So I picked up a 30 gallon aquarium and hood today. Yay. But thats the only smart thing I did this week.

I was damn well determined to get me a puffer fish that would get to be about 4 inches long. So I did. And with no research or experience, added a little salt to my 10 gallon and threw it in with my cichlids. Aaaand his belly turned brown. Which means he was mega stressed.

So I ran out and grabbed this tank and some sand, scrubbed the inside (with water - just to get the calcium and dust off) and chucked the cichlids in it.

With no filter - because I can't afford that till next week. And I had to take all the plants (or lack thereof since the pleco mowed them) out of the 10g and my rock and driftwood in order to catch the cichlids. So the water is filty (sand substrate does not help) - and the 10g with the puffer has no decor.

Yes. I know. I'm stupid. I'm working on rectifying all the issues right now. I'm cleaning a hunk of wood and boiling it to put in the puffer tank. My next few paychecks will go towards a filter and some decor for the 30 gallon.

But I do have one question. Can I get moss online? Literally no pet shops around me have any kind of moss - ever. Somehow. Its almost sad. They can sell me 30 different types of fern but no java moss.

And on the bright side, my puffer is much happier in the 10 gallon tank by himself.

You can get moss here https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/fo...play.php?f=153

What kind of puffer did you get?

Thanks

And ts a leopard puffer - and he's an adorable little guy.

His belly is all white and shiny now that he has some privacy.

I'll get some pictures if I can get him to stay still enough to take one.

Puffers are tough, being scaleless they become barometers for any water parameter issues other fish ignore. Cichlids are fairly dirty in general, so I imagine the water was not to its liking. We have a 14" Fahaka in a 150 gallon and do 75% WC twice a week with a 2262 and 2217 on it. If the Nitrates creep beyond 30 she notices and starts skulking. Great personalities and we adore her, but certainly a difficult fish. Think about an upgrade to its tank (30-55 gallon), overfilter, excessive water changes, and have fun they are certainly cute fun fish.

I change 50% per week and have a 15-20 gallon filter in the 10 gallon tank

I'll replant it when I have time/money

Honestly you should had put the puffer in the 30 gallon and left the other fish in their established tank. Giving the puffer a bigger volume of water would help especially since that tank has no filter. Now you have a high biomass in a tank that is not cycled and have to constantly change water in both tanks.

10 gallon is way too small for that puffer. Adding a little salt doesn't help, get a hydrometer and use salt water salt to raise the salinity. Freshwater when young, brackish to salt water from juvies on. Definitely not a fish you could have kept with the cichlids or vice versa. You are lucky you have a puffer and cichlids still alive, both types of fish are aggressive and puffers are known for destroying tankmates. Feed the puffer snails to trim its teeth. You might have to trim them manually in the future so prepare for that.

Right now my 5 gal is holding my South American and Dwarf puffers. I have to carefully monitor that tank for aggression and water quality. It's a temporary home until I can trash their crappy Marineland tank.

A problem with your plants could also be your cichlids, some don't do well with plants.

Aquabid or the for sale forum here is a great place to pick up moss.