The Puffer Forum

[Using API Master Kit]
pH: 7.6
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrates: 5
Salinity: 1.006 SG (hydrometered)
Temperature: 26C (79F)
Tank size: 5 gallon
Filter: Aquaclear 20 (meant for 20gal using on a 5gal, includes mechanical, chemical, bio media filtration)
Inhabitants: 1 Green Spotted Puffer about 1 inch long.
Feeding: in AM several freeze dried plankton, and in PM live pond snail or frozen blood worms
Water Changes: 25% bi-weekly
Tank terain: crushed coral gravel and white ocean sand, one coral rock, seashells, 1 small java fern, 1 small cabomba plant.

Issue: Puffer wont eat, displays dark grey stress line and loss of color (see included pic)

Details:

I have a small one inch puffer I bought from LFS as freshwater fish one month ago, I placed him in an already cycled 5 gallon that had goldfish in it previously and moved the goldfish out so he is alone. I started out adding 1tsp of instant ocean marine salt per gallon for the first week and slowly increased to 1tblsp per gallon in recent weeks. He now lives in 1.006 low end brackish water and I plan on slowly increasing it up till 1.008 - 1.010 over the next few weeks. He was growing faster than I thought so I bought a new 36 gallon to move him into, but it is still cycling and the water is not ready for him yet. I'm guessing it will be 10 - 20 days before the larger tank is ready. He was quite active and healthy the first month I got him it seemed to love eating the blood worms and pond snails and sort of tolerated the dried plankton in small quantities. He even used to beg for food by the front of the tank. Over the last few days his stress line has turned grey (see included pic) His belly is still slightly white, but developing some grey splotches. He is still swimming around but refuses to eat anything even snails which he used to love. When I toss in food he acts like it does not exist.

Does he have an internal parasite from the pond snails?

Did he get upset because I added 2 small plants to his aquarium? He doesn't seem to be afraid of the plants as he swims under over and around their branches?

Is he constipated from his previous meals?

What I have done so far:

Today I added 1tblsp of epsom salt to see if he will poop I haven't seen any poop since he stopped eating, but his belly is still round.

I removed the Camboba plant in case he is stressed out that I added something new to his tank... I left the Java fern which only has a few blades on it because the plants seem to keep the nitrates down throughout the week so I hope he is not stressed about the plants... I will remove this plant tomorrow if he is still stressed.

I turned out his overhead light so he can rest.

Any suggested are much appreciated. I will report back tomorrow if he poops or eats or his belly color improves. Thanks!

Sounds like everything is good except tank size. I'm not sure why cycling should take 10-20 days?
library/water-filtration/fishless-cycling/

If you move everything over from the 10g to the 36g, the larger tank should be able to handle the bioload of the puffer, no problem.

Try live earthworms or blackworms.
library/category/feeding/

Puffer has taken a turn for the worse I let him rest and left it alone for a few hours after posting. before he was swimming around, then I went back to check on him and he is bumping into things in the tank and can't swim properly keeps ending up nose down on the bottom with very little movement and labored breathing. What is happening to him any ideas, this is very rapid a few days ago he was healthy and active. Mostly just today has been a very bad turn for the worse. I paniced and did a large water change to hope that would help although the water levels looked good before. The only thing I added was the epsom salt to help him poop. I cleared about 85% of the water now so there is probably little to no epsom left. What sort of emergency treatent is there for puffers?

Sadly just 4 hours after I took that picture of him swimming around he died. He started bumping into stuff in the tank and then sunk to the bottom breathing shallowed and turned black and died. His water levels were perfect and he was active and bright the whole month before. Just stopped eating for 2 days and only started showing mild grey stress line 4 hours ago. Yesterday he was white bellied and colorful and actively swimming. I'm puzzled as to what killed him so quickly!

Do you think the epsom salt for constipation is a really bad thing that people should not have suggested?
Could an internal parasite or intestinal blockage have killed him so quickly?

I did everything text book for what they need and was moving him to a larger tank, and at his size just under 1 inch he shouldn't have needed the full 30 gal yet right? Plus he didn't seem stressed about the tank size for the whole month I had him.

I'm starting to think that these wild fish should not be sold in pet stores and that it is unethical to keep them as pets. Even if your able to keep one from dying long enough to be an adult I'm sure they will not live as happy or active a lifestyle as they would in an estuary or ocean environment. Although I really like the fish I do not think I will ever get another Puffer fish again.

This kind of thing happens a lot to puffer lovers! Don't beat yourself up over it. Epsom salt would not have killed him.

If your water parameters where good and you did water changes, then his likely cause of death was stress or something relating to stress.

Sorry for your loss!

Did you buy at Walmart? Their puffers have a high mortality rate due to the terrible conditions they are kept in.

Sorry for your loss.

I bought it from a local fish store, but they had 3 in a 20 gallon freshwater tank, They told me they were freshwater fish and that 3 could live in a 10 gallon, after puchasing all three I read what they were on the internet and gave 2 away and kept one and transitioned it to brackish water before it died I think maybe one of the pond snails had a parasite in it, or it was tressed out or unhealthy from the pet store perhaps yes.