HELP!! 2 of my puffers died in one week!! HELP PLEASE!!

Question

okay, i had one baby figure 8 puffer and 2 bigger green spotted puffers. a week after i got them, the baby died =(.. the pet store said i may have had too much salt, so i did a water change w. less salt. today i got home from work and one more died!! i have one left and he seems to be doing fine.. i tested the water and i have high alkalinity and high pH.... the tank is cycled and well planted and the puffers have had a variety of food including snails! =S

Answer 1

If your tank is cycled and your water parameters were fine - it may have been an aggression issue, esp. with the fig 8 puffer.  The high alkalinity/PH should have been fine.  My fig. 8's are in a ph of 8 and do well.  The green spotted needs more salt than the fig. 8's do.  What kind of water were the fish kept in at the store?  If they were kept in fw - which a lot of stores do, the salt will need to be added slowly.  Also, make sure that you are adding a marine salt, like instant ocean, not regular aquarium salt.  The aquarium salt is lacking in minerals that is found in the marine salt.  Good luck with your last puffer - they are great fish!!

Answer 2

Puffers shouldn't be mixed, I would say a gsp killed the figure 8, but as for the death of the other gsp, change in salt content maybe, or ammonia spike from the other dead fish.  gsp's are brackish to full marine, the figure 8, though many will argue with me are freshwater....they should have never been mixed.  

Answer 3

Did you test for ammonia?

Answer 4

What is your salinity in the tank? What size tank? And what are the other parameter readings? What salinity did the store keep the puffers at? Your tank should match their tanks to reduce shock.

Really these two species shouldn't be mixed due to aggression levels, especially with the green spotted. Not to mention they need different salinities, the f8 fairly low end brackish and the green spotted prefers high end, near marine levels.

Answer 5

I would call a petstore with alot of knowledge with these.  You could also call a exotic vet who can help. Could be the water could be they have a disease.  

Answer 6

have you recently had your house fumigated for bugs? Or in your neighborhood? Sometimes the poison they use it is so strong that it will kill your fish. Hope you don't lose any more. Peace. Bluejay