The Puffer Forum

1) -Will post asap
2) 40 gal brackish tank, 2 x 1.5 yr old GSPs
3) Mostly frozen clams on the half shell and bloodworms, water change every 8 days or so, 30%, prime & instant ocean

Lately ive had the black bacteria causing me to not be able to see my fishies very well after a couple days ea time i change the water. This weekend i can home to my littlest fishie dead on my floor so i took a good long look, and some photos of the two left (who have always acted like a couple.)
( I think i did a water change (50% )that was too much for him in an effort to clean out the bacteria, or else i didnt let the new water sit long enough, though i was up until 1:30 trying to give it as much time to sit as possible. Im heartbroken and feel foolish for leaving a space for him to jump out of. )

So now, my biggest fishie has some discoloration on his tail and im afraid it may be a parasite? lately he has been doing much more swimming up and down in the back of the tank than ever but that is my only sign. What do you guys think?

Whoa, sorry to hear about all this. It's amazing how losing a puffer just feels so horribly tragic.

The pic you posted: is that the one with the discoloration on its tail? If so, it doesn't look discolored at all to me, although it seems to have a pattern of spots on it that I don't remember seeing before. Otherwise it looks completely healthy. The ring is almost certainly a mostly-healed bite mark from the other puffer.

Swimming up and down is completely normal for a GSP, although you mainly see it in new arrivals. Once they settle in, well, they get pretty lazy and spend most of their time napping. Kind of like my partner.

Is its possible that the littlest puff was a bully?!?! The two puffs left are acting EXTREMELY happy, playing enjoying bubbles and foraging together, whereas before the little one did all that while these 2 glass surfed the back of the tank. I thought i was imagining it but its been a few days straight of close observation now...

On the other hand, i saw a ring on the other one yesterday so maybe they are getting nippy w/each other too. Does this mean they will need separate tanks or a huge one?

And yeah aside from the ring, it looks theres something on his skin back there, it almost looks like he spilled his coffee.

i guess the spot im looking at could be a bite too!

Yup, pufferbite.

They aren't even 2 inches yet and in a 40 gallon. Should i be worried about the biting? Is it time to upgrade to a larger tank?

Your puffers just may not get along--it happens.