3 Dead Puffers :(

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Read this before posting!!

Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.

1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.

2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.

3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)

4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.

5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.

We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.

While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.

Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
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OvyPuffer
Puffer Fry
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Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 1:19 pm
Location (country): Ontario, Canada

3 Dead Puffers :(

Post by OvyPuffer »

In the past 2 weeks, I have had 3 puffers die, 1 was a 2 1/2 year old GSP, we found him lodged in the filter tube :( The other 2 were Figure 8 Puffers which we got this past Saturday. They were doing great, I put a frozen blood worm cube in last night which was bright red in color, but they were both kind of standoffish at first but then started to nibble. The morning came and before I left for work I checked to see what they were up too and they appeared to be fine. An hour later my boyfriend found they floating in the tree. He said that the blood worms were black in color and laying at the bottom of the tank. I'm kinda thinking it was the bad blood worms that killed my GSP, but I don't know! It's really upsetting, I really love puffers and this is breaking my heart!

1. Unfortunately I do not know the water perimeters but i am going out and buying a test kit today.
2. My tank is a 20 Gallon and there was only the puffers in it, and a large rock so they could hide and 2 fake trees.
3. I fed my puffers twice a day and they would usually get a cube of blood worms, I have brackish water, so I put the salt in, the cycle solution and a water purifier.
4. I have not made any changes to the tank that is out of the ordinary. Just the same routine I have been doing for 2 1/2 years.
5. Ive had the tank for 2 1/2 and have been doing the same routine and just recently my fish started dying on me !
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bertie 83
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Re: 3 Dead Puffers :(

Post by bertie 83 »

ok were bloodworms defrosted?
for 2 a bigger tank will be needed
other than cycle solution how was tank cycled
ok i think u followed lfs advice which is wrong. follow the library fishless cycle and try again start a thread on the setup of the tank when u r ready and you will be talked through it. it may sound like i am having a go . i am not you may have fallen into the lfs trap. get a water test kit make sure cycled then start again
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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Nuclear_Glitter
Fahaka Puffer
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Location (country): North Carolina, USA
Location: North Carolina, USA

Re: 3 Dead Puffers :(

Post by Nuclear_Glitter »

Was your salt marine or aquarium salt?
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." -- Henry Ford
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LilGreenPuffer
Former Staff Member
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Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:26 pm
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My Puffers: Dwarf puffer - Thumbelina (only mine in my heart now; she lives in CT with my friend)

RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond.
Location (country): United States
Location: Kentucky

Re: 3 Dead Puffers :(

Post by LilGreenPuffer »

It sounds like your tank was massively overstocked and reached a breaking point, and your ammonia/nitrite got out of whack and killed your fish.

You should probably do a huge water change ASAP, for starters, followed by getting up to speed on the basics of puffer care. Everything you need to get started is in the Puffer Library: library Do a lot of reading about cycling and the species of puffers you kept.
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."

Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi

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Pufferpunk
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Re: 3 Dead Puffers :(

Post by Pufferpunk »

Sorry for your loss... I'm glad you found us! Now you can get the info you need to keep a puffer long-term. :)
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

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