My DP is floating!!

[Saucy]

Well, I found my second dead betta in a day when I got home today. I'm going to go have the water tested for the third time, where I'm sure they'll tell me it's fine again...

What I'm worried about is that yesterday my dwarf puffer seemed to be having trouble swimming horizontally. His tail was always pointed up. Now I come home and find him floating at the top (at first I thought he was dead), but again he seems to be having trouble swimming at all. I have him in a 4 gallon tank, there is some salt in it (as I was directed by the people I bought him from). I was just about to go get him some snails...

Someone please help. I can't have him die, too!!

 

[pnyklr3]

From what I understand, Dwarf Puffers are strictly freshwater, and adding salt would do more harm than good. I would suggest a water change and no more salt.

How is your puffer's color? Does he eat? How long has the tank been set up?

 

[Bettabelieveit]

Well, I put him in a little betta cup and changed out his water to fresh with JUST a little bit of his old water left in. She's seeming to have some rather peculiar water issues, she's lost 3 betta in the past 2 weeks, and we've had the water tested, comes up fine, but we think there may be some other metals or something they can't test for. Culligan will be coming out on monday to test, whether they like it or not!!

His color looks fine, maybe a little pale, we just got him yesterday (friday) he hasn't really eaten yet, we just got him some snails today, we'll try some freeze dried blood worms until the snails produce lil snails for him to dine on. And he's in a 4-5 gallon tank, lots o' plants, thinking about getting him some sand.

 

[pnyklr3]

Are the tanks cycled properly?

 

[Bettabelieveit]

It's too small to cycle. That and I don't have a filter in the tank.

 

[mandi]

Sorry to hear about your water problems. I hope you get things figured out!

I'm afraid part of the problem with your puffer might be due to it not being in a cycled/filtered tank -- dwarf pufers are extremely sensitive to water conditions and need a fully cycled, mature tank. They can't handle 100% water changes like bettas can, and won't survive the cycling process. Perhaps you could get a small filter for it and seed it with gravel or filter media from an existing tank?

Good luck!!

[Edit --] Also is the tank heated? (I'm thinking if you said it's too small for a filter maybe it isn't heated either.) Depending on the temperature the water is at, you may want to pick up a small heater too to keep the tank around 76-80 degrees.

 

[Puffer_freak]

The tank si not too small to cycle.

 

[Saucy]

Honestly, with the tank I have, that really isn't an option with getting a filter. I use glass marbles in my other tanks, so that won't help either. Right now I'm just trying to deal with him and the stupid lady's instructions to put him in salt water. He's still floating, but not as badly...

Ok, so I just remember that I do have SOME gravel from a previous tank... I honestly don't know much about cycling because I've never done it, so I'm going to have to read up. I wasn't really planning to do 100% water changes, just like 25%s every 4-5 days or so.

Oh, how long will it take my snails to reproduce? I have enough food for him until then, I'm just curious. It's going to take him being in a cup till Monday when I can call the Culligan people... I'm so worried.

 

[Bettabelieveit]

And a little update, he's at my house in a betta cup, in fresh water, with some stresscoat, he was lethargic and "bouncy" due to the salt last night, but he's seeminly over the shock and everything, because he's zipping all around his cup this morning.

Saucy -- come get some'a my water and start cycling his tank

 

[Erised]

Dwarf puffers are indeed very sensitive and need perfect water. Preferable mature water too. Would it be possible to get sand from a mature tank (perhaps from someone else if you don't have it?) and do water changes with water from a mature tank? It will reduce the amount of stress on him/her a lot. Also, I might be wrong here, but it sounds like you're planning on just feeding him snails? I do not recommend this at all, please keep feeding bloodworms (live or frozen) as well, and add snails as a 'treat' every 2 days or so.

After feeding (about half an hour after), remove the uneaten bloodworms to keep the water in better quality. Water changes I think should be done every 3 days tops. I'd do 15% water changes every 2 days in such a small tank myself.

--Edit--

With stresscoat and medication and stuff, please be very careful ... puffers should Never get a full dose of meds, just half dose or less.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

and all puffers need a filtered tank. they come from relatively fast waters compared to bettas, so they have much higher oxygen requirements and really enjoy some agitation/current in their water. if nothing else, at least put a sponge filter or a bubbler in there.

 

[Bettabelieveit]

Thanks for all the help, we're workin on it