*help* sluggish green spotted puffers

[sparkly]

We have 2 GSP in the same tank. We have had the puffers about a year and they are 2 inches long. The puffers are very sluggish (spend alot of time sulking in the corner - certainly more now than they used to be!!). I was wondering whether our tank has been set up wrong?

What is the ideal temperature?
How much salt?

We feed the puffers mainly brine shrimp and blood worm, with the occassional prawn.

Thanks !

 

[Pufferpunk]

What are your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates & SG. Are you using marine salt?

How large is the tank?

What is the water changing schedule?

Read: Green Spotted Puffers

 

[sparkly]

Is water change of about 10% a week right? and yes, marine salt

The tank is rather on the small side (from reading that article) it;s about 12-15g, although I think the fish are more like 1.5inch rather than 2 (having a good look this morning!). I haven't checked the water quality recently! now I feel really guilty!! we were sold the fish as FW and it wasn't till I got them home and read on the web they were brackish!

I want to get them a bigger tank soon but, for the moment, what is the best thing to do?

check the water quality, salinity and temp?

We have a water-filter which is used to directly filter water for the koi pond we have in the garden. Would it be better to clean the tank (but not the filters), refill the tank with the filtered water and correct amount of salt? maybe adding some bio-spira?

Thanks for the advice

 

[Pufferpunk]

Please read that artricle I linked you to, most of your Qs should be answered there--if not all.

You cannot change the water quality too quickly, it will stress the fish. Do a 25% water change now & another tomorrow. Continue this daily, until the ammonia & nitrItes are at 0 & nitrAtes are <20.

Are you measuting salt content (SG-specific gravity) with a hydrometer?

 

[sparkly]

I bought a hydrometer today, shall test the water and check the salt later tonight, cheers !

 

[sparkly]

the stats read as:
Ammonia = 0.1mg/litre
Nitrites = 0.1 mg/litre
Nitrates = 100mg/litre
pH = 8
SG = approx 0.006?

so the recommended action is a 25% water change tonight, followed with daily 25% changes (until readings are normal!), slowly increasing SG to approx 1.005 at approx 0.002/week?

 

[Pufferpunk]

And a bigger tank ASAP! I'd cut back on the feedings to every other day & make sure to clean up all leftovers.

 

[ingo_1978]

Blimey two puffers in a 15g, I feel guilty for keeping my one 2" puffer in a 20g. To keep my puffer happy I've got two fluval 2 filters, an air driven protein skimmer, two air pumps and have him at an s.g. of 1.008 and temp 26C. As well as doing a 25% water change a week with hooving any left food on the the bottom every two days?

It's worth it to see him happy and sat at the front watching your every move with baited breath to be fed... Which I find real hard not to do!!

Anyway I'm looking to move mine to a bigger 30g tank once I can afford the 48g for my two big fancies (will they ever stop growing!! ). They really do need alot of space to swim lengthways as they are quite speedy. Even if you just got a 20 Long tank would be alot better.

 

[sparkly]

Arghhhhhhh I have done the changes and upped the salt concentration by 0.002, this was a couple of days ago. My plan was to retest the water today and perhaps do another water change. BUT, one of the puffers looks very ill! (the other is fine though). It only started looking ill today, seemed to perk up and had been fine since the changes. I will post some photos but it doesn't look good I am pretty certain he isn't going to make it!!

 

[sparkly]