will need stronger meds then just Pimafix and Melafix.
Salt won't affect your puffer at this age, but you will need stronger meds then just Pimafix and Melafix.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Help! my puffer is dying :(
Your puffer has had a bad start & usually this doesn't end well. I caution folks here over & over about "rescuing" puffers from Walmart. You should not support a store that neglects their fish in the 1st place. 2nd, you should choose a happy, healthy, nicely rounded puffer, that greets you at the glass. This will insure you of a puffer with a good start in life. God knows what maladies the Walmart puffers have gotten along the way & in their store.
With that said, please post your water parameters. If you are going to add any salt (recommended) you will have to remove your other, FW fish. You'll need marine salt & a hydrometer. You can raise the specific gravity in the tank as much as .002/week. This may help with the puffer's immune system. You will probably have to treat the puffer with something stronger than Pimafix (you can keep using that in conjunction), like Maracyn.
With that said, please post your water parameters. If you are going to add any salt (recommended) you will have to remove your other, FW fish. You'll need marine salt & a hydrometer. You can raise the specific gravity in the tank as much as .002/week. This may help with the puffer's immune system. You will probably have to treat the puffer with something stronger than Pimafix (you can keep using that in conjunction), like Maracyn.
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"