The Puffer Forum

So on Thursday I saw this weird looking thing kind of drifting along the bottom of the tank... it looked like a goby was shedding because it was all greyish down at the bottom. So I go over to the tank and take a little look. Sure enough, it was a goby, but it's head had turned a little grey, and he was missing most of his tail and 2 other fins. Just as I turned to find a net, I saw one of my puffers prowling then lunged and took a nip out of the nearly dead goby. I was a little displeased of course, so I gave the glass a little pound to scare the puffer away from the poor guy, but that didn't work because the other one came up, and watched the first take another little nip. I had to grab my little poker poll while I sent my girlfriend to grab the net to chase the vicious guys away from the goby and keep them at bay until the net came. Finally the net arrived and with the puffers scared off into their jungle, that's when I took a closer look. That's how I confirmed he was missing two fins and also had a nice little gash on what I guess would be the bottom of the neck. I grabbed my breeding trap that I used for my mollies, scooped up the barely breathing goby and placed him in there while I went to find some alka tablets. by the time I got back he had stopped breathing and was now just upside down on the bottom of the trap, while the first puffer was prowling around it.

The next day, that same first puffer was much more reclusive, did not eat as much as he once did and seemed to be totally scared of me. He used to come to the glass and follow the finger, but then he just turned and ran. The other guy was still quite active and friendly.

On Saturday I had to leave fairly early so I could catch a train up to Toronto for the weekend so I left feeding instructions with my girlfriend. Saturday's two feedings went really well. Both puffers apparently ate the shrimp from her hand without any complaints as did the gobies. However the one guy (she called him Herpes because he had a couple little dots around his mouth) was still not very active.

Sunday morning and came she found 'Herpes' stuck between the glass and the filter intake, dead. So after scooping him out, and putting him in a container in the freezer she attempted to feed the remaining fish. The alive puffer lazily swam towards the shrimp, hovered around for a bit, turned up his nose and swam away to the back of the tank. The gobies, who decided to flock to the feed, also decided not to eat. When I got home later on that night, again the puffer wouldn't eat, wouldn't even come out to greet me. He just spent his time swimming on the side of the tank trying to get out. Totally oblivious to me, until I stuck my finger in his face and then he swam into his jungle. The gobies were nowhere to be seen.

This morning however things were different. He cautiously swam up to me and did eat his shrimp and his snail treat. The gobies even decided to put in an appearance and after breaking off some small pieces for them to catch, they decided to eat as well.

So I guess I really suck. I've been keeping a real close eye on the parameters but I guess that wasn't the problem. Still don't know what is/was. Woke up this morning and my last figure eight had departed. He was doing real well yesterday morning, he came and ate, got himself a nice full belly. However he wouldn't eat last night, he would just saunter around the side glass. This morning, he was stuck upside down in the filter intake.

I don't know.

Oh no! Sad to hear that. I hope you figure out whats up.....

Sorry to hear this Camaro. As I'm sure you know....Fish are sold all the time that for reasons not caused by the owners die. Perhaps try a different fish store? How are the other gobys?

wow that sucks. I know how you feel you do everything right but they still die on you. Did you use any cleaners on the tank before you set it up? Maybe they had IPs of some sort. I would go back to the lfs that you got them at and see how many F8s and gobbies they have left. If they are all gone then they probably had a bad batch. If you wanna go back to FW after this My 2 cents on the DPs are that they are great in a large tank in groups. I have 5 in my 55g and I also have 5 SAPs in there as well so if you were wanting two dif schools of fish you could do 2 puffer schools. You could also get 10 dp and 10 saps in a with the proper filtration and if you keep up with your weekly water changes. Just an idea.....

Again sorry for your loss and don't give up we've all been there.