The Puffer Forum

Hello everyone, I have a 30 gallon puffer tank with three tiny "leopard" puffers. Originally I purchased two since it was buy one get one. Two days later one passed away. He didn't seem to adapt correctly from The time I brought him home. He wouldnt eat and just layed at the bottom lathargic. The remaining puffer seemed very sad and kept swimming in circles around his friend when I found him. I went back to buy another and now have three. After doing some research and talking to the LPS I've come to think they are green spotted puffers. I have had them now for about a month and my levels have been out of control. Originally I was doing daily water changes and adding prime but the guy at the lsp told me to leave it be for a few days. After checking it again and continuing my water changes they are still crazy. As of now my levels are reading 7.6 ph .05 ammonia 5.nitrite and 160 nitrate. I just did a 10 gallon water change. Everyone is eating and swimming around but seem stressed. One is even completely black. I don't know what else to possible do. Help!

I assume your LFS guy didn't ask if those 3 puffers were going into a cycled tank?

You've got lots of reading to do!
library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/

library/water-filtration/fishless-cycling/
library/water-filtration/emergencycycle/

library/water-filtration/aquariummicrobespart1/
library/water-filtration/aquariummicrobespart2/

The tank was cycled for about a month prior to adding the fish. Everything was good until the second week I had the fish in then it went haywire.

Time to do a 90% water change and add this to your filter. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=32416 Also continue to use Prime.

AshleyR wrote:The tank was cycled for about a month prior to adding the fish. Everything was good until the second week I had the fish in then it went haywire.

cycled how?
at this point, levels are toxic.
do major (50%) frequent water changes with Prime de-chlorinator.
what kind of test kit are you using?

I added that to the tank. Hopefully all goes well. I cycled it with filter pads from another aquarium in my house Fishless cycle.

I am using an api freshwater tube test kit. I even brought a sample up to pet warehouse last night to have them check it and his reading were the same as mine.

If you add media from another tank it needs to be fed to keep the bacteria present. Add safestart to your filter, do regular waterchanges with prime, big waterchanges. Finally you will need a much larger tank if you are going to keep all three.