Sick fahaka (picture)

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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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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jonny89
Puffer Fry
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Joined: Fri Apr 25, 2014 12:53 pm
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Sick fahaka (picture)

Post by jonny89 »

Help my fahaka has developed a ulcer type wound on his side and lost his appetite! ( not even live snails will work)
i have tested the tank and the PH was low at 6 but i have raised it to 6.8 now using coral sand, planning on raising a little more!
The other test were 0 for ammonia ect..
i have been treating him with melafix but my lfs has told me to use myxazin is this safe?
he is still active which is weird considering he isnt eating!
he has no tank mates and is in a 125 gallon tank
he usually gets 30% water change a week
i struggle to get him to eat anything but earth worms (night crawlers) and frozen shrimp. Even when food is soaked in garlic.

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Last edited by jonny89 on Sat Jan 31, 2015 2:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Sick fahaka (picture)

Post by Pufferpunk »

Please answer ALl the Qs above, in red. What's the pH of your tap water? 6 is the pH of urine!
Is it possible he's laying on your heater? Looks like a burn.
He certainly doesn't look like he's starving... Try live earthworms/nightcrawlers.
Myxazin loks like a waste, use Melafix.
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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jonny89
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Joined: Fri Apr 25, 2014 12:53 pm
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Re: Sick fahaka (picture)

Post by jonny89 »

The tank was running with smaller fish for about 6 months now he has been living there for 18months (the smaller fish returning to one of my other tanks)
The tap water was running at about 7.5 ph but it seems to be coming out at 6 now!?! I live on the moor and the water is soft.
recently added more airation if that counts as a change.
he is ignoring earthworms which isnt like him at all!! hes only been not eating for about 7 days but im used to him eating as much as i put in!
since introducing the melafix his colour is back he was a angry blotchy dark colour!
i dont think he can get to the heater i have plants and filter partly blocking it.
during the week the wound did have fur which has now gone!
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Pufferpunk
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Posts: 32773
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:
Contact Pufferpunk

Re: Sick fahaka (picture)

Post by Pufferpunk »

I'm glad the "fur" is gone, that's a fungal attack. You could also add Pimafix. I'm sure he'll be eating soon.
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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jonny89
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Re: Sick fahaka (picture)

Post by jonny89 »

Thank you i hope so! ohh i also added a half dose of aquarium salt hopefully that was a good move?
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Pufferpunk
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Posts: 32773
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:
Contact Pufferpunk

Re: Sick fahaka (picture)

Post by Pufferpunk »

That doesn't do much & may irritate the puffer. I'd also contact your water supply co & ask them why urine is coming out of your tap!
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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Welch4
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Re: Sick fahaka (picture)

Post by Welch4 »

I would bring some tap to a LFS to have them test as well. Just to make sure something with your test kit isn't off. A ph of 6 seems really weird for tap water.
Forget other advice about puffers you don't hear here - Pufferpunk
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