The Puffer Forum

I am terribly sorry but I dont really have the ph, nitrate, and all that stuff, my mom knows it but she's currently tending to my little brothers broken arm! If it is truely needed for this let me know and I can for sure ask her.

I have a bit of an addiction to puffers. It started back in May when they showed up at Walmart. Because of this addiction I tend to get a puffer pretty often and I have 8 small ones and two big ones now.
I have had one big one (I'm assuming he's an adult) named Mondo that was doing pretty well for the longest time. About two weeks ago though I noticed he stopped eating as much and was always grayish on the bottom like he was scared or stressed. I asked some different people at Walmart, and Petsmart and they said he was probably lonely with all the little puffers.
Last week I got another adult and he seems to be doing fine!
Mondo on the other hand still is reclusive and gray.
Plus he's eating less and less, actually I never see him eat
He looks like he's lost a lot of weight too, so I am really worried.
I've had no problems with any of my puffers and none of the others seem to be acting this way.
I've tried feeding him blood worms and frozen krill, both which he used to eat all the time!
And now he just wont

The tank size is I believe 30 gallons.
But since I just got another adult I am working on upgrading to maybe 100 gallon or more. I'm just waiting to have the money
The only inhabitants are my 8 small puffers and my 2 adults.

I feed them everyday, twice a day, once in the morning and once before I go to bed, however leaving them enough time to eat before I turn off their light.
Their water gets a 15 - 25%change every week to a week and a half.
And a 50% change twice a month.

They have real ocean water (diluted with water) and real coral in their rocks.
the only things that have been added recently was start right for when I changed the water, and Melafix to treat the new adult.
the aquriums been set up since late May early June.

I'm assuming Mondo didn't need a friend, because it isn't helping.
So any ideas why he won't eat!
I really want to help him to the best of my abilities!

Hi there,

You need to read this article about GSP's. http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/lib ... d-puffers/

Basically, your problems are that GSP's need 30 gallons each, so 10 in a 30 gallon is way too many fish. This will be affecting your water parameters and stressing them out.

Also, try feeding a wider range of foods, as specified in the article. Fish can survive without eating for quite awhile (over a week) so Id be focussing on trying to rehouse most of the puffers first. Your puffer might have internal parasites (IP's) and treatment would be required.

Good luck, but I think you definately need to find new homes of at least 8 of your puffers as soon as possible.

Hope this helps

Are they all GSPs?

Also there is no need to feed twice a day this coupled with the overstocking will be what's causing the problems. Most of us feed our puffers less than 3 times a week with some only getting fed once a week.

We really need to know what species they all, post pics or look in the pufferpedia if you are not sure