Lethargic, refusing food, yellow lump
Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2024 3:01 pm
Hey everyone. I’m newer to owning pea puffers and feel I’ve been completely misguided by our local fish store and the worker that owns pea puffers.
Tank is 10gal - 2 puffers, 1 betta, 1 Chinese algae eater, 1 Cory catfish, 5 snails (lay eggs that don’t hatch I’m not sure the name)
Nitrate - 40
Nitrite - 0
pH - 6.5
KH - 40
GH - 120-180
Ammonia - 25 (1.5 weeks ago per fish store. Getting retest today, I haven’t been able to find the parts to our home kit will be repurchasing)
Puffers diet - Mainly frozen brine shrimp, frozen bloodworms/brine shrimp/spirulina mix (they don’t like this and will only eat frozen brine shrimp)
Around Christmas I noticed we had a weird plastic looking algae growing (Cyanobacteria), we fell off our normal cleaning routine for multiple reasons. I also noticed there were gas bubbles stuck in the sand substrate. I ended up taking all the fish out and keeping all the water except for about 15%. I then cleaned the tank and changed the substrate to rocks, removed effected plants and hides. I changed the filter, added Java moss, and the little pine ones (I can’t remember the name right now). I did the old water with 15% new ½ RO ½ Tap with Seachem Prime and did regular water changes over 2 days. We added fishkeeper - recommended by the fish store.
Everyone was doing great except the betta with the water changes. Now our oldest puffer is lethargic, I keep thinking he’s dead because he doesn’t move and I have to push him to see if he’ll swim, he has this weird yellow belly, his color had gotten significantly darker. All these thighs started yesterday. 1.5 weeks ago he had what looked like a prolapse rectum and tissue? Hanging out, he recovered. The whole time he was swimming and very active like he normally is.
We’ve been adding the fishkeeper for stress, Nitromax for good bacteria. This process of the water changes and rebalancing the tank is going on 3 weeks. I don’t know why he would be reacting now and if it’s possible to save him - assuming he’s male from the strip down his stomach.
Here are photos, the first 2 are from the 19th and the other 2 are from today. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/jbqqi8ra ... jgc5v&dl=0
Tank is 10gal - 2 puffers, 1 betta, 1 Chinese algae eater, 1 Cory catfish, 5 snails (lay eggs that don’t hatch I’m not sure the name)
Nitrate - 40
Nitrite - 0
pH - 6.5
KH - 40
GH - 120-180
Ammonia - 25 (1.5 weeks ago per fish store. Getting retest today, I haven’t been able to find the parts to our home kit will be repurchasing)
Puffers diet - Mainly frozen brine shrimp, frozen bloodworms/brine shrimp/spirulina mix (they don’t like this and will only eat frozen brine shrimp)
Around Christmas I noticed we had a weird plastic looking algae growing (Cyanobacteria), we fell off our normal cleaning routine for multiple reasons. I also noticed there were gas bubbles stuck in the sand substrate. I ended up taking all the fish out and keeping all the water except for about 15%. I then cleaned the tank and changed the substrate to rocks, removed effected plants and hides. I changed the filter, added Java moss, and the little pine ones (I can’t remember the name right now). I did the old water with 15% new ½ RO ½ Tap with Seachem Prime and did regular water changes over 2 days. We added fishkeeper - recommended by the fish store.
Everyone was doing great except the betta with the water changes. Now our oldest puffer is lethargic, I keep thinking he’s dead because he doesn’t move and I have to push him to see if he’ll swim, he has this weird yellow belly, his color had gotten significantly darker. All these thighs started yesterday. 1.5 weeks ago he had what looked like a prolapse rectum and tissue? Hanging out, he recovered. The whole time he was swimming and very active like he normally is.
We’ve been adding the fishkeeper for stress, Nitromax for good bacteria. This process of the water changes and rebalancing the tank is going on 3 weeks. I don’t know why he would be reacting now and if it’s possible to save him - assuming he’s male from the strip down his stomach.
Here are photos, the first 2 are from the 19th and the other 2 are from today. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/jbqqi8ra ... jgc5v&dl=0