The Puffer Forum

Hi I'm new to the forum, I'm very glad I found it! I've recently aquired two puffers, both juveniles, one an F8, one a GSP. Only had them three days and they're a serious rescue case, so I wasn't as prepared as I'd've liked.

Both are housed in the same tank atm - 30 gal. Water is 0 nitrate, 0 ammonia, 18 nitrite and pH of 7.8. Temp is a stable 79 degrees, and the system had been cycled for 4 weeks in prep for fish I was actually going to buy .

The GSP seems ok, not ideal but getting around, feeding, active enough. The F8 though is now at the top of the tank, swimming mostly but not at all happy. Twice tonight he's appeared dead, made no move to swim away even when I placed the net in, and only flickered back to life once I raised him out of the water.

There's no discolouration, no bloat, no ich, no bites or parasites. I've been watching them all day (the tank's next to my desk) and the GSP has made no move to intimidate or harass the F8. Both have fed fine today and the F8 has only seemed unwell tonight.

I know it's not an ideal set-up but I'm doing the best I can for these guys. Any help appreciated. Thanks.

Are your nitrites (with an I) really 18 but nitrates 0? If your nitrites are that high it doesn't sound like your tank is cycled and puffers are sensitive to water conditions.

If you just mixed the two up, if they've eaten and all, and you can do is wait and watch.

Were they in FW or BW at the store? Maybe starting to get the SG up to 1.002 might help and if your tank is cycled it won't adversely affect your bacteria too much.

Eric

Christ yes, sorry it's the other way around (so much for editing a post, eh?).

They didn't come from a store, they're a rescue case from a colleague who was keeping them in a fish bowl. I'm not sure if this has done them irreversible damage. As far as I know they were both kept freshwater, so I plan to gradually change over.

Sorry if this all seems ignorant, I'm totally new to puffers (though not to tropical fish in general).

Reckon I'm doing right in encouraging the F8 to move, or am I prolonging the inevitable?

Thanks

I don't think trying to get the figure 8 to move will help and might stress the fellow out. Fish bowl, huh? Good for you for getting them into much, much better housing.

Do you have any marine salt on hand? If you do, I'd try gradually upping the specific gravity like I mentioned to 1.001 or 1.002 - just a minor increase as it might help the figure 8 out a bit.

Otherwise, I think just waiting is all you can do. Even if he doesn't make it, he's been under better care the past 3 days than he's ever had before and it sounds like the GSP is going to pull through.

Keep us posted & welcome to the board.

Eric

Poor puffers--in a bowl! Did you acclimate then slowly to the water they are in now? It could be shocking to go from poor conditions to pristine ones too quickly, as weird as that may sound. I'd keep the lights off & give them some time to adjust (in addition to the advise above). The F8 may not make it...

Thanks Eric - I'll definitely keep you posted. I'm glad I found this forum.

Pufferpunk - I acclimated as slowly as I could, having virtually no equipment to hand at the time. The whole thing was a bit of a rush job and I have no experience of brackish or marine. As they've been FW I haven't seriously tried to increase salinity yet, but I have added a small amount of rather expensive culinary sea salt, much to my OH's disgust, but just in an attempt to destress a little bit.

The F8 is now almost permanently upside down. I've tried "burping", which has resulted in some slight activity, but then he plays dead again. The lights in the aquarium are off. Both were fed earlier on bloodworms as I have no hardshell food, though I did pop to the supermarket and buy fresh mussels just in case.

Will be a shame if I lose one or both. I'm not used to a fish clinging on for so long, and it's heartbreaking to see his fins moving but not able to help. The GSP is surfacing regularly, but seems happy enough to swim mid tank too, so I'm not sure if he's going to be ok either.

Sitting up with the fish, F8 has died. GSP is heading the same way - stopped swimming and hanging at the surface Feel like a real failure.

Don't let it get to you. You are not to blame from them getting into this condition and you are obviously trying to make it right. Unfortunately, rescues don't always have happy endings.

I agree with ybe on rescues. Some are hit and miss. It takes a while to find a good technique that works for you, or it did for me atleast...

Update (and thanks to everyone who's taking an interest in this case) - woke up this morning (I'm in the UK if the timings seem weird) to find GSP swimming happily around the tank He's not sitting at the top now, he's swimming through all levels of the water, belly's nice and white and rounded. Though he does have a darkish line between the green and the white (not sure if this is normal).

One big difference is just how terribly cloudy the water's gone - I have no explanation for this. Filter's fine and active, pump's working fine and there's nothing else in the tank but the puffer and some clean plastic decoration.

Thanks to everyone who's posted on this thread. I've never got a species before without researching it thoroughly first so I feel a bit lost with this one.

You might be seeing a bacterial bloom. Have you tested parameters recently? Glad to hear the GSP is doing well!

Happy for the good news! How was your tank cycled? Definately test the water for ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAtes & pH & get back to us with the results.

Ok, another update. Parameters have gone a bit bonkers. We now have pH of 7.4, ammonia is 0.25, nitrite (with an I) 0, and nitrate (A) of 0! I've tested the parameters and then added three plants. I'll test again tomorrow. But at the moment, nitrates are way down, pH has decreased and ammonia's up slightly.

All you can do is water changes of at least 50% each day...I think the tank is cycling, so you've got your work cut out for you.
The plants...are they real or fake? The reason I'm asking is cos if they're real, and you're planning on upping the salinity, they'll rot and foul up the tank.
Whereabouts in the UK are you?
Pami.

You can get some Bio-Spira & add it directly to your filter for an "instant cycle".