Hi guys, I just got two green spotted pufferfish yesterday. I prepared brackish water, the temperature is ok. I gave them clams, they didn't eat much but they seem to be ok at the beginning.
But later last night, one puffer started floating on the surface, not moving at all, not even when I touch it. Initially I thought it was because of the lack of oxygen so I put the pump into the water and after a while the puffer returned to normal. But this morning, it turned to this again. I'm not sure if it is just sleeping or there's some serious issues.
The other puffer looks ok. It is swimming around and sometimes it looks like it is having a nap. But when I approach it, it sees me immediately, turns to be active and swims. But the other puffer is not like this. It is not moving much even when I touch it. Please could anyone tell me what's going on with the puffer that is not moving? Is it dying? What can I do? Many thanks!!!
Sleeping or dying? Help!!
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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- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2020 5:12 am
- Location (country): United Kingdom
Sleeping or dying? Help!!
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- Pufferpunk
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Re: Sleeping or dying? Help!!
He's either dying or has air stuck in him. Please answer ALL the questions above, in red.
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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- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2020 1:10 pm
- Location (country): portugal
Re: Sleeping or dying? Help!!
hello
i think u put to much salt on water, if u dont take time to aclimate the puffer to the salty water he will float…
i had green spoted puffer before, the one who lives longer was the one that i put in full salt water with corals, during the aclimation, some of them start to float just like yours, i had to get a step back and put fresh water again, and then slowly put more salty water, some fishes aclimate very fast, other not really, try to put fresh water and then slowly mixed salt water again, it takes time, but when u put them in full salt water all the problems go away (parasites etc)
u bought the fish 2 days ago, almoust 100% sure that he was on fresh water, so u have to go slowly with the salt
hope i help u
i think u put to much salt on water, if u dont take time to aclimate the puffer to the salty water he will float…
i had green spoted puffer before, the one who lives longer was the one that i put in full salt water with corals, during the aclimation, some of them start to float just like yours, i had to get a step back and put fresh water again, and then slowly put more salty water, some fishes aclimate very fast, other not really, try to put fresh water and then slowly mixed salt water again, it takes time, but when u put them in full salt water all the problems go away (parasites etc)
u bought the fish 2 days ago, almoust 100% sure that he was on fresh water, so u have to go slowly with the salt
hope i help u