The Puffer Forum

Within the last 12 hours or so, our 2 new Figure 8 Puffer fish (bought two weeks ago or so living in a 10 Gallon tank) all of a sudden have white fungus-like stuff growing from their sides and even covered over the eye of one of them. It's still rather contained to a few areas so I want to act fast!

A few things: the puffers were sold to us as freshwater fish but I am now learning they are brackish. I am new to fish so I was just about to start to transition them to brackish now that I have learned more on the topic.

What should I do to help my poor puffers in the meantime!?! I ran to the local pet store and got "Fungus Clear" and added a tablet to the tank. The guy there also suggested I add some of the salt to the water now to help rid the infection.

Please - anyone with any guidance, please reply. I want to save my fish.

Thanks VERY much in advance.

Welcome.

Did you cycle the tank? If so, how? What are the current water parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates)?

I would recommend not using the Fungus Clear. Do a big water change of at least 50%. Get Melafix and Pimafix. I haven't run into a fungal infection yet that wasn't cleared up by using those two together.

Thanks so much for your response. Please excuse my ignorance here.

The fish store told us (you can see where this is going...) that we could purchase everything we needed and set it up when we go home.

So they have us a starter kit with "everything we need". So basically we set everything up and added 1 lid-full of each of the 3 bottles of liqued they gave us ("Cycle", "Waste Control", "Aqua Plus") to the water. That was basically all we did :/ The two other green spotted puffers and all the plants seem fine - just the F8's are suffering from this. I am now learning that there is so much more to be done to set up a tank. I have learned a lot from this experience to say the least.

We checked the levels last night and everything seemed normal. I will check it again tonight (when I get home) and post the results.

Thanks very much once again. I will update this thread asap.

For now, would you suggest adding salt to the tank as the fish store said? Unfortunately I already added the Fungus Clear :/

You're probably not going to like what I'm going to say but your best bet is to return all of the fish to the store. However, if you choose not to do that, or they won't let you, lets deal with the situation at hand first.

Go to the store as soon as possible and buy three things: Melafix, Pimafix, Prime. Do not let them talk you into buying or doing anything else. Ask if they sell Biospira. The liquids they sold you are crap, don't use them anymore. I know you already added the Fungus Clear. That's why I recommended a large water change, to remove as much of it as possible. Don't add the salt.

When you get home with those products, remove as much water as possible and replace it. Use the Prime to treat the water before putting it into the tank. If you can get the Biospira, add it immediately. Then add the Melafix and Pimafix.

Now for the lecture. None of the fish you have is suitable for a 10g tank. Figure 8s require at least 15g for one, 25g for two. GSPs require an absolute minimum of 30g each. Even when they are small, they need a much bigger tank than a 10g to avoid stunting from bad water parameters. They are big poop machines so they need a tank big enough to handle the bioload.

In addition, Figure 8s are low end brackish fish using marine salt, not aquarium salt. GSPs are high end brackish to full marine, again using marine salt. So they aren't compatible in that they have different water requirements. GSPs also get much grouchier as they get older and there's a good chance you're going to have issues with aggression and territoriality, even in a bigger tank.

Since its probably too late to get to the store tonight (not sure where you live, adding a location to your profile helps), I would highly recommend spending some time reading some stuff in our Library. Start off reading information on the nitrification cycle and how to do a fishless cycle. Then read the care sheets on Figure 8s and GSPs. Then read everything else.

moved to hospital forum

I can not thank you enough for your guidance. I am affraid going to the store tomorrow is my only option now (everything is closed).

I appreciate your lecture too. I should have known that this was not going to be "that" easy. I should have especially known not to listen to sales people who say it will be.

I will update this thread again asap.

Thanks again

Unfortunately you aren't the first victim of ignorant and/or uncaring sales clerks, and you certainly won't be the last. The very best advice I can give you is to go to the store and look at fish and find which ones you like, but keep your wallet in your pocket. Then go home and do some research on their care and requirements. Then you can make an informed decision about what you want and what you can handle.

Thanks Phae!

Bad news with the tank tests. Unfortunately something seems to have wreaked havok in the last day or so. Our test show the following:

PH = 7.6
Ammonia NH3/NH4 = 1.6
GH = 180
KH = 60
NO2 = 1.6

Just so I hear it from a pro, what are the recommended readings?

Something bad is going on. Any suggestions on a temporary fix on how to dampen the blow for the night until we do as you suggest tomorrow?

Thanks very much.

That something is the fish producing waste in an uncycled tank. Your results are to be expected unfortunately, and its highly toxic to the fish. Do a big water change ASAP to help dilute the toxins.

Recommended readings are zero ammonia and nitrites. pH/hardness/alkalinity is less important as long as it is stable. But ammonia and nitrites are the biggies that will kill them quickly.

Thanks for the quick reply! We will be doing a 50% change right now. Knowing we only have those 3 bottles in the house, what do you suggest we use (if anything) to treat the water?

The Aqua Plus to declorinate the replacement water. None of the others though.

Thank you sooooo much! Seriously. Thank you.

Not a problem at all, that's what we're here for.

We just changed 50% of the water and tested again.

Nitrites were still 1.6 but Amonia dropped down to .9. Should this be expected?

For the most part, yeah, that's about what you should expect. By doing water changes you are simply replacing water with toxins in it with fresher water, so partial declines are what you should see.
If the store sold you a dechlorinator for the water you actually should be using that with water changes (tap water contains chlorine, which is also toxic to fish).

I completely agree that the puffers should go back to the store. The environment they're in right now is wrong in many ways.

I realize that you probably feel in way over your head right now, but I'd encourage you to still try and set up a tank for a puffer or two if you're still interested, they make amazing little friends, and they're really not that hard once you get the hang of the whole fishkeeping thing.
Best of all, you've found the best resource you ever could imagine. All the info you'll ever need regarding their care is available right here, and we're glad to help!

Best of luck.