1. pH 7.4, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5
2) 10 gal tank. only inhabitant is the pea puffer. one 30 g aquaclear filter, 2 sponge filters. Temp 78
3) Feed him frozen bloodworms daily, snails as treat. Change water 10% daily. Use prime to dechlorinate water.
4) Have added 5ml Melafix daily for last week. Added 1/2 tsp aquarium salt 2 days ago. Have done several water changes since and not added any more.
5) Tank set up for 3 years. Used fishless cycle. Have had Puff Ball for almost 2 years.
Problem...about 2 weeks ago I noticed he was keeping to one side of the tank and seemed to have trouble seeing the food when I put it in his tank. About a week ago his left eye started swelling. He was still eating well. I started adding Melafix. His eye got worse, but he didn't seem sick otherwise. I added some aquarium salt two days ago and his eye got better. He seemed to be improving. Yesterday he was still eating but was laying on tank floor. Today, he is not eating, is being moved by the currents and laying on tank floor. He stomach is sunken in.
Any way to help him?
If not, can we put a different puffer in the tank right away or do we need to scrub and re-cycle?
pop-eye, parasites? Very ill pea puffer
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.
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.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- 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:
Re: pop-eye, parasites? Very ill pea puffer
I would scrub & recycle. With a single DP in a 10g, Safestart should work well.
Is it possible he's old? How's your source of worms? Do they look healthy when purchased & rinsed every day?
Is it possible he's old? How's your source of worms? Do they look healthy when purchased & rinsed every day?
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Re: pop-eye, parasites? Very ill pea puffer
Poor guy. I keep thinking I will see him "smiling" at me when I walk by his tank.
I got him when he little. So he was probably just over 2 years old.
The worms were from a reputable fish store. However, I did not rinse them. Didn't know I should. Now I know.
Since only one was eye was popped, i imagine it was physical trauma. I just can't figure out why the sudden sunken stomach and death when his eye was getting better.
I feel a little shell-shocked. He was my favorite fish. My son wants a new one asap, but I can't do it. It will be good to take some time and clean his tank, re-cycle, etc.
I got him when he little. So he was probably just over 2 years old.
The worms were from a reputable fish store. However, I did not rinse them. Didn't know I should. Now I know.
Since only one was eye was popped, i imagine it was physical trauma. I just can't figure out why the sudden sunken stomach and death when his eye was getting better.
I feel a little shell-shocked. He was my favorite fish. My son wants a new one asap, but I can't do it. It will be good to take some time and clean his tank, re-cycle, etc.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- 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:
Re: pop-eye, parasites? Very ill pea puffer
Be sure the worms have no dead ones in there & smell fresh when purchased. Rinse daily in a brine shrimp net. Keep in a shallow container with holes on top, with just enough water to cover them, in the fridge.
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Re: pop-eye, parasites? Very ill pea puffer
They were frozen...is that okay?
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- 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:
Re: pop-eye, parasites? Very ill pea puffer
Oh, sure! I thought they were live. I hope your puffer gets well.
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"