After coming back from a weeks vacation and a friend taking care of my tank, my puffer is having breathing problems.
I first noticed that he wasn't getting up to greet me. Then the other day while feeding he just collapsed to the sand.
I tested for ammonia and it came back at 25.
Then 2 days later I did a 25% water change (50g) and added a bottle of amquel.
I then did a full range of testing
PH 8.0
ammonia 0
nitrite 10ppm
nitrate 10ppm
it has been almost a week as of today and my puffer still runs out of breath and needs to rest. when he lays on the sand he breathes really heavy for a few min then his breathing slows to normal. Also when he swims, his fins are not their usual stride, but very aggressive.
The tank is established 4 years and is 210g with 80 or so lbs of LR and 240lbs of LS.
bubble king super marine 200 skimmer and 114w UV
I also recently added a bag of carbon to the sump.
no fish have been added for almost a year. I have only added a sea hare and 2 snails in the last month.
tankmates:
humu trigger
flagfin angel
emperor angel
regal angel
singapore angel
golden puffer (meg)
blue spotted puffer
pearl scale butterfly
maroon clown
sohal tang
purple tang
I was thinking that the ammonia must have been a lot worse. Could the ammonia have burned his gills?
if so, when will it heal?
does anyone think he picked up a parasite?
what does everyone think?
sick golden puffer: 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.
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.
-
saltyESQ
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:33 pm
- My Puffers: Golden (ArothronMeg) and blue spotted
sick golden puffer: help!
Tank: 210g 3 sided starphire with 100g sump 200lbs LR and 240lbs LS.
Equipment: Bubble king Supermarine 200, Red Dragon 6.5 return pump, Aqua 114w UV
Fish: Golden Puffer (Arothron Meg), Blue spotted puffer, humu trigger, pearlscale Butterfly, Angels: emperor, flagfin, singapore, red sea regal, Tangs: Sohal and purple
Equipment: Bubble king Supermarine 200, Red Dragon 6.5 return pump, Aqua 114w UV
Fish: Golden Puffer (Arothron Meg), Blue spotted puffer, humu trigger, pearlscale Butterfly, Angels: emperor, flagfin, singapore, red sea regal, Tangs: Sohal and purple
-
LilGreenPuffer
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 5301
- Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:26 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Dwarf puffer - Thumbelina (only mine in my heart now; she lives in CT with my friend)
RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond. - Location (country): United States
- Location: Kentucky
Re: sick golden puffer: help!
Your friend might have overfed the fish, creating a mini-cycle. Yes, the ammonia could certainly have burned its gills. I don't think it's a parasite. I think your best bet right now is to do water changes, like you're doing already.
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
-
Martin Hi.
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 152
- Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:49 am
- My Puffers: Tetraodon erythrotaenia
- Location: hamburg
- Contact:
Re: sick golden puffer: help!
hi,
change water until nitrite is zero!
martin
change water until nitrite is zero!
martin
-
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
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Re: sick golden puffer: help!
Is the nitrite really 10??? Even aat 1 it's extremly toxic. Start mixing SW--a lot of it! You need to do 50% WC every day, until it tests at 0. It sounds like you have way too many large fish for that size tank.
You could try adding Bio-Spira, to enhance the biological bed.
You could try adding Bio-Spira, to enhance the biological bed.
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!"
-
saltyESQ
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:33 pm
- My Puffers: Golden (ArothronMeg) and blue spotted
Re: sick golden puffer: help!
I retested for nitrites this morning and it came back at 0ppm.
Does anyone think it could be lack of O2?
I added 2 MJ1200's for more water movement.
If his gills were burned, how long before he recovers?
Does anyone think it could be lack of O2?
I added 2 MJ1200's for more water movement.
If his gills were burned, how long before he recovers?
Tank: 210g 3 sided starphire with 100g sump 200lbs LR and 240lbs LS.
Equipment: Bubble king Supermarine 200, Red Dragon 6.5 return pump, Aqua 114w UV
Fish: Golden Puffer (Arothron Meg), Blue spotted puffer, humu trigger, pearlscale Butterfly, Angels: emperor, flagfin, singapore, red sea regal, Tangs: Sohal and purple
Equipment: Bubble king Supermarine 200, Red Dragon 6.5 return pump, Aqua 114w UV
Fish: Golden Puffer (Arothron Meg), Blue spotted puffer, humu trigger, pearlscale Butterfly, Angels: emperor, flagfin, singapore, red sea regal, Tangs: Sohal and purple
-
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: sick golden puffer: help!
What test kits are you using?
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!"