Ill Figure of Eight Puffer

[Polohalo]

Good evening everyone,

My Figure 8 puffer fish has not been himself the past four or five days. His belly is dark grey, and he spends the majority of his time on the ground.
When he's not on the floor, he's looking up at the water surface, as though begging for food, but he's not active and doesn't approach the front when I try to talk to him as he usually does.

He has lived with a cherry barb since I've had him, however a bristlenose was added over a week ago.

I've owned the fish for a year in a couple of weeks and not had any problems. There have been no changes to my routine in that time. He is however, due for a tooth clipping, but he's eating fine even at the moment.

I conducted a 60% water change yesterday evening. (I usually do 40 - 50% changes)

My tank schematics:

60 Litre (13.1 Gallons) Capacity
Contains: 1 cherry barb
1 bristlenose ancistrus

The Figure 8 is fed mussels primarily, and occasionally common and ramshorn snails.

During water changes I add Aquasafe and 1 heaped teaspoon of 'Tropic Marin' sea salt. This routine has not changed since owning him.

I cycled the tank with the fish-in system for two months.

Water Test
Using the API Freshwater Master Test Kit this evening:

pH: 7.6
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm
Salinity - not sure, I add one tea spoon per water change

The most recent additions to the tank were made Sunday 30th January.
They were: 1x bristlenose ancistrus
1x half coconut 'house'
1x bog standard bogwood

Poor fish, he's not himself at all
Thank you!

[c333davis]

Greetings! Sorry to hear your F8 isn't well. Some senior pufferkeepers will probably chime in soon with other questions & suggestions, but here are the first things that struck me:

1) When did you last observe your F8 eating?

2) Did you quarantine the bristlenose before adding it to the tank?

3) Can you check and repost your water parameters? 0ppm Nitrate generally indicates a tank that doesn't have a sufficient biofilter... though I know you just did a big water change within the last 24 hrs. I'm curious about the parameters since the water's had time to circulate.

4) Since you're adding salt, I recommend buying a hydrometer to measure the salinity. Over here, hydrometers average about $10-$20 US. (Also, I'm unclear from what you wrote... Do you mix your salt into the water and let it sit overnight before you add it to the tank?)

[Pufferpunk]

For more F8 info:
library/puffers-in-focus/fig8/

[Polohalo]

Thank you for your reply!

I have just purchased a hydrometer....something I should have done a very long time ago.
I last observed him eating the day before yesterday (it was his day off food day yesterday and I was worried I may have accidentally over fed him)

The bristlenose was transferred from another tank owned by my girlfriend, she has had him for about two years but he wasn't quarantined when added to my tank. I am a tad suspicious that he may be the cause, but he has no signs of illness and my barb is absolutely fine.

I've just retested the water using strips this time, the nitrate is coming in at about the same maybe a little higher than the last test, but its the usual results I get when I test the water.

I add the salt to a bucket of water before transferring it to the tank, I mix it and allow it to dissolve but only for a few minutes.

Hope this helps the diagnosis!

I've not done anything differently in the past year, the only thing that's changed is the addition of the bristlenose

[Pufferpunk]

Get yourself some good liquid test kits, by API.

[Polohalo]

I've got one, I used it for my initial readings in my first post about an hour ago.
I'll retake the nitrate one and post the results!

[Polohalo]

I've just retaken the nitrate test on my API Freshwater Master Test Kit
You were right! The levels are higher....between 5.0 and 10ppm but closer to 5.0

I have a feeling I mixed the nitrate and nitrite test chemicals by mistake...oops

So my results are:
pH - 7.6
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 5.0 - 10ppm

(I'll know the salinity when my hydrometer arrives)

I'd describe my puffers' state as sluggish and unresponsive, almost zombie like. He's not responding to anything but at the moment he is swimming around a little.

[c333davis]

Let us know whether your F8 eats when it's his dinnertime.

[c333davis]

Also wondering: where'd the coconut house and the bogwood come from? Your gf's tank? Or the pet store?

Did you clean them before putting them in your tank? If so, with what?

[Polohalo]

He's been with his food for half an hour now and he's not touched it
He's been sitting right next to it too

[Polohalo]

The bogwood came from her tank. The coconut had been in a tank before, but not for at least a year. They hadn't been cleaned before placed in my tank

[Polohalo]

I'm afraid to say he passed away.
If anyone has any ideas as to why I'd really like to know. Poor fish

[c333davis]

Oh, I'm so sorry. I know from experience how sad it is to lose one after working to save him.

I'm not sure that you'll ever know for certain what happened to him. Puffers, in general, are such sensitive fish and don't fare well with a less-than-fully-cycled tank, and since almost all are wild-caught, they likely come to us with internal parasites. My impression is that even if the IPs don't present a problem initially, other stressors can weaken the puffs' immune system enough to cause the IPs (or whatever else may be lurking) to overcome the puffer.

Sad for you.

[Polohalo]

Thank you for your help, its very much appreciated