Fresh Water Help

[fenrir]

I have two questions here that have nothing to do with each other. The first is about my 4 year old golden dojo loach(weather loach). There suppose to be bottom feeders but for about 2 months now he does nothing but float on the top and eats flake food from the top of the tank. He still looks fine and I have no amonia and my two angles are completly fine. Could it be possible he lost the ability to dive?

Second my gf wants a puffer, and I wanted to know what it takes to keep a fresh/brakish puffer.

 

[ford81502]

i had a figure eight puffer it was mean as hell had to get him his own tank

 

[phixer]

Just tie a weight to him to weight him down.

The fishes swim bladder controls buoyancy if becomes damaged it can cause this.

 

[stingrayman]

freshwater puffers are aggressive fish and WILL nip fins of other fish.
as for the loach, he`s probably just trying to compete for food.
knowing the angels will get it first if he doesn`t get up there.

 

[sepulatian]

Have you checked your water parameters for nitrite and nitrate? Is the loach breathing heavily? Is he still active? Puffers are brackish water fish and should be housed with other semi-aggressive brackish water fish.

 

[lion_crazz]

I agree. Water parameters will help us determine if there is any potential problems.
There are not really many freshwater puffers. The only semi-common ones are the amazon river dwarf puffers, but they are extremely difficult to get to eat in a tank with other more aggressive-eating fish (since they usually come so small).
Other than that, other puffers are brackish and pretty nasty little fish - much more aggressive than a saltwater puffer.

 

[fenrir]

Thanks for the quick post! My water parameters are great. PH 8.2 no amonia and claear across the board. He actualy likes to lay across the heater at the top of my tank, which doesn't make any sense since there a colder water fish. He doesn;t breath heavily and he acts the same as he always does.
As for the puffer they would be in a tank by it's self, a 20 gallon tall to be exact. What are some options for that tank anyway?

 

[fenrir]

Bump

 

[julie853]

I have had dojo's for years and I have one that stays at the top of the tank all the time he has done this since I first got him I've had him about 3 years now and he is very healthy just likes to float at the top.I have others that like to hide in things and I only see them every once in a while so I dont think I would worry to much about it.
The puffers are very agressive my green spot puffers killed everything in my tank.