The Puffer Forum

Hello Again All

The 10G tank my Dwarf Puffer is in has turned into a nightmare. It started with my large tank having a high nitrate reading (GSP puffed for a couple of seconds which made me check). So to help the bioload I bought some plants but I put them in the 15G with my Dwarf puffer first.

24 Hours after 3 ghost shrimp had gone white and two died. I put this down to the plants so they were taken out and quarantined for a week. They are now in the brackish tank with my Figure of 8s who seem ok. I also did a water change of 10litres (20%)which seemed to save the third shrimp.So this must be two weeks ago now.

Monty (My Dwarf Puffer) Then began to get a little lethargic, he would lie down but not for vast amounts of time. Then on Tuesday this week I found a Otocinclus that was living in the 15g lieing upside down but still breathing. He then passed away the following Day. This led me to read the water, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 40-80 nitrate. I couldnt understand this as the water was 40% new within a week. So I tested the tap water and got the same reading 40-80 nitrate.

So over the next two days I have continued 20% water changes but using spring water which has lowered the nitrate to 10-20. I have put carbon in the tank and been dosing with Seachem stability. I also added plants to absorb some of the nitrate, different ones to the first lot.

Monty since has got progressively worse, he doesnt move, just lies on the floor. He is still breathing but wont move and he looks swollen, all around not puffed. One Oto still lives with him and seems fine, one shrimp is also alive and an entire population of snails although the shells are going white on the older ones.

The tank is 3 months old, was cycled with existing media. Has 30% water changes each week and puffer fed small amounts daily.

Any help appreciated, I seem to be running out of options.

I'm really sorry but I'm struggling to follow your post, I'm reading that you have 3 tanks, 2 of which are in trouble?

Have you got a 10G, a 15G and a large tank?

Either way it seems like a water quality issue unless there are any physical signs of disease on the fish? Keep up the water changes.

Another thing, plants only help with water quality if they are growing well, if they are suffering then they will only contribute to water quality problems.

I have been filtering my tap water for a while with a home-made filter. One end has a coupling that fastens to the sink fawcet and the other has a 1' long piece of 2" pvc. Inside I put 100g each of: Ammonia Remover, Activated Carbon and Clearmax. My water isn't cloudy to begin with and I've noticed it's clearer and it gives me peace of mind.

Sorry to hear about your troubles there. One thing to consider perhaps is the size of the tanks? I personally am not a fan of tanks smaller than 20 Gal. and I don't think I'd ever go with anything less than 29 gals as you don't have as much control ove r the parameters.

Sorry for been unclear. Monty shared a 15G with two Otos and three shrimp and a population of feeder snails. The other tank 50G which houses the figure of 8s.

Monty passed away today and Im still at a loss as to what it was that killed him. He was discoloured when I got him out with white eyes which seemed to have sunken, he was definitely swollen. So now down to one shrimp and one Oto and the feeder snails for the figure of 8s.

Would you guys continue to feed the snails to the others or not risk it?

I will miss the little guy, he was a cracking character.