The Puffer Forum

Just mix your new water, made with proper marine salt, to the same specific gravity as the water you've pulled out, and you'll be fine.

I did the 80% water change last night with marine salt. He seemed to be doing better with the marine salt this morning. I had to use a improvised hydrometer to measure the salt content as my LFS did not have a hydrometer that went down to 1.000. I calibrated the improvised one to the old tank water, and mixed the marine salt to match the old water.

I am still worried about his mouth, as it looks like the beak is holding it open. I will post a picture later, as I am at school right now.

Willard

This article talks about overgrown teeth, prevention, and dental work to correct the problem.

library/hospital/dentistry/

You really need to get that ammonia out of there. You could do 2 50% WC in in the morning & one in evening.

I did an 80% water change last night, and left the tank alone today, and then I just tested the ammonia and it came out at 1.0 (( Yikes!!! )). I am doing a 50% water change right now, and another later on in the evening, the first 1 without salt. I have no access to a hydrometer, so I am unsure what the tank is at (it shouldn't be higher than ~1.002) I am starting to believe that the filter bacteria have been shocked by the shift from FW to salty water to brackish water(marine salt). I am puzzled how the ammonia can rise to 1.0 in one day after an 80% water change the night before to remove .25 of ammonia.

Off topic--How do you post pictures on the forum?

Willard

Willard2.0 wrote:I did an 80% water change last night, and left the tank alone today, and then I just tested the ammonia and it came out at 1.0 (( Yikes!!! )). I am doing a 50% water change right now, and another later on in the evening, the first 1 without salt. I have no access to a hydrometer, so I am unsure what the tank is at (it shouldn't be higher than ~1.002) I am starting to believe that the filter bacteria have been shocked by the shift from FW to salty water to brackish water(marine salt). I am puzzled how the ammonia can rise to 1.0 in one day after an 80% water change the night before to remove .25 of ammonia.

Off topic--How do you post pictures on the forum?

Willard

There is a good chance that your tank crashed if such heavy amounts of ammonia is showing up. Try going to your local pet store and asking them to sell you some used filter media from one of their healthy looking tanks. This might cut the cycling time of yours. Has he eaten yet?

No, he has not eaten yet. I will rob some filter media out of my 55g FW tank (running canister filter and fully cycled for about 6 months) tonight and put some of the 10's media in there to speed up the cycle. When I figure out how to put pics into the post, I will post one of his mouth.

Willard

All right, I think I finally figured out how to add pictures to the forum.

Here is the one of his beak and mouth. His mouth has been like this since starting this thread


here is a side view of him. He looks to be either a little bloated, or well fed(which makes no sense, he has not eaten since Fri)



He refused bloodworms tonight. I am going to check ammonia in the morning and will post the test result.

I would like to know what you think about his beak and mouth, and any suggestions you may have.

Willard

His mouth looks odd to me. I can't really see too well, but perhaps he is having dental problems?

I thought this deserved a bump. Never seen a puffer like that before.

I can't be sure, but to me it looks like his teeth are overgrown.

It is difficult to see in the pictures. In the top pic I can see his white lips, but what is the white area at the bottom of his mouth? Is that his teeth or is that the working parts inside his mouth? I have experience of dental problems, abscesses & mouth tumours in a GSP, so will watch this thread to see if I can help at all.

BTW, I think he does look a little bloated in general, but his lips look swollen too. Maybe as a result of the pickling salt that was used originally? Hopefully you are managing to get the water quality under control now?

The tank did crash, and I am now trying to cycle the tank quickly using media from my 55g. It is not going so well, though. I tested the ammonia, and it was extremely high at 3.00. I did a 50% water change just now, and I am going to do another one in a few hours.

What would remedy his condition quickest? I can't put him in the 55, due to compatibility issues, or I would.
Thanks to Jivenjune for bumping this for me.

Willard

Willard2.0 wrote:The tank did crash, and I am now trying to cycle the tank quickly using media from my 55g. It is not going so well, though. I tested the ammonia, and it was extremely high at 3.00. I did a 50% water change just now, and I am going to do another one in a few hours.

What would remedy his condition quickest? I can't put him in the 55, due to compatibility issues, or I would.
Thanks to Jivenjune for bumping this for me.

Willard

I would put more media filter. As much as you can spare from your cycled 55 gallon. You can also use any decorations or substrate; anything that has a surface area should have beneficial bacteria on it.