The Puffer Forum

We'll talk more about the condition of your water tomorrow. 1st thing, go get test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate & a hydrometer that starts at 1.000. Also if you can find Bio-spira, get it. Do not let them sell you any other product. Also get Prime to dechlorinate & neutrilize toxins in the water. All the above are musts to keeping a healthy puffer.

HE MADE IT THRU THE NIGHT! yay! I have to work today, but my boyfriend will be here and he is going to go out and get the stuff needed. We noticed a ring on his belly, its black. He likes to bounce right now up and down, so I don't know how long he is going to make it. He will be able to tell anything that is needed. Thank you for your help.
Jenni

Do another 50% water change now. Then get the Bio-Spira & add it directly to the filter. DO NOT LET THE SHOP TALK YOU INTO ANYTHING ELSE! If you can't find it there, look around for a shop that carries it or buy nothing. Be sure to get those test kits.

Sounds like ammonia/nitrite poisoning due to an uncycled tank.
Pufferpunk's taking good care of you.
Definitely get a hold of some Bio-Spira - until then all you can do is frequent water changes to lower the toxicity of the water until the bacteria establishes itself.
Adding Prime in sufficient doses is also great advice.

I'm sure she will talk to you about getting a larger tank for Dragon once you get the water conditions under control.

Good luck!

I'm sure she will talk to you about getting a larger tank for Dragon once you get the water conditions under control.

You read my mind!

Hey, I couldn't find any bio-spira, the store that I knew sold it was out and most other places around here don't sell it. I found out about other fish stores in my area and am going to check them out. Also, I couldn't find the prime dechlorinator, but I did get something called DeCHLOR. Will that work? I've got a hydrometer, and ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite tester. Their results are as followed:

Ammonia~ .25 mg/L (safe)
Nitrite~ 3.0 mg/L (stress)
Nitrate~ 20 mg/L (ok)
hydrometer~ 1.009 Specific gravity, 13 ppt salinity (both below recomended amount on package)

Also, I was wondering if another water change would help considering that we changed all of the water and hot rinsed the tank last night to sterilize it.

NO amount of ammonia is safe for a puffer. Dechlor will only dechlorinate the water. Does not detoxify ammonia/nitrites, which must be kept 0 at all times. Keep looking for Prime & Bio-Spira. Forget about salt for now. Do an 80% WC.

I looked all over for prime and bio-spira and couldn't find either. Even though you said Bio-spira or nothing, I purchased a product called cycle. It has the bacteria in it to help take out nitrites and nitrates. Should I try it since no one seems to have Bio-spira around here. I'm getting more and more worried about dragon.

What type of water is best to do the water change with: distilled, purified, or tap? Just to make the water change most effective...

Also, the cycle stuff decreases ammonia levels too.

Cycle doesn't do anything but add dead bacteria, adding to the current bioload and making things worse. Do NOT use it. Tap water is best, with a declorinator.

Where are you located?

Mt. Pleasant, MI

If you cannot find them locally, you can order both Biospira and Prime from http://www.drsfostersmith.com for overnight delivery.

Water change complete. What temperature should the water be?

78-80.

I told ya not to use anything else. Please trust me on this--I've been doing this a long time (30 years). Cycle just contains dead bacteria, so in your tank, with no means of disposing of the fish's waste (uncycled tank), you'd just add more waste to the already taxed system.

Until you can add the B-S, your best bet is water changes--lots of big ones, to remove the toxic waste from the water.

How's the fish responding after the water changes?

His condition hasn't changed. He will swim around for a couple seconds when adding new water, but then he nose dives for the floor and stays there with his face in the pebbles till he decides to move again. Don't worry, I didn't add the other stuff.