My dogface pufferfish was really all happy and playful this morning and then after he ate his strip of clam he started breathing super heavy and puffed up and is STILL puffed up....the water is 78 and I am trying to cool it. I have been changing 5 gallons every day since Saturday and now it is Monday because the water got really bad but I have really really amazing filtration in it and it is 30 gallons and I am frantic!!!!!!!!!! What should I do???
MY PUFFER IS PUFFED UP FOR NO REASON!!
- Thread starter Mysticshadows3
- Start date
Well...he isn't puffed up anymore but he is still breathing heavy...nitrate is really high like 80 and I have been trying to get it down with slow water changes.....he can't die!!
Mysticshadows3;4247429; said:
I may not have firsthand experience with a lot of fish, but I do research so I'll try my best to help you out.
1)78 isn't bad, stop trying to cool it. It will only cause fluctuations in the temperature that will stress the fish out more than warm temperature will.
2)Why have you been changing so much water? Do you mean Saturday Sunday and Today or all of last week?
3)What do you mean by the water got bad? What are your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate readings? What about your ph and hardness?
4)What is your "really really amazing filtration" and what do you mean by 30 gallons? Is the tank 30 gallons??
5)How many lbs of live sand/rock, what other decor, tankmates, etc. in the tank.
Good luck
-David
If my water got to 30 I would do a 50 percent water change. Changing 5 gallons a day probably did nothing. A puffer in a 30 gallon is a big problem, he needs at least a 55, and bigger if he's 5 inches.
I think you need to test your water weekly and get on top of water changes.
I think you need to test your water weekly and get on top of water changes.
Most likely stressed from being in such a small tank, I wouldn't recommend a dfp in anything less then at least a 90 gallon. Smaller ones can get away with a slightly smaller tank, but not much. Also puffers are more sensitive to high nitrates. Could be very stressed due to small tank and poor water quality. Hope he pulls through
Sorry. Got caught up in life. Didn't change the water. I got back from a long vacation and finally had the time to do a water change and I didn't want to shock the fish. Just never mind.
to destroy nitrates if u have a sump u could also add mangrove seedlings to ur sump they soak up a lot of nitrates or use something like denitrate if u dont do waterchanges oftenMysticshadows3;4247902; said: