The Puffer Forum

Puffer: F8 about 1 1/4 inch long. Got about 2 weeks ago. Has been doing amazing until this morning. Didn't come to top as normal when walked by. Eat 1 pond snail yesterday as normal. Came home to find him hiding and very lethargic. Now he's become more lethargic, fin movement slowing and he's starting to be head heavy with his front area seaming to be slightly larger than normal. When he does move it's very brief and he seems to be resting on his front half. Dawrf frog was purchased 4 days ago has been doing fine until this morning as well and upon returning home was swimming funny and stuck at the top.

Water:
pH - 7.8
Ammonia - .25 ppm
Nitrite - 0 ppm
Nitrate 10.0 ppm
Water was changed 7 days ago

Food:
Has been eating 1 small pond snail daily. Sometimes he gets a few scraps of brine shrimp or flakes that the other fish eat (I feed the other fish when he is after the snail I drop in as to not over feed. The snails are a fraction bigger than his eye.
Bought blood worms today and when I returned I noticed it took him a few minutes before venturing to the top on which he eat half a worm then bottom for rest of night.

Tank: 10g freshwater set up 6 months ago (75 gal for him will be ready in a month) I hope he makes it! Tank is moderately planted with white sand and decent decor
Tank mates: 1 Ghost Shrimp, 2 Rasboras, 3 new born micky mouse platy, 1 dwarf frog which just was recently move tonight as he's acting funny as well (trouble swimming etc)

All other fish seem normal, and eating fine.

I understand the tanks small and he is a F8 in freshwater but was sold as freshwater to my friend and is the smallest one I've seen. He was given to us as a gift with the purchaser not knowing they need larger space. We purchased a 75 gal and are currently setting it up to place him as well as the rasboras in once established.

Any advice and help will be greatly appreciated.

Sorry to hear that. Someone will be able to give you an answer soon. So that someone may further aid you, do you use a water heater?

Yea I have a 50 watt heater with a 5-15 whisper filter which pushes a good deal of water around and has a decent current at the top. Water temp is about 76-78 and usually stays around there all the time. He's looking like he might go soon unfortunately . Other fish seem to be fine; Dwarf frog which is currently quarantined in 4 G planted betta bowl is doing better. Still on surface but moving. Wish I could say the same for the puffer. Seems he's lingering in one corner of the tank moving every so often a few inches.

Do an 80 percent water change immediately. Ammonia needs to be 0. It burns their gills. Does he appear to be breathing quickly or appears labored?

Just got done changing water as I've been researching. He's breathing slowly swelling in front has gone down but sill lethargic. Checked for Ick but no signs . Ammonia is usually .0 - .25 and is now 0 again. unfortunately nothing more I can do now. Will check on him in the morning with fingers crossed.

If you are showing ammonia keep doing large waterchanges, any ammonia present will poison him. Grab a bottle of prime and double dose your tank with it as this will help detoxify your water. Best of luck.

I've used prime regularly in new water and have always had none to very low ammonia. I have been seeing an increase in algae as we have been keeping the light on or an hour or two longer now. What effects can an algae bloom have on a puffer? Would a salt bath help at all at this point? Status update: Slow breathing and barely moving, looks even worse than last night . Hope he survives throughout the day. Girlfriend will be keeping me posted and ready to help any way she can.