The Puffer Forum

I have had my Spotted Puffer for about six months. In the past two days I've noticed that something is not right. He appears to be breathing really heavy and he never seems to close his mouth. He also hasn't eaten in the last few days. I've done a water change and tested my water, everything appears to be fine. He is in a 30 gallon brackish water tank. When I had the water tested the Ammonia was 0, the Nitrite was 0, the Nitrate was 0 and the pH was 8.0. The pet store all tested the salt level in my tank and they said it was fine (I don't remember exactly what they said it was) I don't know what is wrong with him. Any suggestions on what I can do would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Do you have specific water aprameters, what size tank is he in, any tankmates. have a read of the sticky at the top of the hospital forum and give as much info as possible.

Is this a spotted salt water puffer....brackish....freshwater???

He is in a 30 gallon brackish water tank.

If you answer Hilly's questions, we can help better.

How long has the tank been set up? 9 months
How long have you had the fish? 6 months
How big is the tank? 30 gallons
How big is the fish? 5 inches
Any tankmates? 3 angel fish (currently I have divided the tank in half and the puffer is by himself)
Are you doing weekly water changes? yes
How much? 1/3 of the water in the tank
What are the water parameters:
Ammonia? 0
NitrItes? 0
NitrAtes? 0
pH? 8.0
How long have you been keeping fish? 1 year

For BW fish:
What is the SG? I had this tested by a local pet store and they said it was fine. Unfortunately I don't remember the exact # they told me

When did you have the water tested? "Fine" is meaningless to us, as are water parameters from a week ago, or even yesterday. We need to know what the current water parameters are now, including the SG. If you don't have test kits yourself, you really should invest in them, especially after a year of fishkeeping. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals' Master Test Kit has all of the basics. You also need a hydrometer or refractometer to measure the salinity. Guessing, especially with a fish as sensitive to water parameters as a puffer, isn't a good idea.

That said, until you get a test kit or get the water tested, I highly recommend a large volume water change, at least 50% if possible. Water changes help a lot of things and won't hurt.

Regardless of the water parameters, you need a separate tank for the angels. GSPs need high end brackish as adults, and angels won't do well as you start to raise the salinity.

In addition, what kind of salt are you using?

A 5" GSP needs that whole tank to itself. The angels prefer the opposite water conditions than the puffer. They don't appreciate salt at all.