Mbu puffer is dying

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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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alig
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Mbu puffer is dying

Post by alig »

I am sorry but I dont know the answers to all the 'technical' questions its my husbands tank I know we had a problem whatever the second one is on the water test dipstick (Nitrite? its not the really harmful one) and we have been doing 20% water changes everyother day for the past week we have a 6ftx2ftx2ft tank that has our mbu puffer and numerous other africans in. for the past 2 weeks our puffer has been eating fine and been active but has had a large white patch on his back - the last two days he has gone down hill rapidly he has white across the end of his tail and one fin and he is now hanging upside down. He does not look bloated although is mouth is perminantly open and he seems to have lost his swim bladder (if he has one) as he can not stablise himself - we gave the tank a does of protozin yesterday - is he going to live (my feeling is not!) do you have any ideas what he has and is it treatable .................. I am heart broken :(
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Re: Mbu puffer is dying

Post by LongGrain »

I'm pretty sure that a 180 gallon tank is far too small for a mbu puffer by itself, let alone with a bunch of africans.

you really need to post more info on your tank setup, filtration, etc. Because with that tank size your water could go toxic without large frequent water changes.

without knowing water parameters there is not much anyone can do for you.
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Re: Mbu puffer is dying

Post by bertie 83 »

Are the white patches fuzzy?
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
alig
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Re: Mbu puffer is dying

Post by alig »

its a 600 gallon not 180 ? The white area's dont appear to be fuzzy looks like fin rot on his tail and the whole of his back is just white - sorry I dont know the technical stuff re the tank - will do my best to find out
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Re: Mbu puffer is dying

Post by RTR »

A 6x2x2 tank is 180 gallons, not 600.

Were you changing 36 gallons alternate days or 120 gallons alternate days? I seriously doubt if 3 serial 20% partials would be sufficient to support that mass of fish, as 3 serial 20% partials are equal only to ~one 50% partial, which is the recommended routine water change weekly for an mbu housed alone.

I agree that tank is too small for a T. mbu alone, and certainly if co-housed with Cichlids. How many and what species?
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Re: Mbu puffer is dying

Post by alig »

ok I'm probably out of my depth here re the tank the mbu is not very big about 6 inchs from nose to tail we have been doing 20% every other day for the last 3 weeks - various types of african cichlids approx 60 ?

I do appreciate your trying to help and I'm being erm not very helpful - I just feel bad that he is dying and there seems to be nothing we can do - is protozine the right thing to use? that is what the guys at the fish shop said to use had first treatment yesterday and he just seems worse today
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Re: Mbu puffer is dying

Post by RTR »

With the T. mbu, that tank is unfortunately way overstocked and unsuitable for a T. mbu. The tank with an mbu alone would still be too small. The fish would be stunted and/or unable to turn around without caudal fin and/or nose damage.
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alig
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Re: Mbu puffer is dying

Post by alig »

Hi,
the tank is 600 litres after rock and sand displacement, regular 20% water changes happen[/img]once a week, All fish apart from Mabu look healthy. Filtration is done by two efx600 external filters, (one filter is capable but decided to add another one due to the large stock of African cichlids) Tank has no Nitrite problems, but the nitrate is slightly high and that is why we are doing larger water changes. Our Mabu started to develope what looked like white scratches on his back which could have been from the rock, this looks like it may now be infected with some sort of white fungus and up to two days ago he has had a voratious apetite. I have strated treating the tank With Protozin but found the mabu wedged head down between the rock this morning, i have moved him to the surface in a large net where we left him on his side before going to work.
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Re: Mbu puffer is dying

Post by Flutter »

I'm sorry, I don't know how you should treat your fish right now but you should be doing larger water changes. Water quality really does have a large impact on fish health, the higher the better.
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Re: Mbu puffer is dying

Post by Puffer King »

keep up water changes , but up them to 50% a day absolute mimimum , treat with tetra fungus guard or similar product ..........As already previously stated your tank is way too small , Your Mbu will need rehoming once it has returned to full health , they are not for the inexperienced hobbyist and many will say that they shouldn't be kept in the hobby full stop .
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Re: Mbu puffer is dying

Post by Pufferpunk »

Agree with ALL of the above. I would also add Melafix & Pimafix & add an airstone or bar, to add more O2. Get yourself a API test kit. Test for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate & pH. any way to reduce that stocking? I'd personally get rid of ALL the cichlids.
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Re: Mbu puffer is dying

Post by KorrepZ »

holy crap... that looks nasty. Good luck!
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Re: Mbu puffer is dying

Post by Pufferpunk »

How's he doing?
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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