New worried puffer parent
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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Timber
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 18
- Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2013 2:54 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 1 green spotted puffer
- Location (country): usa
- Location: Michigan
Re: New worried puffer parent
Well lol that tank is coming sooner then I thought.. possibly this weekend at most. but I still will need the substrate, filter and rocks/plants ect.. Picked him up some bloodworms today and he seems to not like them... Im thinking to avoid spending extra money I dont have.. get the filter for the 55 even though its really going to be tight. The marineland filter does come bigger and is a hob.. If I can swing the 40 to 60 gal one.. will that be enough till he gets a bit bigger since he is still so small.. then add a second later? Plus I have add the gravel vac to my list.. lol How much arganite am I going to need for that 55 gal tank? 10lbs, 20lbs or more?? I agree bertie, once it is stable and all the basic hardware bought it should be pretty easy, especially with all yalls help.. thanks so much.
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bertie 83
- Moderator
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Harlequins, CAE's, Yoyo
Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
- Location: brighton , england
Re: New worried puffer parent
Yes add the filter and add another later, you can only do what you can do at the end of the day
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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PufferMe!
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 268
- Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 6:50 pm
- My Puffers: One green spotted puffer in 70 gallon, marine tank. Soon to add 3 yellow tail damselfish
- Location (country): USA, New Mexico
- Location: Albuquerque
Re: New worried puffer parent
As for as substrate the recommendation is 1-2 lbs per gallon, if I remember right. You want at least one inch deep of substrate. Start with 50 lbs for your 55 and see how that goes.Timber wrote:Well lol that tank is coming sooner then I thought.. possibly this weekend at most. but I still will need the substrate, filter and rocks/plants ect.. Picked him up some bloodworms today and he seems to not like them... Im thinking to avoid spending extra money I dont have.. get the filter for the 55 even though its really going to be tight. The marineland filter does come bigger and is a hob.. If I can swing the 40 to 60 gal one.. will that be enough till he gets a bit bigger since he is still so small.. then add a second later? Plus I have add the gravel vac to my list.. lol How much arganite am I going to need for that 55 gal tank? 10lbs, 20lbs or more?? I agree bertie, once it is stable and all the basic hardware bought it should be pretty easy, especially with all yalls help.. thanks so much.
Life is a sum of all your choices - Albert Camus
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Re: New worried puffer parent
Please skip the Marineland filter & go with the Aquaclear ai suggested. I still have the same reusable sponges from 20 years ago & can stack the filter with floss, to "polish" the water & add Biomax ceramic pieces to the top for more biological filtration. The filter you speak of needs to be constantly stocked with new filter pads, taking all the good bacteria with the old ones. The Biowheel splashes salt spray everywhere!
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!"
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Timber
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 18
- Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2013 2:54 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 1 green spotted puffer
- Location (country): usa
- Location: Michigan
Re: New worried puffer parent
PP is this the one your talking about http://www.petco.com/product/4051/AquaC ... lters.aspx If so I need the three filter insert mediums right?
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32975
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: New worried puffer parent
Yep, get the largest one, 110. I see they're offering 20% off & free shipping. Might as well get a bucket of salt from them, too.
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!"
-
Timber
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 18
- Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2013 2:54 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 1 green spotted puffer
- Location (country): usa
- Location: Michigan
Re: New worried puffer parent
so far they are showing the best price.. Im still comparing prices but I plan to order by the end of the day.
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Timber
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 18
- Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2013 2:54 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 1 green spotted puffer
- Location (country): usa
- Location: Michigan
Re: New worried puffer parent
I just picked up the filter cartrage for that tiny filter i have.. wow with the 30-60 air pump, its moving.... Put a 18"airbar in.. hes in heaven.. Checked the ph =8, nitrate=0, nitrite=.2, hardness=300, alk=180, ammonia=.25... # days with out any filter at all.. Not too bad right? He is love with that bar.. wont come out of it.. lol As I was working to get the gang valve hooked up,, he was hovering on the side I was on. when I would look at him, he would swim faster. Are these good signs?
Only things left on my list is to get the tank here, the bigger filter substrate and hydrometer.
Ok did not realize this till I put in a very small piece of frozen plankton.. but I have a pretty fast current system going on in that 10 gal tank with the little filter, the airbar and two tiny air stones.. Crush got too close to the uptake on that filter this morning and it pulled at him.. he took off real quick and now avoids it.. lol Have to go buy new jars of shrimp and bloodworms.. My daughter dog made quick work of them last night while we were sleeping.. should have known
He eats everything and anything. Still cant find the actual plastic can the bloodworms were in, just the top.. go figure hehe..
Im running a test... I grabbed a snail yesterday and tossed it in.. interesting to watch.. did not think Crush would touch him as hes quite big and I was right so far.. but the fish guy from a saltwater specialty store in a nearby big town said he will rip in to that shell no matter how big the snail is an enjoy it.. if he does he does if not then we will see how he likes brackish water..
Only things left on my list is to get the tank here, the bigger filter substrate and hydrometer.
Ok did not realize this till I put in a very small piece of frozen plankton.. but I have a pretty fast current system going on in that 10 gal tank with the little filter, the airbar and two tiny air stones.. Crush got too close to the uptake on that filter this morning and it pulled at him.. he took off real quick and now avoids it.. lol Have to go buy new jars of shrimp and bloodworms.. My daughter dog made quick work of them last night while we were sleeping.. should have known
He eats everything and anything. Still cant find the actual plastic can the bloodworms were in, just the top.. go figure hehe..Im running a test... I grabbed a snail yesterday and tossed it in.. interesting to watch.. did not think Crush would touch him as hes quite big and I was right so far.. but the fish guy from a saltwater specialty store in a nearby big town said he will rip in to that shell no matter how big the snail is an enjoy it.. if he does he does if not then we will see how he likes brackish water..