Oh no! Puffer's sick!

I need help asap!


Basically, this fish is a replacement for other things to my grandma. (She has strokes and just sits in her room all day waving at this fish.)


She's a porcupine puffer fish, and her nitrates are high! I didn't realize this until today and need a quick fix!!

I am pretty sure this fish is dying and really need to save her.. Please, any help would be more than adored!!
​

 

What are the symptoms the puffer is experiencing?

For the nitrates, what is the reading?

Can you give some more info about your system filtration, live rock, etc.?

If they are very high then start with a 25% water change and then do a 10% water change every day for a week.

 

i say WATER CHANGE!!

 

Maybe use some prime to bring the ammonia down. Honestly there is no quick fix. Quick to mess it up long time to fix it.!!. Good luck post back with as much info as possible. And do water changes

 

She lives in a 75g tank, with around 50lbs of live rock currently.

It's her temporary home while we get her a larger one set up.

But! Her nitrates were 20. Her ammonia was .25. and her pH was 8.2...

I got some remedies to lower the nitrates for now.. I'll have to do the water change later tonight..

(Last minute Christmas shopping for the baby..)

Once I get back I'll start nonstop water changes.
Thank you guys so much..

 

20 nitrates on a pufferfish is nothing to worry about, it's the ammonia you need to get rid of it and fast to!

 

Agreed 100%! Get something to throw into the tank to lower the ammonia ASAP. There are a number of products you can get to throw in that will lower it immediately. However, it will continue to go up because it sounds like the temporary tank is going through a cycle.

 

no real need to worry about nitrates, nitrates dont start having a negative effect on fish until it hits around 500 ppm although the higher it is the more likely that the fish will be uncomfortable mine actually rests between 10 and 20ppm because my softies seem to like it around there...the real worry with nitrates is actually more or less for corals/anemones because it will effect the way they color up or may stress them...im too lazy to relook it up but ive read a few articles on it if you want to search it

now the real problem is the ammonia, that needs to go asap...why do you think the fish is dying, what symptoms is it showing?

 

Agree, nitrate is nothing to worry about, but the ammonia is. The question is how did it get that high, typically ammonia is handled readily by bacteria in an established tank. How old is the tank? Have you removed any filtration, such as bioballs, rocks? Replaced any sand? Moved any rocks or sand? Has anything died?

Also, what are the reasons you think the puffer is dying? What symptoms?

 

I hate when people disappear like this. It's like missing the last 15 minutes of a good movie and never knowing how it ended.