The Puffer Forum

Woke up to find one of my GSPs wedged between a prefilter sponge and the glass. I thought he was dead as his color was dull and wasnt moving. Got him free and he started swimming erratic. Placed him in a QT tank and noticed his eyes are glazed over and his mouth nostrils and anus seem bloodshot or inflamed. He was in a 55 gallon with my other two GSPs and he was the dominant puffer. They all ate live ghost shrimp last night. I fear he has been poisoned somehow.Or could this be the first victim of this high nitrate water we have been living with?
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 80 (its this way from the sink too)
ph 8

Tank has been running for 8 months. Salinity 1.024

Added a capfull of melafix to QT tank. With an airpump running.

I also wanna note that I feed them bloodworms mussel and beefheart along with live shrimp and "food" shrimp. Everything is soaked in Vitachem.

He is the most active and personable puffer always doing a little dance and sticking his head out of the water while the others are a tad more shy. Whatever happened had to be late last night or early this morning.

The stress combined with the high nitrates wouldn't have helped. Try mixing some ro or spring water to bring down nitrates and speed his recovery.

I will definately have to look into getting some.

Also the puffer likes to peck at the live rock and I wonder if he got stung or poisoned by the feather duster worms that are growing on some of my live rock considering his entire face looks inflamed?

Also a possibility, clean water and melafix should help

Try adding vitamin C (as per my chart) to the tank.

He is not gonna make it. His fins are fraying and his cloudy eyes and inflammation are getting worse despite the addition of new water and meds. He is hovering near the surface and barely fluttering. He was absoutely healthy and active at this time yesterday whatever happened to him last night it is killing him fast.

I got 20 gallons of RODI water from a LFS mixed with marine salt and switched out 15 gallons to my main tank while the rest is reserved for the QT to kick down the nitrates.

Have faith, it's not over til it's over, keep adding clean water. You would be surprised how resilient they can be. Good luck fella hope he makes it.

I thought he was gone but he has become so weak that the currents from the airstone and nano filter is beating him around. He is barely breathing and it wont be long now. EDIT He is gone now. This is really upsetting he had the biggest personality and I dunno what this was that killed him so quickly. Im terrified for the others.

sgtmyers88 wrote:I thought he was gone but he has become so weak that the currents from the airstone and nano filter is beating him around. He is barely breathing and it wont be long now. EDIT He is gone now. This is really upsetting he had the biggest personality and I dunno what this was that killed him so quickly. Im terrified for the others.

I'm sorry for your loss.

It just came on so fast. I have had instances where perfectly healthy fish get stuck in something and make a full recovery. This instance was just a shock to me and is a real kick in the gut. Life is so precious and fragile. He deserved better. I feel so guilty.

Sorry you lost him dude