The Puffer Forum

When the 2 GSPs were purchased and brought home by my over zealous ex roommate he only knew that they were brackish and should have aquarium salt. After he brought them home i started researching and found they needed marine salt, so i bought a big bag and a hydrometer. So, needless to say the tank was cycled improperly with the fish in it (big no no, i know). Okay, so the 2 GSPs have survived in the tank for 6 to 8 months. Both were seemingly doing very well, minus being bored which i've talked about alittle in the brackish hermit thread. I've noticed that recently one has stopped eating. The one who does eat is pretty aggressive with the food so I have been over feeding to try to make sure that the smaller gets some. Which i'm sure threw my nitrites and nitrates sky high.

My water conditions yesterday were
pH 7.5
ammo .25
nitrIte 5
nitrAte 160

after doing a 25% water change, new media bag with carbon chips and buying some Amquel and adding it to the tank last night my new results today are

pH 7.5
ammo 0
nitrIte 1
nitrAte 40

in a 45 gallon tank are my 2 GSPs, and several left handed hermit crabs and a couple trap door snails. I've added another dose of Amquel to keep the nitrite and nitrates down.

Also a month ago I moved out of the house that my ex roommate lives in and took the fish with me. So a month ago they had about a 90% water change to make moving easier. So I think that is pretty much it... If someone has any ideas, please let me know. And if I see the sickly one getting better, I'll post again. Thanks.

It's those nitrite and nitrate.
The nitrate are good now though. But was the nitrite really 5 or .5? 5 is just... woahh.
I'd do another 50% water change to get the nitrite as close to zero as possible.

What is your regular water change schedule? 2 adult GSPs need a minimum of 60g. Adding Amquel is only puting a Bandaid on the problem.

a month ago i moved out, before that the fish were more responsiblity of my ex roommate.
that being said, water changes were pretty much whenever he felt like it. so there wasn't
much of a schedule for that.

so now the fish are mine and i'm trying to make their living conditions as good as i possibly can.
they are going to have regular more frequent water changes. they are still young, only 1 1/2'' max
now. and i have plans on getting a 75 gallon tank when they get bigger... it's just not in the budget
now. i'm anxious to get it though so i can set it up properly.

tonight i'm going to do a 50% water change. Thank you pufferpunk for letting me know that Amquel
is only a bandaid. I think it was prolly a good move though cause it got some ridiculous water conditions
more under control until i can do a better water change.

I just hope that the sickly puffer pulls through. He's dark in color and still doesn't seem to be eating and
hangs out on the bottom of the tank not really moving much. I can see him breath so i know he's still alive... but
isn't doing very well. I hope that i'm not too late for him.

Thanks for everything.

daenja wrote: I just hope that the sickly puffer pulls through. He's dark in color and still doesn't seem to be eating and
hangs out on the bottom of the tank not really moving much. I can see him breath so i know he's still alive... but
isn't doing very well. I hope that i'm not too late for him.

Thanks for everything.

Lets see how he does after the WC. Its amazing the changes that can occur from some clean water.

WC done. man i hope that helps!
so for now on for me Wedesdays are WC days!

For right now, every day needs to be WC day.

can do

good luck! I hope it gets to feelin better

his color is returning, and he's more active in the tank. i have yet to see him eat...
the improvement is very nice to see. i was getting worried. we'll see what happens
in the next couple of days.

Yup, just read my sig...

be careful with trying to get him to eat...


you may end up overfeeding the tank in the attempt to get him eating, this will just increase the rotting waste in the water which is most likely what's causing puffs problems in the first place.

Just leave the food for a day or two, keep up big water changes and then try and feed... he will eat when he's feeling better, he's not going to feel better if you put as much waste back into the water as you take out...

glad things are looking up. :0)

Also, if you haven't already, invest in a Python! They're amazing for helping with water changes and cleaning up after those messy little critters!

Glad the little one is getting better.

Agnate wrote:Also, if you haven't already, invest in a Python! They're amazing for helping with water changes and cleaning up after those messy little critters!

I keep putting off getting a python and they just raised the price at wal mart by 6 bucks! We really need one! Granted, it is a good work out carrying those heavy buckets but it sucks in my book. I want a python!