The Puffer Forum

arg.... I'm retesting the tank now after the w/c. Its already come up higher than zero for nitrite and its still got a few more minutes to go. LFS said I should have more than enough bacteria in my filter by now. What gives?

Nitrite is .25

Ammonia is 0

Nitrate is 5

Would another water change fix it?

Another water change would be good. Do you use an ammonia-detoxifying dechlorinator? That will help if any more ammonia builds up in the next 24hrs.

Re-check the salinity. Perhaps you did your math wrong or mixed wrong and killed the bacteria?

LilGreenPuffer wrote:Another water change would be good. Do you use an ammonia-detoxifying dechlorinator? That will help if any more ammonia builds up in the next 24hrs.

Re-check the salinity. Perhaps you did your math wrong or mixed wrong and killed the bacteria?

I have checked it pretty religiously and it was 1.008 after my last change today. I use NovAqua+ I just looked at the bottle and didn't see that written. Just checked again - SG is 1.008.

I had asked about new filter media at the lfs and he said he didn't think that would help, even though I've bought some for that same reason before from him. Well, to recycle.

Awe, sorry to hear about your lil guy.

Maybe you should dismantle your filter and clean it out with tank water. Could be something rotting in there and leaching an overwhelming amount of ammonia?

Yeah that was my next thought. Thanks

I just did yet another water change.

Oh my god.... My filter is GROWING stuff! I rinsed most of this out in tank water. I'll recheck the levels tomorrow. After two water changes today and a small one for the rinsing, its hard to believe it won't be better.

mrgreen wrote:Oh my god.... My filter is GROWING stuff! I rinsed most of this out in tank water. I'll recheck the levels tomorrow. After two water changes today and a small one for the rinsing, its hard to believe it won't be better.

That is just creepy.

Frankly, it looks normal to me. My filter has a pretty heavy algae buildup on the output. Sometimes I pull it off and feed it to the otos.

LilGreenPuffer wrote:Frankly, it looks normal to me. My filter has a pretty heavy algae buildup on the output. Sometimes I pull it off and feed it to the otos.

Well it shouldn't surprise me, I guess. The whole tank has quite a bit- especially after a month at 86!

I'm going to recheck levels later today. Got get going now.

So I've let it sit until tonight and crossed my fingers. Here are the numbers:

PH 7.6

Amm. 0

Nitrite 0

Nitrate 5

Temp 80

SG 1.007

MUCH better than at first and better than last time I tested. Woot!

Good! Sorry to hear about 9ball. I enthuasize by dropping them in freezing ice water.

Lil' Swimz$ wrote:Good! Sorry to hear about 9ball. I enthuasize by dropping them in freezing ice water.

Oh god! That's got to be horrible. A huge shock and your heart stops. I guess its quick, though, at least.

I think I'd rather know they go to sleep and then die. Seems kinder to me.

Sorry to hear about your puffer mrgreen, glad the tank parameter are looking better though.

Gross looking stuff in a filter is pretty normal.

For future reference, a simple way to put a fish to sleep if you don't have many other options is to put them in a bowl of their tank water, and put it in the freezer. Leave it there overnight to freeze solid. This way they cool down gradually and just basically their system shuts down (remember, they are cold blooded animals, not warm blooded, so their bodies don't fight the cold, they just slow down/shut off). That is probably the least traumatic way to do it, if you don't have an overdose of sedation available.

Dropping them in the freezing water probably works faster, but I guess I just think gradually is a little less stressful for everyone involved, plus the freezer is a dark, quiet place.