I bought two green spotted puffers a few days ago, and I admit that I knew absolutely nothing about them when I got them. Now I’ve been doing research to try to figure out what’s wrong, and I’ve learned the basics like that they need to be kept in brackish water and eat snails, brine shrimp, etc. But for right now, I’m just trying to revive them because they’re both near death and I really want to save them.
When I got them home, I put them into two separate freshwater tanks, one with other fish and one alone. Both tanks were a little bit dirty, because I didn’t realize at the time how particularly sensitive GSP’s are (but both of them have now been cleaned by changing 50% of the water). The first thing I noticed was that neither of them would eat. I tried feeding them frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp, but they showed no interest in food. After three days (today), I assumed that the reason they weren’t eating was because they needed to be in brackish water to be comfortable. One of them was still swimming around slowly, but the other was laying on the bottom of the tank without moving. All I had available for them as a new home was a 1-gallon tank, which I know is too small, but I decided to set it up temporarily for them with brackish water. I bought a hydrometer and added marine salt to try to raise the specific gravity by the recommended 0.002, but the hydrometer wouldn’t take readings that small. I did a little more research and found a website that recommended adding 1 tablespoon of salt for every gallon, so I got the filter running and then added the tablespoon. When I put the fish in, both of them turned belly-up and floated to the top of the tank. They were doing poorly before, but this was the worst I’d seen them. I quickly put them both back into the same tank--the tank in which one of them had at least been swimming before--but they don’t seem to be getting any better. One is still floating belly-up at the surface, and the other is sitting in a plant without moving.
Is there anything I can do for them? I feel so guilty for all that I’ve put them through. I really want them to make it. Please let me know if you have any ideas for how I can save them.
When I got them home, I put them into two separate freshwater tanks, one with other fish and one alone. Both tanks were a little bit dirty, because I didn’t realize at the time how particularly sensitive GSP’s are (but both of them have now been cleaned by changing 50% of the water). The first thing I noticed was that neither of them would eat. I tried feeding them frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp, but they showed no interest in food. After three days (today), I assumed that the reason they weren’t eating was because they needed to be in brackish water to be comfortable. One of them was still swimming around slowly, but the other was laying on the bottom of the tank without moving. All I had available for them as a new home was a 1-gallon tank, which I know is too small, but I decided to set it up temporarily for them with brackish water. I bought a hydrometer and added marine salt to try to raise the specific gravity by the recommended 0.002, but the hydrometer wouldn’t take readings that small. I did a little more research and found a website that recommended adding 1 tablespoon of salt for every gallon, so I got the filter running and then added the tablespoon. When I put the fish in, both of them turned belly-up and floated to the top of the tank. They were doing poorly before, but this was the worst I’d seen them. I quickly put them both back into the same tank--the tank in which one of them had at least been swimming before--but they don’t seem to be getting any better. One is still floating belly-up at the surface, and the other is sitting in a plant without moving.
Is there anything I can do for them? I feel so guilty for all that I’ve put them through. I really want them to make it. Please let me know if you have any ideas for how I can save them.
