Concerned

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!

Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.

1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.

2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.

3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)

4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.

5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.

We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.

While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.

Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
szumis
Puffer Fry
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 8:25 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Concerned

Post by szumis »

The tank is pretty heavily planted and there are tons of terra cotta pots for him and the gobies to hide in.
szumis
Puffer Fry
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 8:25 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Concerned

Post by szumis »

Went to the pet store where I got Norman and the the last GSP from his batch was in their brackish tank looking awful. He was completely brown and his spots showed green. He was also clenched in a ball just bobbing near the bottom. Norman doesn't look nearly as bad but I've started treating the tank for parasites. I'll be treating his food if I can get him to eat.
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Concerned

Post by Pufferpunk »

Good idea!
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
szumis
Puffer Fry
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 8:25 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Concerned

Post by szumis »

Day four of parasite treatment in his tank. He still won't eat. The puffer at the pet store was treated with Methylene Blue and was much improved. I did a methylene dip with Norman and added a teeny bit to his hospital tank. There is a blue ringed patch on his chin. Methylene blue is supposed to dye external injuries so I know something hurt him. I'm wondering if the fiddler crab we gave him a while ago got him. Where do I go from here? Melafix?
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Concerned

Post by Pufferpunk »

Yeah, I think the fiddler might have grabbed him. Melafix is a good idea.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
RTR
Mentor
Posts: 6155
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 4:39 pm
Gender: Male
Location (country): East Coast, USA

Re: Concerned

Post by RTR »

The problem with the ammonia readings after treatment with Prime is that most test kits cannot tell the difference between harmful ammonia and neutralized ammonia post-Prime use. There are kits available which can read the difference, but they are not very user friendly IME.
Where's the fish? - Neptune
szumis
Puffer Fry
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 8:25 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Concerned

Post by szumis »

Day three of melafix treatment and he's had two methylene blue baths. Day 8 or 9 of not eating. I've tried everything I can think of to get him to eat. How long can he go without food. We're moving back home for the summer in a few weeks and it's an all day road trip. I don't want the stress of the trip combined with not eating to kill him.
User avatar
J-P
Former Staff Member
Posts: 5626
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:21 am
Gender: Male
Location (country): Japan
Location: Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan

Re: Concerned

Post by J-P »

list the foods you have tried. My GSP's went ga-ga over shrimp.

you can also soak it in garlic which is a known attractant.
if you follow me, you avoid stepping in the crap that I just did...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZR55G ... pqlgec1A2Q
szumis
Puffer Fry
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 8:25 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Concerned

Post by szumis »

We've tried live earthworms which he used to love. We've tried frozen krill and bloodworms soaked in garlic, crushed mussel soaked in garlic, live ghost shrimp, live snail, crushed snails soaked in garlic. He seems to be afraid of live food and not to know dead food is food. If the food is moving he swims away to the other side of the tank and dead food he ignores. I tied the mussel to a thread and moved it a little and he seemed interested but never worked up the gumption to take a bite.
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Concerned

Post by Pufferpunk »

Soaking in garlic? Test the parameters again.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
szumis
Puffer Fry
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 8:25 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Concerned

Post by szumis »

Ammonia is at .25ppm everything else is at zero. He will not eat. He's moving much slower than usual. The methylene blue is still dying a patch on his belly. Still treating with melafix.
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Concerned

Post by Pufferpunk »

Did he stop eating when you started using the methylene blue? Meds are VERY toxic to puffers. Remind me why you're using it? What else have you tried?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
szumis
Puffer Fry
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 8:25 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Concerned

Post by szumis »

He stopped eating way before the methylene blue. I started using it because it was recommended by the girl I bought him from. The last puffer from my own puffer's shipment was very ill and around the same time he was and the methylene blue seemed to help him. I've tried a parasite treatment but because he won't eat I don't think it did much good. I've been using melafix for the last four days or so and still no improvement.
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Concerned

Post by Pufferpunk »

I would discontinue the MB meds. What are his other symptoms?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
szumis
Puffer Fry
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 8:25 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Concerned

Post by szumis »

Lately he's lethargic but that's probably because he hasn't eaten in well over a week. He seems to be afraid of his food. Definitely seems interested at first then swims away
Post Reply