The Puffer Forum

Ok. So I've been fighting the ammonia for a week now. I have done at least one 50% water change every day and some days I've done two. The ammonia is down from a very high 6.0 to a 0.50. I know that is not ideal but it's a huge difference. We also took back the two Mono Sebaes so it's just the one GSP in the 37 gallon tank. He is not being given flakes or pellets anymore either. I bought him frozen shrimp and even brine shrimp and snails. He was very happy and healthy but now he's acting like the other GSP did before he died. All of the other numbers are 0 except the ammonia at 0.50. The SG is a little lower at 1.004, the pH is around 8 and the temp right around 75.

He has not shown interest in any type of food for two or three days, his tummy is always at least a little gray on the edges if not totally gray, he is swimming at the surface with his face up almost out of the water and he swims into the water flow coming out of the filter. Sometimes he will swim down lower to mid tank but then it's right back up. I haven't seen him lay on the bottom and sleep/rest in maybe two days. His stomach isn't concave or puffed, just sort of flat even with his body. What does it seem like this could be?

Have you tried any live foods like worms? Any amount of ammonia is going to make him feel poorly.

Not yet. The stores close at 6:00 on Sundays and we had a family dinner tonight. Tomorrow I can go get some live food. Where and what kind??

I'm planning for another water change in the morning. I may do as much as 75% to see if I can get that ammonia to 0.

I guess I"m also confused as to why the filter is not cycling out the ammonia yet. It's been set up for about 3.5 weeks and we have taken out or lost all but the one small puffer. It seems the only way the ammonia is going down is with massive water changes. I guess I thought the bio filter would have started working on the ammonia by now, at least a little.

Have you tested your tap water for ammonia? The water in my area just within the last few days has been coming out of the tap with a <.25 ammonia reading, checked it out online and my area adds straight ammonia instead of chlorine to the water. It said online that my area has .22 ppm of ammonia, but some areas were much higher. I am really upset about it. The salicylate-based tests, like API, will accurately show you true ammonia and not just chloramine.

It's very difficult to cycle a BW tank, period. If you can try to get down to 1.002 over this WC and then to 1.000 the next week. When I'm getting a new BW tank up I always cycle at FW and then bring the SG up slowly.

I have tested our tap water before and it's 0. I'm using Prime on any new water and Instant Ocean marine salt to keep it lightly brackish. Today we are still at 0.50 ammonia but even thought I knew for sure Stimpy would be dead this morning, he isn't. He is still bumping into stuff and more floating around than swimming but he's trying to hang in there. I'm starting to wonder if he has ich or IPs. He doesn't seem to have white spots but he sort of looks....fuzzy....if that makes sense. His skin sort of looks like velvet as if he'd be soft to the touch. Maybe I should treat him for both since he's the only one in there.....after another water change of course!

Suggestions on the best ich and IP treatment that's the least shocking for him? He isn't eating so he won't be able to eat any food I soak with IP meds.

When you have any detectable ammonia in the tank, you should use Prime for the total volume of the tank every day. Dissolved ammonia gas is toxic to the gills, it burns them. Ammonium ion is relatively harmless. Prime locks dissolved ammonia gas into the ammonium ion form so it is available to the biofilter and non-toxic to the fish. High ammonia levels as you had are also toxic to the bacteria you need.

I have done so many large water changes that all of the water has plenty of Prime. I was actually worried about having too much in there.

I think with one more big water change I can get the ammonia to 0 but I'm not sure what to do about how he's acting.

Prime has a high margin of safety.

Burned gills make for lethargic fish. Some degree of recovery is possible, but the fish cannot grow more gill filaments quickly.

Sounds like he has velvet.
It wouldn't hurt to test the tap water again, mine had just started reading about 3 days ago, before that it was 0. They could have just done a "treatment".

I tested the tap water again this morning and still 0. I did a big WC and took out between 50 and 75% so we will see what the levels are in a few hours. Hopefully 0.

What is velvet???

I have no personal experience with it, but you can search the site.

Easily researched here and other places, just compare images and make sure you do a lot of reading, conflicting advice abounds! Use the "Search" bar at the top of the page to browse the forum, I didn't find any specific library links for you...Bring pics into a *reputable* pet store and ask for advice on medication.

Good luck with the little guy, I'm rooting for him! Try to find live blackworms, or other worms, they dig the wiggle! Call around when you're looking for meds...

Velvet is treated the same as ich.