Are these levels ok?

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fish_are_friends

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 8, 2010
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SC, USA
I took the advice given to me in my last post and went to get a test kit. I checked the levels in my puffer tank and am unsure of what I should be looking at/for.


Here are the levels I found:

Nitrate- 10
Nitrite- 10
Hardness- 300
Alkalinity- 120
PH- 7.8
Ammonia- 1.5 (I am working on getting this one down as I know it is quite high :( )




Thank you all in advance for your help.
 
Also, I just fed them. Two of them race to get the food. I always feel bad that the third doesn't get as much food. Should I be feeding them more or just keep doing what I am doing?
 
Your levels are not that good, but not horrible at least! Your tank does appear to be uncycled/unable to handle the bioload...but since the GSPs are juveniles I would lean more toward not cycled...

Keep up on those water changes. Any ammonia of ammonia can kill a fish quickly.

What do you feed them and how often?
 
slow down on feeding. that the main problem with the ammonia levels and nitrite. the tank isnt cycled yet. also are they green spotted puffers? is your tank freshwater or brackish? most puffers need brackish conditions when small and then full marine conditions when adult. when they sell them at wal mart and even some pet stores lie about their proper conditions. also when they grow larger they will get violent with each other and will kill one another. they are usually housed alone as most puffers are supposed to be.

i would suggest do a 50 percent water change. if you city tap water use water conditioner like prime made by seachem. prime will also help with the stress of the fish as it makes the ammonia and nitrite less toxic. keep an eye on those levels of ammonia and nitrite. they will wipe out your tank quicker than most people think. nitrite is alot worse for the fish than the ammonia. read the instructions on the test kit carefully to make sure you get good readings.
 
biohazardcustomz;4620044; said:
slow down on feeding. that the main problem with the ammonia levels and nitrite. the tank isnt cycled yet. also are they green spotted puffers? is your tank freshwater or brackish? most puffers need brackish conditions when small and then full marine conditions when adult. when they sell them at wal mart and even some pet stores lie about their proper conditions. also when they grow larger they will get violent with each other and will kill one another. they are usually housed alone as most puffers are supposed to be.

i would suggest do a 50 percent water change. if you city tap water use water conditioner like prime made by seachem. prime will also help with the stress of the fish as it makes the ammonia and nitrite less toxic. keep an eye on those levels of ammonia and nitrite. they will wipe out your tank quicker than most people think. nitrite is alot worse for the fish than the ammonia. read the instructions on the test kit carefully to make sure you get good readings.
Click to expand...

Yes, they are green spotted puffers. The OP is new to fish keeping and feel in love with 3 GSPs.

So, we have talked in into taking this one step at a time. His first mission was to get a test kit.

Next is a cycled tank so we don't really want him to add salt at this minute.

To the OP, before you change your feeding schedule we need to know what you are feeding and how often ;)
 
I am feeding them freeze dried baby shrimp and holding a muscle in the tank as a treat once a week. But not giving them the entire mussle cuz then they look like they will explode (or at least I was told by my friend that has GSP).

As for the amount I feed them, I just sprinkle a few on the top of the water (have to spread them out otherwise only one or two will get to eat :/ )
 
Brine shrimp are not nutritious enough for puffers..

But mussels with their shells on are awesome. The shells allow the puffer to scrape their teeth while to the meat

Just open the shell for them..
[YT]XzONcFdiGhI[/YT]
 
So I should give them the entire mussel? Even though they swim VERY slowly after trying to eat the entire thing in one sitting?
 
ANY amount of ammonia or nitrite is extremely toxic to a fish. You must keep doing as many large water changes as necessary to keep them at 0 all the time. Dechlorinate with Prime. When ammonia and/or nitrite levels in an aquarium become too high, such as during the period when biological filtration is being established, fish become sick and frequently die.

Ammonia toxicity and nitrite toxicity are two of the leading causes of fish death in aquarium systems. At higher levels, effects are immediate and numerous deaths can occur rapidly. However, lower levels, over a long period of time, can still result in increased incidence of disease and more chronic losses.

http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/nitritepoison.htm
 
Any amount of ammonia isn't toxic to any fish. I cycled my last pool with animals and it was over 2 parts for a few weeks. Let the animals tell you how they are doing. If they are eating, chances are they are fine. One of the first things an unhealthy animal will do is stop eating. Color look bright and crisp and are they active? Also a sign they are fine. The second thing I'd watch for is pale fish that hide alot.


Keep feeding light and let your bacteria colony catch up to the biological load from the puffers. It will settle in with some time.
 
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