The Puffer Forum

Work up at the normal time, turned Dumas light on, and there he lay at the bottom. Usually when i turn the light on it starts window shopping and it's fins go crazy, but it just layed at the bottom, fins moving every so slightly, and tummy very gray. Tested the water lastnight:

ph 7.5, Nitrite 0, Nitrate .5, Ammonia 0,
Gets 1-2 snails everyday, and 1/2 cube of frozen blood worms every other day, lastnight being a feeding night.
No changes in the tank besides adding a few additional plants and moving others around.

Tank has been up for what, a month or so now? Doing the weekly water changes, and soon moving the brackish (if my salt every mixes)... Any ideas?

is that nitrate reading correct? .5 seems awfully low. Liquid test kits usually give a range as opposed to an exact number.

you mentioned that the tank was up and running for a month... how was it cycled?

Opps, typo, Nitrate - .25, using the API Master Freshwater test kit
I pulled cycled water from my 55 gallon tank, and put it in my 30 gallon, cleaning the filter media with the same water.

It did have an ick episode about 2 weeks ago, but I was able to handle that with salt and heat along with water changes.

I did it again, lets try this one more time:

Nitrate - 5.0

It seems like a cycling issue, but may not be. Some times a puffer takes a while to wake up. Usually when sleeping their colors a muted and the stomach is darker.

I'm not overly worried, I know the water is cycled if not near close, but it's usually super active. I even went back in and checked on it before leaving for work, still laying at the bottom. Maybe it's like it's owner and just likes it's sleep

I'll see how it's doing when i get home.

Just to rule out one of the possibilities.. Did u rinse the new plants under running water before putting them in? Those plants could have pesticide on them.. I have heard some farms do use that to make them "look" healthier.

scpion wrote:Just to rule out one of the possibilities.. Did u rinse the new plants under running water before putting them in? Those plants could have pesticide on them.. I have heard some farms do use that to make them "look" healthier.

Sure did, even went as far as rinsing them under tank water I was changing as well.

You mention an Ich episode two weeks ago, are you still treating or how did you treat it in just two weeks time? Ich resides on the gills of the fish and when you actually see white spots it's a pretty heavy infestation. This may be Ich related.

Dadof4 wrote:You mention an Ich episode two weeks ago, are you still treating or how did you treat it in just two weeks time? Ich resides on the gills of the fish and when you actually see white spots it's a pretty heavy infestation. This may be Ich related.

I treated with heat and salt, as well as I started the brackish process today. WHen i came home it was perfectly fine, swimming, happy fins, white belly, etc. So I am assuming it just didn't want to wake up, kind of like how i feel most mornings

You should continue the treatment for a minimum of 2 weeks AFTER the last visible spot is gone.