The Puffer Forum

How are you removing the water? Most people use a siphon with a gravel vaccuum, you plunge it into the gravel and the siphon sucks out all the "gunk" into the water flow to your bucket, and the gravel falls back down all clean and sorted out. Your tank shouldn't be all dirty with crap floating around in there after a water change.. maybe just a bit but not bad. If your gravel is as dirty as it sounds though, you're going to have to do some pretty heft gravel siphoning. You might be overfeeding quite a bit, too, if there's that much decaying matter in the substrate.

You are correct in not wanting to clean/scrub.. that's where the bacteria lives. If you do want to clean something, don't clean too many things in the same week.. do your glass one week, then maybe the next week a decoration, etc.

Do not remove the fish for water changes, they should enjoy them if they are being done properly.

Salinity is good.. don't raise/lower it more than .002 a week, or you can kill the bacteria, but you took it nice and slow.

Those tabs, I don't know what they are but probably bunk. Most products that you have to add on a scheduled basis to a normal tank are just trying to get you to spend the $$ on something because they've convinced you you need it.

Seeing as you are in Hong Kong, its going to be more difficult to help you find products that we can find in the US or UK.. but I think there are some members here from China that maybe could help. The big things you need though are very clean water (and if those 4 GSP's have to stay in there for any length of time, you'll probalby want to do daily water changes, not weekly).. and make sure that water is dechlorinated if they treat their water with chlorine/cholromines (I'm sure they do, Hong Kong is a big city) and match the temperature and salinity.

For deworming, there is an article in our library that can explain that to you, but I've found if you can get your hands on it, Geltek Ultra Cure PX is the best deworming medication.. it works really well and fish seem to love the flavor (most others must taste horrible). This stuff is a gel you just drip onto their food, quick, easy and it works.

The bacteria tabs can't work - it's physically impossible. It has to be wet.

Since you're having a mini-cycle, you shouldn't raise the salinity at all, even if it's been a week since the last time - wait for the tank to stabilize.

I siphon my tanks until I have gotten most or all of the goo out of the gravel. That usually means a big water change. 50% is the recommended minimum change for puffers, and it must be every week.

I agree--stop using those "bacteria" tabs.

The gravel is 3 cm at it's deepest. I washed it thoroughly when I started the tank. It looks just like a fine sediment of brown dust on the surface...easily kicked up when the gravel is agitated.

first off, do you have a gravel vac for siphoning your tank at all? one that looks something like this http://tropicalfishkeepingguide.info/im ... vacuum.gif if not you will definatly need one asap... and its an absolute must. do you siphon your tank at all or do you just remove the water with a container like a cup or a bucket? there is no way to keep them alive if you dont clean up that junk on the bottom of the tank. it will build up and your cycle will go hay wire and they will die. what are your paramaters right now? a current water test will help everyone out so they will know a little better how to help you and what to reccomend.

just to give you and idea of how important it is to use a gravel vac.... i can gaurantee you, there is not a single person on TPF that would let their gravel accumulate a sediment so thick that it can be stirred up with slight water adgitation... we dont let that happen because its not healthy. PLS get a gravel vac.

If by water test you mean the salinity, pH, ammonia, and temperature parameters I put on my first post, then, well, they're there.

I will buy a gravel vacuum. I use a handheld battery powered water siphon to siphon the water and filter the sediment right now, but it doesn't seem to be doing the trick for the fine particles. I am sorry that no-one on this bb would let their sediment build up so much, but I am new at raising puffers and was turning to this bb for help. Thanks again for all your advice.

I'm sure that wasn't meant to insult you, it was just meant to stress how incredibly important this is. Once you get one and see what is removed from your tank, you will understand