Labored Breathing

[Pufferpunk]

Get an empty bucket that has never been used with any kind of soap in it & fill it 1/2 way with the sand. Stuff a hose into the bottom of the bucket & fill to overflowing, while mixing the sand with your hand. After it's overflowing, dump out the water (try not to dump out the sand) & repeat, until the water runs clear.

[signnet]

Ok, I am confused. Ge my new tank, fill up 3/4 with ta water, put Prime in and the same day move everything from the 10 Gallon, incudng my puffer to the 45 gallon????? Won't tha stress him out?

I understand that you need 30 gal per puffer, but it jus seems so wrong to only have one puffer in one big tank by himself. I guess I didn't read that

[Pufferpunk]

library/puffer-care/alone-but-not-lonel ... fers-solo/
In a couple of years, after he's in SW, you could add a marine tank mate or 2.

Believe me, it's no different than doing a large WC as long as you add all the water he's in now to the new tank. With all the WC you've been doing, he's practically in tap water now anyway.

[signnet]

So, if I understand, fill new tank the day I get it, Take new bags of sand and wash in a bucket first, then put sand in tank, then add 3/4 tab water, then add log, sand and plant from other tank. Last, scoup up puffer UNDER WATER, and release under water in new tank, then empty remaining water into 45 gallon. RIGHT??

Here's picture of Puffer.

[Pufferpunk]

Your puffer looks great! I'd drain the present tank down about 90%, before transferring him. It'll put a lot of his water in the new tank before he goes in & will make it a lot easier to catch him. Make sure you use water that is close to the temp of his tank now.

I'd also add the sand 1st. Then place a heavy ceramic bowl in the sand & fill the the tank up by pouring water into the bowl & let it overflow into the tank. That will cause less disturbance to the sand. You're gonna need lots more decor for the larger tank or he's not going to feel safe in there.

[signnet]

Ok, tank will be here on Wednesday. I will have everything together before it gets here and will report back to you all. I cannot tell you what a wonderful group of people you all are and how much support you have given me. It's all so new and was very frustrating, but I made it through so far with your help.....You should be proud with all of the knowledge you have about these little creatures. I know I am thankful for having found this wonderful site and the people in it.

[xrayjeeper83]

Thats what we are here for.

[sevenyearnight]

Post pics of his new home when you get him in it!

[hadla]

yeah, i cant wait to see it!

[signnet]

Hi everyone

My little guy is hanging in there. My next door neightbor has an abundance of snails, so I give him 2-3 snails everyday for dinner once a day. He's swimming around and comes to the tank to greet me.

The large tank has been a job. Got the tank from a person 20 minutes from me that had it on Ebay. Piture looked great. I won the tank...45 gallon for 90.00. It's called a "Via Aqua" tank. I called and set up an appt. to pick it up. Got there on Friday because he cancelled twice on me. The guy didn't even drain or clean the tank. Got a 45 gallon tank ith stand to fit in my Dodge Charger....go figure. Brought it home and found I had to clean everything because of the crud stuck to the plastic pipes, outside of the tank and the stand was filthy. I rinsed out the tank really, really, well....cleaned all of the parts....Tank looks great. Put 30 pounds of the sand in it, after washin the sand. I have filled it up but only enough so that I can add the water, per your suggstions, from the 10 gallon tank my little guy is in right now. The tank is a bit cloudy. As of this morning, I put an additional filter system on it to clear it up. I picked up some additional media fr the ank to add to what I am using in the 10 gallon. I left the sand at 30 pounds so I can dd the 1 pounds thats in he 10 gallon tank

Am I doing this right?

[sevenyearnight]

I can't think of anything off hand, looks/sounds good.
I know cleaning used dirty tanks sucks! I got one that had dead bugs up in everything, looked like it was left in a barn.

[xrayjeeper83]

sounds right to me

[signnet]

Yeah I was a bit disappointed, but for 90.00 I guess I can't go wrong. It's running right now and to me that's what counts. It looks a lot better sine I cleaned it and I cannot fathom how someone could still have fish and water in this tank with all of the equipment filled with slime. I got new filters, new charcoal and threw out his gravel. Got all brand new after the tank was cleaned. The pipes took me two days to clean.....I can't tell you how mad I was. The picture looked great and h said it was a very clean tank only to find out when I got there, I had to waste two hours of my time helping this guy drain it. He asked if I wanted his other 100 gallon for 300.00. and he still had plants growing in it and even that was pretty murky

I just wish I could get anothe puffer and hve a tank mate for my little guy. You should have seen how he or she stayed by the other one while it was sick. Those cute little eyes and staying right side by side to make sure she could get better. It was the cutest thing I ever saw.

[xrayjeeper83]

you dont need that charcoal, charcoal is only good for removing meds

[signnet]

Hi everyone, well the tank is finally together. Ammonia levels are at "0" and nitrate levels are at "0" . The only problem is that evidently I didn't get all of the soot out of the sand and I still have somewhat of a cloudy tank. I have been rinsing off the filters to get the residue out. Here's some pictures for you to see. So here's my question, when is it ok to move over the media and puffer? Why am I not supposed to put a filter with charcoal in it? He has a filter with charcoal in it now in the 10 gallon. Here's the piscs of the cloudy tank:

Also, how exactly do you move a puffer without allowing them to gulp air? What if the temp of the water isn't xactly the same?