The Puffer Forum

Hello all,

I have 3 spotted green puffers and have had them for 3 years. I always clean the tank the same way, feed them the same way. I noticed they haven't really been eating all that much. But my biggest one Miss DIVA B is hanging out near the suction pump, face towards the top of the water. She looks grey on her sides, but this colour is normal I know, mine go grey quite often at night and in the day time have white gleaming bellies. Mr Pickle and Mr. Teeth look normal

I am affraid that she is sick, I have never seen any of my puffers hang out near the suction pump, Help! Does anyone know what this means?

I would check the ph, amonina and nitrate, but I have to purchase a new water testing kit 2 morrow, the one that I have was expired.
The tank is a 20 gallon, I clean the tank once a month, take out 3 inches of water ( maybe 5 - 8 gallons ? ) No other fish in the tank. I have had a bit of algee build up, but I just clean this when I change the water and put algee gone drops in.
I put a cap full of water conditioner, and around 1 table spoon of marine salt at the same time.
I can't think of anything I have done differently.
xxx
Tushy

there are a few things that could be causing this.

one being that the tank is to small for your GSPs. They need 30g each. How big are they?

also whats your specific gravity (salt level) these fish are brackish and when they are adults they go to a full marine salt level.

What is your water parameters that you previously had? puffers are very sensitive to nitrate levels and with monthly water changes and your fish being in a small tank the nitrate levels might be pretty high and its not starting to show.

we will be able to help you more when we get the water parameters but those might be some ideas for now.

They should be adults by now (3 years), so they should be in full marine conditions. Also, like apachepufferman said, the tank is too small for even one GSP. For three GSPs, you'd need a 90 gallon tank.

Also, you should change about 50% of the water weekly.

Any change from a white belly while they are awake indicates stress. It's likely that there is too much waste in the water from having an overstocked tank.

How often, how much, and what do you feed them?

Hanging out near the surface of the water is an indication that they are needing more oxygen. It's possible that your puffer is coming down with something, and the first signs are requiring more oxygen.

Do you keep an air stone in the tank? If not, try to find an air pump lying around and hook it up to a stone that produces very fine bubbles. If you have a powerhead, just hook up an air hose, and it should pull in air (depends on the pump, though).

Have you fed them anything differently recently (within the last couple of weeks)? Did you introduce anything new into the tank (someone else's decoration, new substrate, new filter media, etc.)? What are you using as a filter and substrate?



By the sounds of it, the lack of water volume and water changes could potentially be causing some health problems. Often fish can "tolerate" poorer water than they would prefer, but if they get sick, it can go downhill very quickly.

Also, as a note for the minimum tank size, and lot of the "size" has to do simply with water volume, and not necessarily the size of the tank itself. You could easily keep 3 GSPs in a 55 gallon, for instance, if you also have a 35 gallon sump hooked up (a large rubbermaid bin, for instance).

As the others have suggested, I would look into a larger tank soon, as a 20 gallon has (or will) cause your puffers to be stunted, which has a high potential of causing organ problems and a premature passing. This isn't necessarily the immediate solution to your currently unhealthy puffer, though.

Have you checked the puffer over for spots/discolouration/abnormalities? Is the puffer still eating at all? How much and how often do you feed? If you've been accidentally overfeeding for a prolonged period, it could also have caused internal organ damage.

Once we get some parameters and such, we'll be able to pin-point it better. When you get the readings, please don't fudged them for us, though. Although we hope that people keep puffers in larger tanks, what's done is done, and nobody here will harass you for it (or they better not, at least).

Although 3 GSPs could "fit" into a 55g, I do not think it would be considered comfortable for them. Mine seemed quite crowded (keep in mind they prefer lots of decor) & I rehomed them. They do like lots of room to swim.

Oh I agree, I just meant that if they can't afford a 90 gallon tank, they could opt for something a bit more manageable.

Better choice is less puffers, IMO.