My Puffer fish is dying PLEASE HELP!!!?

Question

Ok, so I bought my little spotted puffer fish a month ago and he's so adorable! I love him! I did my research and feed him once a day 6 days a week, but suddenly yesterday, HE STOPPED EATING!!!OMG! he use to be a pig and now all he does is lye on the bottom and basically sulk. I cleaned the tank 3 days ago and moved his plants around, I have a filter, air pump, its a 5 gal tank and he's in it alone except when he's fed. I feed him store bought fish and he usually inhales them but right now there are currently 3 yes 3 LIVE fish in the tank with him and he doesn't care?!!?!?!?! WTF? His underbelly is greyish so I treated the water, theres the correct amt. of salt, I tried different foods, nothing, so I bought these dissolving disk things for disease and my question is WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY FISH!! I DON'T WANT HIM TO DIE! HELP!!!

ok I'm sorry I didn't add this before, but I do check my nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and ph levels, along with salt. I'll try changing the water again and remove the two of the feeders. I put them in to try to catch his attention and he still isn't responding. I can't afford a freaking monster tank like a 30 gallon. Keep in mind I bought him from Walmart no other store offers green spotted puffers. He was doing soo well then his underbelly became dark and I tried stress relief medication because I do know that discoloration is a cause of either stress or simple salt levels. I'm really like my fish and don't like seeing him starve himself. By the way instead of critizing me about his "crappy" diet.. if your such hot stuff why didn't you leave me any advise as to what I SHOULD be feeding him? Hmm? Please don't give me smart remarks, all I am asking is how to save this fish I like ok?
So if any advice thank you froggy and I do appriciate it.

Answer 1

From you very general description you probably have a green spotted puffer. IF that is the case:

1. Your tank is too small (30gal minimum required for this type of fish) (you also didn't provide your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels, if the first two are present or if the latter is over 40ppm, you have a water quality issue)

2. They thrive in brackish water (1.010-1.018 specific gravity, your 5gal tank would need to contain 2 to 3 CUPS of marine salt to achieve this level of salinity); the health of green spotted puffers typically decline when kept in fresh or mostly fresh water.

3. Providing feeder fish as its primary diet is a big no-no (they're often diseased, so it's entirely possible it contracted a disease from one of the feeders in the tank). These puffers thrive on live ramhorn snails, and other mollusks and crustaceans (clams, mussels, prawn, shrimp, krill, crayfish, etc).

With all of these three factors occuring simultaneously (small tank, inadequate salinity, unhealthy diet), it's no wonder your puffer is ill.

To resolve problem, get a larger tank, slowly increase salinity to at least 1.010 specific gravity (over a period of a week or so), and provide the appropriate diet. The disease it may have contracted from the feeders may be hard to resolve though.

Answer 2

I do not know if you are talking about the Green Spotted Puffer (Brackish), or a Marine Saltwater spotted puffer. You mentioned the salt was correct, but could be Brackish or Saltwater???

Either brackish or saltwater, the biggest flag I saw in your question was your tank was only 5 gallons. You can easily contaminate this small of a tank with basic things on your hands (IE. Cleaning chemicals, perfume, Soaps... ETC.). Believe it or not, but I have found the larger the tank, the easier it is to maintain.

1st thing I would do is check ALL your chemicals. Ammonia, Nitrates, Nitrites & PH being the most important. Most of the time you can bring a water sample into your LFS to check the chemicals if you do not have the test kits. And of course the water temp should be correct also.

Chlorine from Tap water can also raise havic on fish. If you are using water directly from the tap without treating/filtering, this may also be the problem. And of course, water changes should not be to drastic to shock the inhabitants. Only do 10%-20% of the water at a time. But you mentioned you have had the puffer for a month, so I am guessing you have taken care of this already.

I also do not know what "dissolving disk things " you are using, but I bet this may also be intended for a larger tank. I hope you checked the package for aquarium size for this medication.

One other possibility is I have had a few fish die due to eating a fish to large for it... They ended up choking on it. I hope this is not your case.

Good Luck ... Hope this helps

Answer 3

Tank is too small, very crappy diet, currently overstocked with the 3 feeder fish in there, probably poor water quality too.

Need more info if you want more specific answers. What are your water parameters, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph? What kind of salt are you using, aquarium salt or synthetic sea salt? How often do you clean the tank and how do you clean the tank?

Answer 4

I had a green observed puffer who died whilst i replace into out of city. my brother defined this comparable factor. as quickly as I examined the water i got here upon the pH replace into out of wack, and that my brother replace into over feeding whilst i replace into lengthy previous (frozen Krill) that could have led to the water to alter into unballanced and in essence poison the fish. try the water - and no... I doubt being pregnant is a controversy. you will have a miracle fish while you're rather fortunate adequate to the two have offered a fish that replace into bred on the puppy keep, or have been given pregnant whilst on your care. puffers are somewhat puzzling to reproduce. maximum professional breeders will inform you there's a 5% fulfillment cost. so which you likely have a sickly fish.

Answer 5

First off, what are your water quality readings? 5 gallons for your puffer is fine, but what were you feeding him? 3 more fish can quickly knock your bioload into a downward spiral. Puffers are piggies when it comes to eating, so I would say something isn't right.

It is possiable your ammonia levels are spiking due to the added fish. Your first problem is, if you don't know what is wrong, tossing in meds isn't going to help your fish, just stress him out more. NEVER treat your tanks unless you are treating for SOMETHING. What did you treat him for? Puffers are not like other fish. They have no scales. They are quickly affected by chemicals as well as ammonia spikes.

You said his belly was turning grayish, what did you assume he had and what exactly did you treat him for?

Salt in a fresh water puffer tank is a NO NO. again they don't have scales, only skin.

Do a water change and test your water DO NOT ADD SALT TO YOUR TANK. Chances are your ammonia is higher than it should be. Test the water daily to be sure the levels are where they should be. If you can, remove two of the feeders.

How is his eye color? Are they still clear and bright? Feel free to email me and I will try to help you from there.