The Puffer Forum

Hi I hope someone can help. My chalk goby passed yesterday and my lawnmower blenny today. I loved those little guys, absolutely devastated. Both were behaving normally and looking well until they went and both were eating well. No visible marks, nothing to indicate pathogens. I've had the blenny a little under 2 months and the goby just under a month so would have thought any diseases would have passed incubation period by now. Also nothing like that going on at the LFS, a friend works there. I also have the two green spotted puffers that were the original tank inhabitants, they have been here over 2 months now. Although they look fine and are behaving in character I'm really worried as the others were until they went.

Ammonia and nitrite 0, nitrate present but very low, maybe 2 at most. I don't have a full reef kit as I only have mushroom that hitch hiked and a toadstool I added a week ago or so. I use natural seawater and the water was tested fully at the LFS over a week ago after the last water change, it's due one tomorrow. I'm guessing phosphates are high as I have algae and loads of pineapple sponges, a friend said that may have killed them but everything online say it wouldn't. I suppose the seawater could contain chlorine but it's the same stuff that's always been in there, only a small water change a fortnight ago and a fortnight before that. I've put in Prime just in case. I couldn't bear to lose my puffers, any advice or ideas most welcome, thank you!

You say you're using natural sea water, like from the ocean? Many pathogens in there.