Before I get started I want to say that my f8 has not gotten worse. It's just that I thought he would be getting better by now.
I am pretty sure my f8 has IPs.
Symptoms : pinched belly, weak, no personality. He is so weak that he struggles against the filter current.
Good news : he is eating, swims around the tank constantly, poop looks good.
It is mostly the weakness that concerns me. I just thought by now he would be at least a little stronger. He also just does not have any personality...it is like when a human gets sick and you don't want to do anything because you don't feel good.
I have been treating his food with fizz tabs that contain praziquantel, difluben zuron, metronidazole and acriflavine. By tetra. (Little bit of tank water, small piece of a fizz tab, soaking thawed blood worms).
Tank parameters are fine, but I still change the water at 50% a day (clean water = healthy fish). 0,0, <10. Also I added decor to reduce stress.
Is there anything else I can do? Anything? Perhaps a different brand of medicine? Treat the whole tank? Should I just give it time? I am open to suggestions, comments or down right criticisms!
F8 not doing great.
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.
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purplecandle
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bertie 83
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Re: F8 not doing great.
It sounds like you are doing everything right, how long have you been treating with meds? Have you tried adding garlic to the mix to entice him to eat more? Maybe up the dose a bit on his next feed
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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Pufferpunk
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Re: F8 not doing great.
What vitamins are you soaking his food in?
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!"
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purplecandle
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Re: F8 not doing great.
I was thinking of increasing the dose, wasn't sure if it would hurt him.
Wasn't soaking in vitamins, should I? Will it help? Should I do medicine and vitamin? Any particularly good vitamin/brand you would recommend for this situation?
Wasn't soaking in vitamins, should I? Will it help? Should I do medicine and vitamin? Any particularly good vitamin/brand you would recommend for this situation?
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defool89
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Re: F8 not doing great.
Idk if this is a "vitamin" but kents garlic extreme seems to be IME like ressurrection in a bottle
You have the right to bear Puffers.
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puffykid
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Re: F8 not doing great.
You can try the original formula of the tetra product,this one has always had the best results for me.
http://www.amazon.com/Jungle-TB630W-Bud ... site+clear
http://www.amazon.com/Jungle-TB630W-Bud ... site+clear
1 M. Turgidus - 29 gallon
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purplecandle
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Re: F8 not doing great.
LOL, that is what I normally use..but I couldn't find it this time. Well, Wal-Mart might have it?puffykid wrote:You can try the original formula of the tetra product,this one has always had the best results for me.
http://www.amazon.com/Jungle-TB630W-Bud ... site+clear
I will see if I can find that. Willing to try anything...this puffer just ain't "right". I really think he might go down hilldefool89 wrote:Idk if this is a "vitamin" but kents garlic extreme seems to be IME like ressurrection in a bottle
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Pufftastic
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Re: F8 not doing great.
I'm sorry he's not bouncing back the way you'd hoped, PC. Fingers crossed that he shows Improvement soon. If you can't get him over the hump, no one can.
Yo ho, yo ho, a puffer's life for me.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: F8 not doing great.
I would use either Zoe FW vits & Vita-Chem FW. ALL my fish get vitamin-soaked foods.
It wouldn't hurt to treat for IPs again--some fish need to be treated up to 3x.
It wouldn't hurt to treat for IPs again--some fish need to be treated up to 3x.
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!"
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purplecandle
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bertie 83
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Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
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Re: F8 not doing great.
If your little guy will eat peas you can rehydrate dried peas in a mix of meds and vitamins to get a good dose of meds into him.
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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JRC3
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Re: F8 not doing great.
I have found that a crushed snail/snails really seems to soak up the meds. At least I assume they soak it up because they start to break the snail down if you leave it in too long.
Do you have any ramshorn or pond snails?
Do you have any ramshorn or pond snails?
There are many knowledgeable fish keepers on this forum willing to help and give great advice...The advice is free; What you choose to do with it gives it value.
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purplecandle
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Re: F8 not doing great.
I got peas and snails, but he doesn't seem to want to eat now, but I'll keep trying.
He was eating so good. Don't know what happened all of a sudden. He even ate the med treated blood worms.
I read in the article in the library that killing too many IPs at once causes stress. Maybe that is what is happening. I did not use any more meds than I have used on green spots of the same size.
Sadly, I guess this is the fate of a lot of puffers...just too stressed during shipping, then they get bullied at the pet store.
I knew he wasn't quite right when I got him, just was hoping he would come around.
I have added a bubbler, and I keep changing the water. Just anything to keep him going. At a minimum, he will die in a nice tank instead of in a shipping bag or a pet store.
He was eating so good. Don't know what happened all of a sudden. He even ate the med treated blood worms.
I read in the article in the library that killing too many IPs at once causes stress. Maybe that is what is happening. I did not use any more meds than I have used on green spots of the same size.
Sadly, I guess this is the fate of a lot of puffers...just too stressed during shipping, then they get bullied at the pet store.
I knew he wasn't quite right when I got him, just was hoping he would come around.
I have added a bubbler, and I keep changing the water. Just anything to keep him going. At a minimum, he will die in a nice tank instead of in a shipping bag or a pet store.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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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
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Re: F8 not doing great.
Garlic?
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!"
-
purplecandle
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 2019
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Re: F8 not doing great.
I got some, I am thawing out some food to soak it in, wish me luck!Pufferpunk wrote:Garlic?