The Puffer Forum

I have a Green Spotted Puffer and yesterday when I woke up he was at the bottom of the tank and he had little black and gray spots all around his belly. Since then ha really hasn't let the bottom a lot. But he is eating like normal, I change 25% of the water weekly and the temp is at 80 degrees.

Hi. Ich looks like the fish has been sprinkled with salt, tiny round white grains of salt. If he has none, he does not have ich. To help determine what is possibly wrong, however, we need more information. Tank size, how long has it been set up, how long have you had him, how was it cycled, tankmates, current water parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, SG), when was the last water change, etc.

Moved to the hospital forum.

I am not at my house right now to look at his spots but I don't think they look like salt, but I just changed the water a few days ago, I have had him for a month and I cycled the tank with bacteria before he was introduced in to it, um its a 15 gallon tank and he is all by himself in it oh with some living plants.

Ok, still need to answer all of the other questions about the water parameters as soon as you can. We need precise numbers. What kind of bacteria did you cycle the tank with?

I had help from my husband setting up the tank so I will have to talk to him to get the numbers but the bacteria was from a pouch the people at animart gave us, but I forgot to say at first when we set up the tank the pat store we got the puffer from gave us the salt to put in the water, but then talked to a person at animart who told use we were useing the wrong salt and we have just started a couple days ago to switch the salts. We are switching the salt a little at a time utill the water in the take is at the right amount(I mean regestering at the right amount on the salt meter thing, I can't remenber what it is called)

Hydrometer or refractometers are used to measure the salinity. You most likely have a hydrometer. Hopefully the guy at animart told you that you need marine salt, not aquarium salt. However, the amount of salt you need varies according to their size. Please read the excellent GSP article in our library written by Pufferpunk if you haven't already, it has a ton of information on the proper care of GSPs, including the amount of salinity for each stage of the puffer's life.

The bacteria, if it came in a silver pouch, was most likely Biospira, which is good. Its the only product with the correct live bacteria in it.

Generally speaking, most pet/fish stores don't know much about keeping puffers, or any fish really, so its best to confirm their recommendations here before buying any products or doing anything, as the potential for harm is greater with puffers than with most other types of fish generally available.

But do let us know what the water parameters are as soon as you can. Hopefully you were instructed to get liquid test kits. If not, I highly recommend them. If you don't have anything to test with, take a water sample to the store and they should test it for free, but tell them you need exact numbers, not "fine" or "good."

thank you so much I am on a buisness trip but will be home tomarrow to check on him and I think I will stop by the book store before I get home, Thank you thank you thank you for being here I will get numbers and keep you poasted.

There is nothing you'll find in a book (other than The Puffers of Fresh & Brackish Waters, by Dr Klaus Ebert) that you can't find here. Even more so.

I have been doing water changes every week but he still gets the spots

We still can't help you without the answers to the above questions.