The Puffer Forum

Hello,

I recently (3 days ago) bought Green Spotted Puffer fish.
One of them died the day after and the other two aren't very happy - in fact, on of them has a black belly (bloated) and the other one, which seemed happy at first, doesn't seem happy anymore.
According to the local pet store (where I purchased everything) I let the aquarium that I bought go through a cycle phase of about 3 days, add "Stress Coat", ""Stres Zyme+", cleaned the gravel (fine) and aquarium, set the temperature to be at about 80F.
I've tried feeding them but they're not eating (live bloodworm) so I changed their food to some small live fish (feeder fish I think???) but no results - one of them looks so depressed and he's always at the back of the aquarium next to the heater (submersible). I've even went ahead and upgraded the tank with a "Bubble Wand" so they'll have little bubbles and aerate the tank. The tank is 12 gallons.
Going to the pet store this morning he told me to bring a sample of the water - he told me there probably isn't enough pH. After going there he did a quick test and showed me that, indeed, there isn't enough pH in the water - the rest looked fine (according to the colors of the test stripes. He gave me a pH inducer (Alkaline Buffer), I hoped it'll work - I added a teaspoon to the water.
The problem is that I don't think this is it, the bloated puffer isn't feeling good - I just know it - and I suspect it's something else; I've been looking online and there is conflicting information and I just don't know what to do - I feel bad not being able to help or even "read" on my puffer what he wants/need in order to make him feeling better.
Another thing that raised my suspicion is that at the first day, I saw a small (tiny) white worm crawling on the aquarium glass - it might have been from the puffer...?
I don't know if it's worth mentioning but his butt-hole (sorry for the terminology here) looks enlarged and it doesn't seemed like they are pooping at all.

Can anyone help me/Omicron out?

Thank you in advance!
Ethan

P.S.
My aquarium also contains live plants - two kinds that I can't recognize and one Java Moss.

Well for one thing you've never cycled your aquarium properly! Three days isn't nearly enough time to get the bacteria you so desperately need in that tank to handle the ammonia and nitrates. You can't put puffers in a tank that's not cycled properly. They can't take it, they will be poisoned by ammonia and nitrites. I would not be worried about the pH of the water at this time, that's not important.
Green Spotted puffers do not eat live fish and should not be fed live fish! If the puffer's anus isn't looking good that could mean that he's got IP's (internal parasites) that would account for them loosing their appetite.

I am also concerned about the size of your tank for having 3 GSP's. Twelve gallons isn't big enough for 3 GSP's. You should only have one in there!

It's no wonder they are looking depressed. If they have internal parasites then they aren't getting the nutrients and vitamins they need. Besides the tank hasn't been cycled properly then, so like I said, they are being poisoned. So basically it's a double whammy!!

You need to be doing water changes every day and I'd say at least changing out 50% of the water. Do you have a water conditioner for the tap water you're using in the tank?

If your puffers do have IP's then you need a good wormer, something gentle that won't hurt your puffers.
I don't think the prognosis is very good for your puffers.

My advice for now is get doing water changes!!! Use water conditioner and stop using the alkaline buffer!

I'm sure I'm missing something, but I think someone else will be able to add to what I've told you. Good luck.

First of all thank you very much for the reply.
I'll start doing water changes in an instant.
I do have water conditioner and will use it again.

schismy007 wrote: If your puffers do have IP's then you need a good wormer, something gentle that won't hurt your puffers.
I don't think the prognosis is very good for your puffers.

Since it seems that Ican't trust the pet store anymore, how can I know what a good and gentle wormer is?

Thank you again!

Ethan

Hi Ethan,

The only thing I can do is to tell you what I use on my puffers. Since yours aren't eating, I would suggest a wormer that you put in the tank (there are other kinds that you put in the puffers food). I use a wormer that's made for Discus, and I've have very good results from using that. So either look online or call around and try to find a good wormer that's used for Discus, and go from there. The kind I have you only have to do once, so it's not difficult. That should help your puffers.

I would seriously think about either getting a bigger tank, or maybe taking one of those puffers back to the store, or getting another tank for the other GSP. That tank really is too small for 2 GSP's. Puffers are very sensitive fish.

I really wish people would research about fish before they buy them. There's an article on here about 'Emergency Cycling of a Tank' (something like that) -- you NEED to read this article.

I wouldn't worry about worming at this time. I'd get that tank cycled ASAP! Please read the article in our Library (under the Learn tab above) about emergency cycling. Also great articles on care & feeding of GSPs, feeding puffers & also for treating IPs. Then work on getting them a bigger tank.