green spotted puffer woes

[Gazingatstars12]

So my girlfriend decided we needed another fish tank. This, while I'm busting my rump building a stand for the 72g bowfront I just bought. She sees a little guy in the lfs advertised as a leopard puffer that needed a home. After research I found out he's a green spotted puffer but that's besides the point. So we take him home and put him in his little fluvial spec after matching salinity and all that nonsense.

I don't know what it is but this fish just does not seem to be doing too good. Several times I've found him stuck against the filter intake and he seems to be lethargic. Laying on the bottom a lot. Things like that.

I've covered the intake with foam so he doesn't get stuck and added a bubbler. Water chemistry checks out good so far, (added media from. One of my other tanks) will post back with tonight's results. Temp is 78 to 80. His coloring looks good, maybe a little bit washed out since I got him. Getting frozen blood worms every night

Is this just their natural behavior?

 

[Terrance]

What is the salinity? Do you measure with refractometer or hydrometer? What kind of salt do you use? How big is the tank?

Is ammonia and nitrite zero?

 

[Gazingatstars12]

Ammonia and nitrite is 0, tank is a 5 gallon for now. When i move my Community fish into the 72 gallon he will be going into the 20g long. About a month from now. He's only about an inch long now and and nitrates aren't rising fast so it should be ok for a while

Using marine salt from the lfs and the salinity is. 008 measured with a hydrometer

I'm going to try feeding him more. I read online that then can come with parasites often because they are usually caught in the wile. Though mostly benign they an cause problems when underweight. And his belly looks slightly sunken in on the sides.

I did a pwc today and he seems to be doing a little better along with the increased feeding. Let's hope he continues to improve

 

[Terrance]

yes sunken has a strong association with internal parasite.

If you just got media from a freshwater tank and now its being used in tank with salinity of .008, then all the bacteria from that media should not be able to convert ammonia all the way to nitrate. Water at this salinity needs beneficial bacteria primarily for 1.008. You will now need to keep the salinity as stable as possible, probably need to top off water daily to keep salinity stable. Also I don't trust hydrometer since I need to repeat measurement until the number is consistent.

 

[Gazingatstars12]

Its gill flukes

 

[Gazingatstars12]

Edit. It was gill flukes. Little spot passed away during the night. Gonna convert it back to freshwater and try a more hardy fish for such a small tank