The Puffer Forum

If the red-eyes aren't affected, then you might be dealing with another problem, as well. I don't think you need a breeding tank - just another display. That will be a fine place for him to rest. If you do have another disease on your hands, you should get him away from the healthy fish ASAP before they get it, too, and be sure to wash your hands and rinse well after caring for the sick one, before caring for the healthy ones.

Congo puffers come in a variety of colors. What color was this one at the store? Maybe light brown is his natural color.

Is the congo eating at all?

OK! I will make sure about that.
congo hasn't been eating for 2 days and today is going to be 3rd day that he is not eating anything. I will go home and check the water again but when he was at home he actually changed colour many times to suit the surrounding area ( I have white gravel and lace stone ) so when he is on the lace stone he will go darker to suit the colour of lace stone and when he is on the gravel he will go lighter but the 2 days that he didnt' eat, his colour was pitch black and now changed to light brown swimming in a weak mode( barely move his fin...) but he does seem to calm down after the water change. I just called the LFS, I'm not sure if he knows what he is talking about but he told me not to feed the puffers today and a little tomorrow and do only 30% of water change everytime when change the water and since I changed the water yesterday he told me to leave it until Friday to change a small portion of water...but on the forum it says I need to change the water everyday ya?

Yes! 50% every day until the cycle is over! LFS people are stupid. Seriously, most of them either don't know what they're talking about, or else they're dishonest and trying to get you to buy a fish by saying that it's easy to care for when it's really not. As you've seen, he is doing visibly better after the water changes, so do keep them up.

And don't worry that he's not eating right now. Puffers can go for weeks without eating. Continue to offer food, but be sure to remove anything that's not eaten - it would make the cycle even worse!

seems like I over feed the puffers and so the ammonia appears I'm really hoping congo is going to get better, I just changed around 50% of the water today and congo was moving really quickly all the sudden then up side down on the gravel. i flipped him back now and he moved fast to the stone and now just laying on the gravel. I don't know what else I can do now. the rest of the members in the tank seems to be fine. water temperature is 29 right now. I'm not going to feed them for couple days and hope the ammonia will drop down...what else should I do other than change water?

Do you have a siphon? That will help remove any uneaten food. Do you have an airstone, by the way? A cycle can decrease oxygen levels. Try to get a QT ASAP, or even just the plastic bin I mentioned. If you have Prime, which is a water conditioner that detoxifies ammonia as well as removing chlorine and chloramines, that would help a lot. They won't impede the cycle, since the bacteria can still eat the detoxified ammonia.

I just checked the water

ph 7.8
ammonia 0.25~05
nitrite 0
nitrate 0

is it a good sign?

yes i do have a sophon and i just used siphon and I have a air pump which pump air into the tank I will chech tomorrow if the shop has prime Thanks a lot for the help, LilGreenPuffer.

Your ammonia should be at 0. Have you thought about returning the puffers yet?

i don't know if the congo is going to be able to make it to the fish shop. the store where I bought him was 1 hr and 15 mins drive from my house. and I asked my friend to take me there since I don't have a car myself... I'm trying to do as much as I can to safe congo. if there is anything I should know of please let me know, thank you.

Your only recourse is to get a 2nd tank & follow the ER cycling instructions.

beapeman wrote:I just checked the water

ph 7.8
ammonia 0.25~05
nitrite 0
nitrate 0

is it a good sign?

When you start getting nitrite readings, that means that your cycle is progressing. For now, just keep ammonia at a minimum with water changes, and add Prime. Your cycle will be complete when you have nitrate readings, and both ammonia and nitrites are at 0.

OK! Thanks everyone for the helpful information.
Thanks LilGreePuffer, I will get Prime after work. and will check the water today.

Good luck saving the Congo!

I bought the prime after work, did 40% of water change with tetra aqua safe, bio-support and prime in the tank now, and i will do the water test later and see if the water condition is good. i didn't feed the puffers at all. i will wait for tomorrow, congo is now below the filter which is hard to feed him. should i take him out of the tank and put him somewhere so i can easily feed him?

No, don't move him. Puffers can go for ages without food. Continue to offer food, and removing it if he doesn't come out for it. If he wants the food, he'll come for it. Moving him will only be stressful.

What is Bio-Support?