The Puffer Forum

So yesterday my figure 8 puffer was ok. he was white (his belly).
today, he seemed pretty much fine, but earlier thie evening i fed him some brine shrimp (freezer dried) and he hasn't touched it, plus, his belly is dark grey (same with around his mouth) he's acting a little sluggish too.....
what should i do? and is this ok?

Thanks,
OswaldPuffPuff

A quick add in-
he is in a saltwater tank, because figure 8's are brackish. earlier, before there was salt, he was the same way (blackish and lazy). i fed him brine shrimp then too, and then i switched his diet to bloodworms daily. today i just started the brine shrimp again, and he had an immediate reaction (turning grayish black)
i removed the shrimp from the water and threw it away. is there a possibility that the freeze dried brine shrimp could affect him?
thanks again, oswaldpuffpuff

Answer the questions in red please.

Pandora114 wrote:Answer the questions in red please.

1. hmm well im not exactly sure of the numbers... i guess i should get a water testing kit.
2. 2.5 Gallon tank, and only one figure eight puffer fish.
3. I use aquarium salt ( i dont remember the amount, but i follow the directions on the box), water dechlor (3 drops), and i feed him blood worms twice a day. he eats them all in a short amount of time. before i put in brine shrimp, and he would eat it, but then he just kind of didnt eat, s i stopped feeding it to him. until yesterday. i thought i would give it another shot, but then he turned grayish.
4. no water changes accept that i added some salt to the tank two weeks ago because i heard it helped figure 8s.
5.It's a small tank, with an undergravel filter. i cycyled it for about an hour. The aquarium has been set up for over a month now, and i changed it two weeks ago. (this tank has been used with other fish, but it has been cleaned)
sorry that i didnt answer the questions before, and thanks!
OswaldPuffPuff

My guess is there is a ton of ammonia in there & the puffer is dying because it's living in it's own wastes. Please read the F8 article in our Library, along with the articles on cycling. Do a 50% water change this very minitue & 2 more tomorrow. Then go out & buy that puffer a 15g tank & some Safestart to cycle it. No other product other than Safestart to cycle that tank!

and to make water brackish you need marine salt, not "aquarium salt" 1.005 - 1.008 (get a refractometer) for a figure 8. when you get that 15gal make sure it's cycled at that specific gravity.

A hydrometer is cheaper than a refractometer, and it works well if you calibrate it and read it properly. You can find directions for calibration online. You just have to use it properly, and it will work as well as the expensive products. The most important part is really that the salinity is constant, rather than at an exact level.

LilGreenPuffer wrote:A hydrometer is cheaper than a refractometer, and it works well if you calibrate it and read it properly. You can find directions for calibration online. You just have to use it properly, and it will work as well as the expensive products. The most important part is really that the salinity is constant, rather than at an exact level.

The specific gravity can vary and the fish wouldn't mind at all, it's the ammonia and nitrite reducing bacteria that you have to worry about - they will die off with a change of over SG0.002.

Right, but I mean that a calibrated hydrometer will show you the same number at the same salinity, and that number may be a little different from what a lab would tell you, but it's still staying steady.

As for the fish minding the SG, something you (OswaldPuffPuff) might try later on is fluctuating the salinity by .001 or .002 every week or so. Some people think it mimics the natural conditions of the F8, since it lives in areas where salinity is more likely to change.

Here, read these. You may find them helpful.

Starting a brackish tank
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1658

Refractometers vs. hydroemeters
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1886
(Read the whole thing, and you'll see both sides of the debate. It was pretty interesting.)

LilGreenPuffer wrote:Here, read these. You may find them helpful.

Starting a brackish tank
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1658

Refractometers vs. hydroemeters
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1886
(Read the whole thing, and you'll see both sides of the debate. It was pretty interesting.)

Well, I really appreciate all the help
I will purchase some marine salt, and get the basics... but he is looking better
is it normal for puffer fish to change colors like that? I heard earlier that they can become darker when they are moody or nervous.
He's been this way for a couple of days. I'm actually new to all of this puffer fish info- it's like another language to me :/
I do not know why the brine shrimp could've affected him, but i stopped giving it to him, and continued with the bloodworms.
And, is a 2.5 gallon tank ok for just one puffer fish? It seems like he gets to swim around a lot.
Thanks for all the help!
OswaldPuffPuff

OswaldPuffPuff wrote:

LilGreenPuffer wrote:Here, read these. You may find them helpful.

Starting a brackish tank
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1658

Refractometers vs. hydroemeters
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1886
(Read the whole thing, and you'll see both sides of the debate. It was pretty interesting.)

Well, I really appreciate all the help
I will purchase some marine salt, and get the basics... but he is looking better
is it normal for puffer fish to change colors like that? I heard earlier that they can become darker when they are moody or nervous.
He's been this way for a couple of days. I'm actually new to all of this puffer fish info- it's like another language to me :/
I do not know why the brine shrimp could've affected him, but i stopped giving it to him, and continued with the bloodworms.
And, is a 2.5 gallon tank ok for just one puffer fish? It seems like he gets to swim around a lot.
Thanks for all the help!
OswaldPuffPuff

oh yeah, and i also bought some ammo chips, to put in the tank. I haven't used them yet, but should I?

What are these for? If they help with ammonia, then sure, go for it, but don't overdose them until you know how much ammonia is actually in there. Don't let that replace water changes, of course - 50% twice a day.

LilGreenPuffer wrote:What are these for? If they help with ammonia, then sure, go for it, but don't overdose them until you know how much ammonia is actually in there. Don't let that replace water changes, of course - 50% twice a day.

yes they help with ammonia. They say they work for freshwater aquariums. you add 1/4 cup for each 10 gallons, and you recharge them with aquarium salt, but you have to do it with a tank change. I'm wondering if they're ok for brackish tanks, and if i should change my puffers water tomorrow (i changed it two weeks ago, so would it be ok to change it? I don't want to stress him out too much)

Please, please, please read my post!