The Puffer Forum

Last week, I fed the fish as usual; the puffers (figure 8's) ate krill, and I dropped in a "variety wafer" for the knight goby who is too shy to come to the surface for food.
About two days later, I woke up to a cloudy tank. After searching I found that the goby had simply moved her wafer into a cave and never ate it; it was decomposing and fouling the tank.
All of the fish became lethargic, and the puffers both developed cloudy eyes and what appeared to be a light "film" on their bodies, I assume from ammonia poisoning. One puffer was clearly worse than the other; yesterday he began to rest on leaves, float on the surface dead still, etc. I could actually handle him before he would snap out of it and swim for a minute, then return to floating. He passed away early this morning

The other puffer and Goby are still hanging in there. The puffer is swimming around a bit but still has cloudy eyes and is lethargic, but nowhere near as bad as the other puffer was.

I've been doing daily 35% water changes and dosing melafix since the tank got cloudy.
I'm just hoping this little guy can pull through

Let this be a lesson to everyone; always make sure there is no uneaten food in your tanks. Even a little bit can cause big problems.

That's so sad. I'm sorry.

I think it would help your remaining fish if you upped the water changes to more like 50% a day. +1 on the Melafix, and good luck saving your others.

Sorry for you loss
hope the other fish make it.

Yup, things like that can really mess up a tank. Water quality is #1 of a fish's health. Sorry for your loss.

Sorry to hear that. I spot feed Daisy (snowflake eel), she likes to hide so I get a flashlight and make sure she ate her food and is not storing it for a rainy day. You just never know about these critters.

Thanks for your comments.

The remaining puffer has started to behave just like the deceased puffer did about a day before he died; bobbing at an angle with his mouth at the surface, and swimming haphazardly, bumping into things. I'm not sure he can see very well; he doesn't respond to me hardly at all. I could probably grab him if I wanted to.

I'm continuing to do water changes and dosing Melafix, but I feel that the damage has already been done, and the only thing I can hope for is that his little body can repair itself before too long.

I'm sorry for your loss.

Losing a puffer is heart-breaking. I have actually cried when I've lost a puffer in the past. It's so sad to see them so still when they are normally so happy and active.
In regards to leftover food, every day I vacuum all my tanks, even if they look good. I've found food that I didn't see, so I think it's a necessary thing to do. It's just become regular for me. It's especially important because I feed some of my puffers mussel and that is a very very messy food, especially when my suvattii eat it.
I inspect all my tanks each day just to see how everything is going. I learned the hard way that if something bad happens, you need to take immediate action -- and that's why I check all my tanks each and every day.
I am VERY sorry for your loss and I hope your remaining fish pull through. I would do as LilGreenPuffer advised and up the water changes, to make sure you're getting the yucky water out.

Looks like my little guy has recovered!
He started acting normal yesterday and ate a few pieces of krill.
Today he's buzzing around like his normal self, begging for food and bugging Ms. Goby.
I'm pumped!

That's excellent, so glad to hear it!

I'm very happy for you and hope your little guy continues to be in good health!!

That's great!