The Puffer Forum

Hi, all this afternoon, I noticed my GSP, Pineapple Bun, hovering near the top of his tank and less active. I've tried troubleshooting and he's now just resting on the substrate, with a dark stomach and increased work of breathing. I offered him his absolute favorite food (ramshorn snails, which he will normally take from my hand) and he ignored them completely.

1) Parameters: API saltwater test kit today & refractometer
pH: 8.2, Ammonia: 0, Nitrite: 0, Nitrates: 20 ppm, Salinity: 1.020, Temp: 75.5F

2) Tank Size: IM Nuvo 50gal Lagoon, +Tunze skimmer and chaeto reactor (although honestly the chaeto has not done very well), GSP is only inhabitant

3) Diet: Frozen/Defrosted clam, shrimp, mussels, krill (1 large piece every other day or small piece daily), and occasional live ramshorn snails from my freshwater tanks, Water change: 10-20% weekly, Products: Instant ocean marine salt (to mix water change water), microbacter7 - 2 drops/day and extra 2 drops w/ each water change

4) Changes in last week - none that I know of. I noticed the flow on the return pump seemed weak, so I added the small pump I use to mix up the saltwater near the surface to increase surface agitation/aeration. I also switched off the chaeto light and turned down the tank light thinking maybe the algae in the tank (there's a fair amount of green algae on the rocks) might be using up too much oxygen. I also did a 20% water change and am mixing up more saltwater now.

5) Aquarium has been set up for 2 years, seeded with filter media from another tank.

Thank you for any help you can offer!

Is this being run as a marine system (live rock/sand/protein skimmer) or high-end BW?
Krill is not a good staple food at all & can eventually cause lockjaw in puffers.
Nitrate is a bit high--should be <20.
Temp needs to be 78-80.
A cycled/established tank does not need added nitrifying bacteria.
I'm not sure why you'd turn off the chaeto light since it is the chaeto that should take up the extra non-dissolved metabolites that will feed the algae on your rocks.
library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/

Yes, being run as marine - live rock, sand and tunze skimmer. The krill is included in rotation, but I can cut that out.

Will do a couple more water changes to bring the nitrates down further and raise the temp.

I was dosing the microbacter 7 to help reduce some cyano I was seeing on the glass (per some suggestions from another forum), but I don’t know that it made much difference.

The chaeto light I just briefly turned on, worried that the oxygen level in the water had somehow dropped, but it’s back on now.

I also changed the sock of charcoal I have in the refugium. He seemed to perk up a bit after that, but maybe it was just luck. He did eat 5 small/medium snails the following day, and then about half of a frozen Manila clam the next day.

He’s more active, though not 100% back to normal. Stomach is intermittently white and sometimes with some gray/brown.

Any other suggestions besides raising the temp and bringing down the nitrates? I’m also raising the salinity slowly to get closer to full marine. Thank you!

Sorry, chaeto light I just briefly turned *OFF. It’s now back on.

Sounds like he's already getting better!