The Puffer Forum

Hi, this is my first post. I have had a 20 gallon bow for 5 years with 5 puffers in it. I have 3 spotted, 2 fig 8. I did have 2 sap. But they both passed from high nitrates. The tank has a biowheel 170 thats made for a 50 gallon. There is plenty of circulation. For the past 5 years never had a problem. Now that i messed up on one water change where it didn't get done for 2.5 months it seems thats when the problems started. I just did a 50% water change. I added my usual baking soda, stress zyme, stress coat, aquarium salt and sea clear for cloudiness. This has been done whenever i do a water change. All the puffers always have big white bellys good colorization. they just breathe alittle heavy, with there mouths open and closing. The nitrates are high now but i tested it right after the water change. I feed them live blood worms in the morning and as a treat some live brine in the after noon. What should i do to keep the tank from going to s**t.

First, welcome. Please don't take this as an attack but you're going to hear some harsh facts now.

Your problem is that you are drastically overstocked. Spotted puffers need 30 gallons each, figure 8s need 15 gallons for one and 10 for each additional one. A 20g is barely big enough for one figure 8 alone. In addition, GSPs need high end brackish and figure 8s need low end brackish, so they are incompatible and shouldn't be kept together. When tanks are that badly overstocked, even a simple water change can crash them badly and cause all sorts of problems.

You're also adding too much stuff to your tank that's not necessary. Stress Zyme is crap and not needed, nor is Stress Coat. Using anything for cloudiness is going to cause problems, and aquarium salt is crap for anything other than treating ich. It does NOT make brackish water, for that you need marine salt. Baking soda is not needed either. The reason for the cloudiness is because the tank is badly overstocked. So all you should be using is a good declorinator (unless you use well water) and marine salt. You also need a hydrometer or refractometer to measure the salinity.

Next step is to answer all of the questions at the top of the forum. In the meantime, do water changes daily, and read the GSP and figure 8 articles in the library to tell you more about their proper care.

I now have four puffers left. 1 fig 8 and three gsp. The 3 gsp seem to be fine but now my fig 8 is acting alittle weird. I just put a new bubble wand in the back of the tank. Now my fig 8 is up near the top of the tank in the bubbles and justs hangs out there. The filter is right behind him so hes not in the current flushing his gills. He has great coloring and nice white belly. The only thing is he seems to breathe alittle heavier than normal on and off. What could be wrong? I just don't know what to do to make sure everone is ok.

You probably still have nitrites and ammonia in the water.

Again, please answer all of the questions at the top of the forum so we can try to help you.