URGENT ADVICE PLEASE. How long can Buffy survive......
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.
- Jase
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1579
- Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 3:13 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: RIP Hootey :(
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Montana
Re: URGENT ADVICE PLEASE. How long can Buffy survive......
glad he is better. I'm guessing he'll be a little moody though...
-Jase
edmlfc1 wrote:A house without a puffer is not a home.![]()
Re: URGENT ADVICE PLEASE. How long can Buffy survive......
Water improving all the time, the fluval 4+ working full pelt, and the Uni UV filter too. Stats so far Nitrite .15, ammonia .18, another water change tomorrow should fix that, hopefully.StormySkiez wrote:Aww, He looks Great! I would ck the water parameters daily until all is normal.
Re: URGENT ADVICE PLEASE. How long can Buffy survive......
A BIT???Jase wrote:glad he is better. I'm guessing he'll be a little moody though...
That third picture was himher hitting the glass! Now he won't talk to anyone, and spend the time round the back of his big stone!
We think he's got a massive "cob" on!
Honestly, it's worse than a kid with a tantrum!!
But we love him, and we'd really miss him if he wasn't here. Daft, aren't we?
- edmlfc1
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 2011
- Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:03 pm
- My Puffers: Elvis (Stars & Stripes) R.I.P. 9/11/11
125G:Fahaka (Annabelle) - Location (country): U.S.A.
- Location: Texas
Re: URGENT ADVICE PLEASE. How long can Buffy survive......
After doing a water change last sunday I forgot to turn the pump, heater and filters back on. It was 4 days before I realized what I did. Everyone was ok, thank goodness. Although it was not my puffer tank, so I don't know how they would do. I'm sure he is just giving you attitude right now. Glad to hear that everything turned out ok. Maybe we should all invest in a batterey operated air pump for emergencies. It wouldn't be a bad idea.
Need to know what kind of puffer you have? Click on Puffer ID.....Puffer ID: ug.php/v/PufferPedia/
What to feed your puffer? Click on Feeding......
Feeding: library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/
Have a GSP, need more information......Click on GSP Article.....
GSP Article: library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
What to feed your puffer? Click on Feeding......
Feeding: library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/
Have a GSP, need more information......Click on GSP Article.....
GSP Article: library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
Re: URGENT ADVICE PLEASE. How long can Buffy survive......
Just wanted to say thanks everyone for all your help and encouragement.....

- StormySkiez
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 679
- Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2007 9:00 am
- My Puffers: 55G 2- 1 3/4 inch GSP's ~Bud AKA Jaws and Puff~
- Location: USA~TN
Re: URGENT ADVICE PLEASE. How long can Buffy survive......
This is what I set my 55g puffer tank up with: http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Xpower-P ... tDetail.do
The bummer is I can not set up both tanks on it.
The bummer is I can not set up both tanks on it.

55g-2 green spotted puffers 1 year old Nov 08!
20g-5 leopard danio,4 whiteskirt tetras, amanos, nerita snails, 2 neon tetras
Re: URGENT ADVICE PLEASE. How long can Buffy survive......
That's good idea, I'll look into it.StormySkiez wrote:This is what I set my 55g puffer tank up with: http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Xpower-P ... tDetail.do
The bummer is I can not set up both tanks on it.
But then I do already have one, lying in the back cupboard, which is a bit old (left over from the stairlift installation), so I'm wondering if i could rug that up for the next time.
- StormySkiez
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 679
- Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2007 9:00 am
- My Puffers: 55G 2- 1 3/4 inch GSP's ~Bud AKA Jaws and Puff~
- Location: USA~TN
Re: URGENT ADVICE PLEASE. How long can Buffy survive......
Mine is set up under my 55g tank...ready to go if the power does go out. I'd pull yours out and set it up!

55g-2 green spotted puffers 1 year old Nov 08!
20g-5 leopard danio,4 whiteskirt tetras, amanos, nerita snails, 2 neon tetras
Re: URGENT ADVICE PLEASE. How long can Buffy survive......
Friend who is a qualified electrician, has checked it over, and said, no sorry it won't do.
so I'll have to buy a new one -- grr.
Lets just hope we don't get another powercut before it arrives!!
so I'll have to buy a new one -- grr.
Lets just hope we don't get another powercut before it arrives!!
- StormySkiez
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 679
- Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2007 9:00 am
- My Puffers: 55G 2- 1 3/4 inch GSP's ~Bud AKA Jaws and Puff~
- Location: USA~TN
Re: URGENT ADVICE PLEASE. How long can Buffy survive......
Ohh, that sux's!
How is your water parameters going?
How is your water parameters going?

55g-2 green spotted puffers 1 year old Nov 08!
20g-5 leopard danio,4 whiteskirt tetras, amanos, nerita snails, 2 neon tetras
Re: URGENT ADVICE PLEASE. How long can Buffy survive......
nites 5, ammonia 8StormySkiez wrote:Ohh, that sux's!
How is your water parameters going?
another wc tomorrow should sort that, hopefully.
- Jase
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1579
- Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 3:13 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: RIP Hootey :(
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Montana
Re: URGENT ADVICE PLEASE. How long can Buffy survive......
-Jase
edmlfc1 wrote:A house without a puffer is not a home.![]()
Re: URGENT ADVICE PLEASE. How long can Buffy survive......
Hey that's a brilliant article, thanks Jase!Jase wrote:here's a good article for power outages.
http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/doity ... mpower.htm
- Jase
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1579
- Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 3:13 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: RIP Hootey :(
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Montana
Re: URGENT ADVICE PLEASE. How long can Buffy survive......
sure thing 
-Jase
edmlfc1 wrote:A house without a puffer is not a home.![]()
- FishFan
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 208
- Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:08 am
- My Puffers: Orbicular Burrfish (Oblio, shown in the avatar), Striped Burrfish
- Location (country): Maine USA
- Location: USA
Re: URGENT ADVICE PLEASE. How long can Buffy survive......
Wow, what an ordeal for you and all your fish! Glad to hear everything turned out OK.
R&A
R&A
A = Anne, R =Robert
There has to be a point.
There has to be a point.