The Puffer Forum

I am new to having GSP so I'm gonna need some help here. I have 2 GSP in a 20 gallon tank. The salinity is at 1.05 and I did a water check today and the ammonia nitrites and everything are normal, but for the past 4 or 5 days one of my GSP just has been completely black (except for the belly) and lost most of it's color. Every once in a while it lightens up, but hardly ever. It doesn't eat much either. I have been feeding them half a block of frozen bloodworms every night. One of the puffers eat like crazy, but the other does not eat much at all. It's beak is not over growing or anything. And I did a 40% water change today. Someone please help before it dies.

Please answer ALL the Qs above in red.

1. PH- 8
Ammonia- 0
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- 0
Salinity- 1.008

2. 20 gallons, 2 GSP

3. Half a block of frozen blood worms everyday.

4. I did an 8 gallon water change today.

5. The tank has been set up for 3 1/2 weeks and was cycled for 1 1/2 weeks

What test kits are you using? If the tank is cycled, it would be showing nitrate, especially with 2 GSPs in there. How did you cycle the tank, exactly?

Your tank isn't cycled and it is too small for two GSPs.

You will need to do daily water changes and also find a bigger home for them.

Also, thaw the frozen bloodworms in a little bit of tank water, and then discard the water putting only the bloodworms into the tank.

HTH

I am using tetra test water strips. Just retested:
Nitrate: 20
Nitrite: .5
Alkalinity: 80
pH: 7.6

And I cycled my tank by running it for 2 weeks without anything in it and every other day adding a cap full of tank stabilizer. That's what the employee at petsmart told me to do.

It won't let me reply?

Your first few posts need to be approved by forum staff to stop spam. What the store told you was rubbish, you do not cycle a tank like that. Test strips are terribly inaccurate so who knows where your tank is at. I would recommend a bottle of tetra safestart to get your tank going, don't buy any other instant cycle product because most just don't work

Well what do I get then instead of test strips? And for some reason my puffer is starting to get really bright? I did my weekly water change and changed the salinity up .002 and it got bright as soon as more salt was in?

It could be that, but it was most likely the water change. Do %50 water changes every day until your tank is cycled. You'll know your tank is cycled once there is no longer any ammonia or nitrites.

Don't worry about the salt until your tank has properly completed its cycle, it'll just be a big hassle.