The Puffer Forum

Hello,
I have one Green Spotted Puffer fish in a 15gal tank. Yesterday I have been noticing changes in his color, in which I knew was normal. His belly is still white but hes still not as bright as he usually is later in the day. I know that I have enough marine salt in the tank because his belly hasen't changed. He has ate some too, but not as much as usual. The problem is that hes kinda just loaping around, not really moving much, singing to the bottom, swimming on the top alot. Hes still swimming around a little bit, but I am worried that something is really wrong with him. Does anyone have an idea on what might be wrong with him?



I just finished the water change on the fish tank. So I guess the only thing, I can do is wait and hope that he gets better.

How much salt is in there? Do you have any way to measue it? Do a 50% water change now & please answer all the Qs above in red. If you have any test kits, test the water before you change it. If you don't, take some water out into a clean container (no soap), do the WC & bring the water to your LFS to be tested asap.

Reoort back here with the exact readings you get for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH & specific gravity. While you're there, buy a hydrometer that starts at 1.000 & test kits for the above parameters.

It was too late......he just died. I have no idea what was wrong, I know all the readings were correct. Anywaz, thanks everyone for being consered.

Cori -

Sorry that your GSP died - it is not easy, one of mine passed last week.

Thank you for your support.

Was the tank even cycled? How long has it been set up for?

I let the water cycle about 10 days before I put my puffers in the tank. So I know that it wasen't it.

But HOW did you cycle it? Just letting the water sit there for 10 days won't do it, it needs to have a bacteria source in order to cycle (such as used filter media, substrate, plants, etc).

Letting the filter and heater do their thing on an empty tank is "running" the tank, not cycling it. It's a good idea if you're unsure of any of the equipment, but testing the filter and heater is pretty much all it accomplishes.

Oh no, thats not what I ment. I know that it won't cycle if you let it just set. You have to have the whole tank set up.

The thing is...to fully cycle a tank without adding some type of material, ie: Bio Spira, old filter media, fish flake, something to kick start, it will not cycle. Also when adding something that isn't "quick cycling" it can take a tank almost 4 weeks to mature, not 10 days.
Did you check nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, Ph, and salinity using test strips or a hydrometer?

No, I don't have the right equipment for testing. Because the person I got them from told me that they are pretty easy to take care of, and explained to me what I need to know. I kinda trusted him since he has taking care of them for years. But as for putting something in the water other than the heater and the filter, I have never heard of that. Putting flakes or something in the water as it goes through the cycle process. I have never heard of such a thing.

Did he give you the tank & filtration he had been keeping them in? What size?

I had to buy everything myself. My tank is 15g but as for his I don't know.

So how long did the GSP last in an uncycled 15g tank? Did you have more than 1?

It would really help to know the salinity of your water. You might have added too much salt at once. How mcuh did you add?