The Puffer Forum

Well, I no more than started on this form, and I have a change in one of my two.
I haven't got all water parameters, and for that I am sorry.

I know that Ammonia is in the safe zone based on the side mounted tester that i have... this being less than.02ppm

Nitrite is at zero based on the API test kit.

Salinity is at 1.006 roughly, and i say this because i haven"t found a hydrometer that measures below .01 except the floating kind, which is what I am running with right now.

tank has 2 gsp and a dragon goby... all have been in there a while ( dont remember exact dates, but over a month on all, and mid feb for the puffs.) This is a 29 gal

feeding: krill, brine,bloodworm cubes...frozen.... have fed ghost shrimp gut loaded with algae wafers....also freeze dried shrimp

Have used product called chlor out for the chlorine.chloramine.. using instant ocean for the salt... have used something called bclear which is supposed to "biologically clear tank water." but seems like bunk to me. used amquel plus for a while... once a week with water changes at a half dose because it claims to pull down ammonia and nitrites/rates... there again, more to be sure that there wasn't something in the water change.

filtration in a single 30 gal hang on back charcoal filter and two sponge filters. I do 15% weekly water changes. with every 4th being 25-30%
tank was cycled as fresh with biospira, and a snail with 2 ghost shrimp...
this for 2 weeks, and added puffs.

last week... all i have done is the standard water changes. today i did a 25% and rearranged the tank a touch.



PROBLEM: Larger ofmy two puffs (to be named still) has what appear to beshort spines on his stomach. I have never seen these before.he seems to be swimming around very fast as well... which is odd for him. usually he just paddles around looking here and there, hoping to fin a shrimp....OH... about 1 month ago i fed tadpole snails from the pet store for about a week straight....with other food... but as a treat...
He also seems to be pacing the glass, which is something I haven't seen before.

I did rinse the sponges in a bucket of aquarium water when i did my change over, but i just dont understand the appearance thing.it doesnt look like the little worms that stick to their sides but on a 1.25 inch fish these are maybe 1/16 long at best. appear to be about 7 of them.

Just trying to find out what that is, and how to help the little guy.

Both fish appear to be pretty plump and happy, though the smaller of the two seems to get disgruntled and turn a little black if i miss feeding time by a few hours, but drop in the food, and hes white again.

Thanks for the help

Any possibility of getting pics? Would love to see those spines too. Bio-Spira is useless, unless added with fish. Otherwise, all of it dies off & only enough is left to support the snails/shrimp that are in there. I'd up those WC to 50% weekly & you will have to move the gobty eventually--the puffers will kill it.

Going to the pet store in a few minutes to get water tested

Largest puffer still rapidly darting about the tank. Spiny looking things aren't apparent anymore...

runs length of the tank a few short bursts, then bumsps the glass and runs up and down breaking the surface a couple times, splashing... then repeating.

Quite unusual behavior

Pufferpunk, if I see the things again I will photo.

also dont seem to be eating...

OK...

so nitrites were zero, ph was high 7low 8 (petco guys words not mine)he suggested that I add some more salt if i want to make it more neutral. ammonia was present in a small amount, but he said that since i had just fed them that that was my doing.

Behavior of the fish one comes up and takes freezedried shrink from my hand the other one is avoiding me... i don't know if hes sick at all, or just mad at me because i spooked him when i was moving decor around to vacuum. Appears to swim normally when i am not there... when i am he freaks.. could he be scared of me? i dont know how intelligent gsp's are...

any thoughts would be appreciated.

also, both my puffs appear really chubby.... if they should be kinda club shaped, mine seem to have tiny potbellies... is that bad?

sorry for all the newb questions.

Sounds like your GSPs are well fed, so I don't think theres a danger of starving or have IPs. They are also VERY smart, and will remember being scared quite well, until you have a chance to convince him you are alright.

Thank you for the reply, any suggestions on how to convince him I am ok... and how to keep from repeating this?

Also, pufferpunk, I have posted two photos in my album... it doesnt show those things on the belly... and i havent had a good lok at his belly, as hes been flitting around abit too much.

You really need your own test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate & pH. Don't depend on the LFS for this.