Fahaka with chewed up dorsal, anal fin, & 1 pectoral fin

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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.
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zeke
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Fahaka with chewed up dorsal, anal fin, & 1 pectoral fin

Post by zeke »

Just bought a little 1-1.5" Fahaka Puffer. It's in good shape ,except its dorsal, anal, & 1 pectoral fin have been chewed almost down to its body. It seemed healthy and happy at the store. Just wondering if I should do anything as far as prevention of any bacterial or fungal infections? Should I add some salt? It's in a 20 gallon long aquarium ,by itself. There has never been a fish in the tank until I put the puffer fish in. It only has gravel/sand from a local creek, and a few snails that got scooped up with the gravel. Tank is 78℉, with no ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate. First pufferfish I've ever owned. Thanks.
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Re: Fahaka with chewed up dorsal, anal fin, & 1 pectoral fin

Post by Pufferpunk »

[welcome]
Did you buy it that way? Let me guess--there was more than 1 fahaka in the tank at the store?
I wouldn't add salt. Try Melafix, that should heal it right up.

My bigger concerns are:
How did you cycle that tank before adding the fish?
Did you rinse that gravel in hot water to get rid of parasites in the gravel you took from outside?
What are your plans for upgrading this potential monster?
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!"
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bertie 83
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Re: Fahaka with chewed up dorsal, anal fin, & 1 pectoral fin

Post by bertie 83 »

Welcome to the forum. +1 to the questions above
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
zeke
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Re: Fahaka with chewed up dorsal, anal fin, & 1 pectoral fin

Post by zeke »

The Fahaka Puffer was by itself at the LFS. Probably not at the wholesalers. I bet it was in a tank full of other Fahaka Puffers. The gravel was from another tank that is already established and disease free for over a year. I replaced it with new gravel from the same spring fed creek ,after I baked it in the oven at 220℉ for an hour. I also used one of the filter pads from the donor aquarium on the puffers tank. Also, I added stability to the tank and the donor aquarium. After the Fahaka Puffer outgrows the 20 Long, it will be moved to an 80 gallon breeder tank that the dimensions are 48"x24"x24"H. It's a guess on that 80 gallon tank's height to be honest, but I bet I'm really close. If the Fahaka Puffer outgrows the 80 gallon breeder ,I'll either attempt to add it to my 180 gallon (6x2x2'H) predatory community that has 2 Bichirs, a Giraffe Nose Catfish, an African Arowana, and an African Pike.
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Welch4
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Re: Fahaka with chewed up dorsal, anal fin, & 1 pectoral fin

Post by Welch4 »

+1 to PP's questioms. No nitrate sounds like your tank is not cycled.
Forget other advice about puffers you don't hear here - Pufferpunk
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2 T biocellatus
C valentini
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C papuan
Also kept:
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burrfish
T niphobles
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Re: Fahaka with chewed up dorsal, anal fin, & 1 pectoral fin

Post by Pufferpunk »

Say goodby to ALL your other fish in the 180, if you add even a juvie fahaka to that tank. I've known a 4" fahaka to bite an 8" pleco in half!
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!"
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Re: Fahaka with chewed up dorsal, anal fin, & 1 pectoral fin

Post by hadla »

Yeah, I wouldn't trust anything you want to lose with a fahaka...
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. -RTR
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