The Puffer Forum

So what was supposed to be a very exciting day for me yesterday, turned out to be very stressful and scary.

I bought a 5" fahaka last night and drove an hour and a half to meet the person I was purchasing it from. He also drove an hour and a half to meet up with me. As it turned out, this person wasn't very intelligent, and despite me being very specific as to how I'd like him to transport the fish, he put him in a 5 gallon bucket with a 14" tiger shovelnose catfish I was also buying from him. The bucket was only half full and it contained an air stone and a 100w heater which was turned on for the entire 2 hour commute. When the bucket was opened the catfish was dead and the water temperature was about 110 degrees. Amazingly, the puffer was swimming around very actively. I immediately began lowering the temperature of the water using bottled water in my car. I eventually got it down to 80 and switched him to another bucket with different water for the drive back.

Today I've noticed that both of his eyes are scratched up pretty good (which I'm assuming came from a thrashing catfish and an airstone) and he is very lethargic. His pectoral fins are active, but he won't move off the bottom of the tank in the corner. Right now I have him at 80 degrees in a 20 gallon long with no structure of any kind. The water is from another tank of mine. I added a bit of table salt and stress coat along with some fresh water. Any and all help/advice as to the best course of action would be tremendously appreciated. This is my first puffer and I've wanted one for quite sometime. I just joined this site specifically for help with him. Thank you


He's a picture of the lil bugger:

I think he would appreciate somewhere to hide/shelter? Is the tank he is currently in cycled? What are the water parameters etc?
Sounds like he has had a rough ride & I hope he will be ok, but it would really help people if you are able to answer those questions in red.

If he survives the temperature fluctuations then he should be fine,...given appropriate conditions now.

IME fahakas tend to be shy and stay quiet for a week or so after being moved.

Answer the questions at the top of the page and we will be able to offer more assistance.

I am in the process of setting up a 120 for him, but for now he's just in the 20 long by himself (except for the lone mystery snail I put in there if he gets hungry).

OK the red questions:

1. pH 7.3
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate .6
salinity (not sure how to test for this, but I have two tablespoons of table salt and two tablespoons of epson salt in the 20 gal

2. 20 long, the fahaka puffer, a small yellow mystery snail

3. Apart from fully cycled tank water from an established 125 gallon with monoculus peacock bass in it I only added the salt and some stress coat

4. Its all new, I just set it up last night for him

5. Its been set up for half a day and I cycled it by washing the tank thoroughly with and using established tank water along with established filter media

Are you sure it is table salt you are using? If so that alone can kill a fish. When using salt it has to be non-iodized salt, like kosher salt or pickling salt.

no salt pls.

If anything it would be melafix / pimafix, and an airstone.

Keep that water super clean, the lights off and or dim. It will reduce stress.

HR Puff N Stuff wrote:Its been set up for half a day and I cycled it by washing the tank thoroughly with and using established tank water along with established filter media

Emergency Cycle article wrote:Tanks that have had fish in them for less than 2 months are typically considered to be uncycled, as they do not have this build up of bacteria.

Read this entire article as soon as you can:
library/water-filtration/emergencycycle/

"established tank water along with established filter media"


he is using used filter media.

J-P wrote:"established tank water along with established filter media"

he is using used filter media.

Yeah, I saw that, J-P; I wanted to point out that using "cycled" water and adding established media doesn't immediately cycle a new tank... s/he needs to be doing the massive water changes and frequent testing of chem levels as specified in that article.

That sort of "depends". We don't know what the bioload of that 125 is. Of course, water changes are needed as is testing.

The used filter media may be able to keep up with the bioload for now. Again, without testing we won't know.

Test daily or twice daily for a while, any signs of ammonia, do a water change immediately.

Without a substrate, you're relying on the filter alone to provide 100% of the beneficial bacteria (plus what ever is in the water column). If that filter media can't keep up, then more frequent changes are needed.

I appreciate the feedback guys. I have been doing the fish thing for quite a while, so there's really no need to be concerned about the cycling of the tank. I am monitoring the water parameters constantly. Also, the salt I used is certainly not iodized. I am more concerned with information specific to puffers, as this is my first one. What sort of signs should I look for to see how he's adjusting from the temperature shock? Should I use salt and if so, how much? What is a reasonable time period to expect him to get his appetite back? Thanks.

taureandragon76 wrote:Are you sure it is table salt you are using? If so that alone can kill a fish. When using salt it has to be non-iodized salt, like kosher salt or pickling salt.

Not true at all:
library/misc/thesaltoftheearth/

I have been doing the fish thing for quite a while

I'm confused--why did you buy this fish without having a cycled tank ready for him? Fahakas don't like to be moved. Mine went on a 3 week hunger strike after upgrading him from a 55g to a 125g. He'd be better off in the larger tank with room & cover to feel safe. Add Melafix to treat his scratches.

I'm confused--why did you buy this fish without having a cycled tank ready for him? Fahakas don't like to be moved. Mine went on a 3 week hunger strike after upgrading him from a 55g to a 125g. He'd be better off in the larger tank with room & cover to feel safe. Add Melafix to treat his scratches.

You're absolutely right, I'd normally never purchase a fish without having a suitable home for it set up. Its simply a case of having an opportunity to buy a fish I've always wanted but never seen available at a very good price. If I didn't act immediately, I wouldn't have been able to get it. So you're the second person to mention melafix, I usually stay away from chemical solutions unless absolutely necessary.

It's not like a super harsh chemical per say, I think it's made from white bark tea tree oil, it's herbal and is considered very safe. It's been out for many years, the some what newer herbal medication is Pimafix, is made from "allspice" extract, they can be used together. I grew up around a lot of naturalists, so it's good to see natural remedies for fish, even better is that they work too lol.

If you have multiple tanks, you should have no problem instantly cycling that larger tank for him: library/water-filtration/emergencycycle/