I have a 29 gallon brackish water tank with one spotted puffer. I have had the fish for about 3 years and he (or she) has been in this tank for 2 1/2. I hadn't seen the guy for about a week, but didn't think much of it because there are lots of places to hide in the tank. I finally saw him today and was shocked at his condition. He is very thin and weak, barely moving off the bottom of the tank. And he is very dark. I immediately checked the water (which I admit I had not done in awhile) and found no ammonia, no nitrites or nitrates. But the pH was off the basic scale of my mid-range tester. I immediately did a 50% water change, but the pH didn't come down. I did another 25% water change and had to get a high-range tester because I still couldn't get a reading. The water tested at first 8.2, then 8.0. I have stopped the water changes because they stressed the fish out too much. He is the only thing alive in that tank, so I don't know what shot the pH up so much since I never had any testable ammonia level. Any question, comments, etc. are welcome. I would really hate to lose this fish.
weird pH problems
- Thread starter spotted leopard
- Start date
I think I found the problem....
After much testing, what is apparently changing the pH is my chlorine treatment--Chlor Out. I don't know if the bottle went bad or what, but when I switched to another brand the water is testing normal now. I don't think I found it in time to save my puffer (he is looking pretty bad), but I will keep my fingers crossed. Has anyone else had this problem with their chemicals?
After much testing, what is apparently changing the pH is my chlorine treatment--Chlor Out. I don't know if the bottle went bad or what, but when I switched to another brand the water is testing normal now. I don't think I found it in time to save my puffer (he is looking pretty bad), but I will keep my fingers crossed. Has anyone else had this problem with their chemicals?
Stopping water changes will not help the fish, rather the opposite. Zero nitrate withou water changes? How?
What do you mean the pH "shot up" and "didn't come down"? BW pH should be alakaline, 8.0-8.2 is fine for a GSP, higher is still okay.
What is the specific gravity of the water?
What do you mean the pH "shot up" and "didn't come down"? BW pH should be alakaline, 8.0-8.2 is fine for a GSP, higher is still okay.
What is the specific gravity of the water?
I had too much trouble in the beginning keeping the pH up--it kept fluctuating. So I left the pH buffers alone and the tank is near neutral, but the puffer did just fine in the neutral tank for several years. He is not used to high pH's. The pH in the tank went extremely high very quickly (8.5+) and that is the only parameter that has changed. I am trying to slowly bring it back down to a pH level he is used to. The Chlor Out is what is spiking the pH somehow. When I said "stopping the water changes" I meant that I did several large water changes back to back, trying to lower the pH, and that was stressing the fish out so much that I took a break from it for a while to let him rest. My puffer is very sick and the altered pH is the only thing that I can find that might be causing it.
What is the specific gravity of the tank?
Is this fish not in brackish water? That may be the problem. GSPs are not freshwater fish.
Is this fish not in brackish water? That may be the problem. GSPs are not freshwater fish.
Most GSPs, by the age of 3, are in saltwater with a substrate of crushed coral or aragonite, to keep the ph at a steady 8.
Read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm
Read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm