Help With Figure 8 Puffer. Sold To Me As A Freshwater Please Help!

[MelDorreman]

My figure 8 puffer I bought as a freshwater puffer. I even told them the fish I had in my tank and they said this is a fine fit. For the first few days he was fine. He was happy as can be swimming up and down the glass. About 4 days later he got ich. A few other of my fish had it to. I started treating the tank with a treatment that was good for tetras ( I researched there sensitive) and scaleless fish. I have a dojo loach. I also raised the temp to about 86 degrees ( slowly) and add small amounts of aquarium salt. He seemed to be getting better because before he would rest on a heater and look dead. He is more active now but still have a lot of white spots. All the other fish are good now. Now I noticed a bulge only on one side of his body (puffer) that wasn't there a few hours ago. No here's my real question..... Is he a saltwater fish that was sold to me from a pet store that didn't know what they were talking about? He was in a freahwater tank at the store with another one that was fine. And I double checked it wasn't a brackish tank he was in at the store cuz he was with a few other fish I now are 100% freshwater. Someone please help. I did my research. Over 150 species of puffers and only 29 of them are truly freshwater. Some one please help answer my question who knows 100% the answer. Can these live in freshwater? Or is it another issue I'm having with him like is he sensitive to aquarium salt. I have my waters tested frequently and there good and I do 30-50% water changes once a week to every other week. I keep it very clean. So some one please help!!??

 

[lrhodes]

I think figure 8s are brackish fish... this is a problem with LFSs.... they often sell brackish fish as freshwater fish.... if you could post a picture of him, that might would help us to correctly identify him.
http/www.aquaticcommunity.com/fish/figureeightpuffer.php

I could be wrong.... this website says they are freshwater but they are sold as brackish on live aquaria and another fish site.....
http/www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library/puffers-in-focus/fig8/

And this website says they are brackish.

 

[MelDorreman]

I'm trying to post a pic but it's saying it's too big to post I'm trying to find alternatives. I'm taking him back to the pet store I think and explain what happened. And try to explain that they sold me a fish with the wrong water requirements. I'm just so confused how it survived in freahwater there and not in my tank. Could it of had a reaction to aquarium salt or the ich treatment I put in ? Or even the temp cuz he's the only one that didn't get better

 

[MelDorreman]

Ya. I just read the links. I'm so confused on what to do. According to most sites he's freshwater and to a few he's brackish. The pic on that link is Deff what I have. I'm taking him to a non chain fish store to identify him from an expert and to figure out what to do. This is the most frustrating thing I've ever been through. I put a lot of time and money into my tanks and to have them infected with ich and all die is super frustrating.

 

[Barb-barian]

idk about puffers but I know platys are brackish fish but they do just fine in freshwater. I've also seen some of my LFS keeping puffers with freshwater fish. Not sure how much that helps but maybe you can take that a run with it.  Best of luck

 

[ech0o]

Yea this is extremely common, local fish stores selling brackish fish under freshwater pretenses.  They can live in freshwater temporarily, but will constantly get sick and not be fully happy with their environment.  I would do some rehoming and either get rid of the fish that can't handle brackish, and convert the tank to brackish, or get rid of the puffers.   Personally I LOVE figure 8's and would probably do a conversion to very low end brackish, just enough to make the little critters happy and get that ich off of all the fish.   Ich doesn't bode well in an aquarium conversion to brackish, usually kills it off if you raise the temp a little.

 

[nigsy]

They are estuary fish...so spend half their day in high salinity nearly marine level of salt, to nearly fresh water at very low tide; and basically anywhere in between. The easiest way to keep them is as already been said is in a brackish environment.
They are territorial; and he's probably a bit overwhelmed hence the ich due to stress; be warned he will have a go a kill/eat anything that goes near him once he's established - hence why my puffer is on his own in his own 90litre man pad.
I'd also ask about the diet you are giving him..they do not eat flakes or pellets - mine feeds on garden worms; woodlice; pest snails; but no flakes. He will eat frozen prawn but only if he's hungry.

 

[MelDorreman]

I feed him bloodworms snails shrimp and feeder fish. I currently moved him to a secluded 10 gallon tank and made it brackish. I'm treating him for ich again that's safe for scaless fish. Thanks everyone all of you had helped. He's gonna stay in the 10 gallon until I can figure out what do do with the guppies in the 35 gallon and move him permanently into to 35 by himself. he seems like a strong fish. He keeps on living no matter what. I have high hopes. Thanks

 

[lrhodes]

Good. Stay positive. You might research and see if guppies can do brackish. If that's the only fish you have in there.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/404916-guppies-in-brackish-water/

 

[Puffer_Nat]

Oh no! This seems to be all too common! As has been said they can survive in fresh but from what I've read do much better and are less prone to disease in brackish. I hope the little guy's okay!

 

[MelDorreman]

Thanks Lesley!! His ich has cleared up it's about half of what it was and he was super infested. So I have high hopes. He's my favorite fish. I named him puffie lol. Thanks for the advice!