Fahaka Puffer with IP's (pics)
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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bertie 83
- Moderator
- Posts: 5298
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:28 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: lineatus R.I.P, South American puffer. Valentini puffer, porcupine puffer.
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Danios, Tetras, Redtail Rasporas,
Harlequins, CAE's, Yoyo
Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
- Location: brighton , england
Re: Fahaka Puffer with IP's (pics)
Also keep trying to get him to eat normally, garlic soaked mussels are about as good as puffer food gets
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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GSPicthus
- Figure 8 Puffer
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- Joined: Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:02 am
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): NY
Re: Fahaka Puffer with IP's (pics)
So I am happy to report my Fahaka has made great improvements yesterday. I went home with every intention of having to force feed last night. On the way home from work I stopped by the LFS and picked up some live brine shrimp (one last ditch effort). When I got home to my suprise he was swimming around his tank like he was hunting. I put in the serving of brine shrimp after eating all of them he was at the glass begging for more! I didn't have any more so I put in the frozen blood worms but he has no interest in the blood worms. The guy I got him from said he was on feeders so I purchased 5 feeder guppies (I know feeders are bad but i want him to get some food in him). He stalked the feeders but wasn't quick enough to catch them. I am going to get more live brine today and some frozen to see if I can get him on the frozen and then after building up his strength I will try better food. Oh and no more white thread like poop so I assume the IP's are gone.
My 3 year old is a big fish fan. I tried to keep her away from the puffer in case it died but she loves to be with her daddy so I had a hard time with that. Well I was so excited the puffer was eating I didn't keep her away. Out of the blue she named the puffer, Blokey. I believe a bloke is a manly man in Australia and this guy is a tough little bugger so I think the name may stay. But now I am really in trouble if Blokey doesn't pull through. Her fantail goldfish named rockin baby and black more named pufferfish (her names for them) are doing very well so thankfully I have not had to explain death yet.
Thanks all for your help I will be returning with updates and still seeking advice on food transitions.
My 3 year old is a big fish fan. I tried to keep her away from the puffer in case it died but she loves to be with her daddy so I had a hard time with that. Well I was so excited the puffer was eating I didn't keep her away. Out of the blue she named the puffer, Blokey. I believe a bloke is a manly man in Australia and this guy is a tough little bugger so I think the name may stay. But now I am really in trouble if Blokey doesn't pull through. Her fantail goldfish named rockin baby and black more named pufferfish (her names for them) are doing very well so thankfully I have not had to explain death yet.
Thanks all for your help I will be returning with updates and still seeking advice on food transitions.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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Re: Fahaka Puffer with IP's (pics)
Forget brine shrimp, there 's very little nutrition in adult shrimps, they're 98% water. Get live blackworms or earthworms.
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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GSPicthus
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 111
- Joined: Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:02 am
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): NY
Re: Fahaka Puffer with IP's (pics)
What about krill or ghost shrimp? He ignored the earth worms and blood worms. I can try the black worms.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32771
- 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: Fahaka Puffer with IP's (pics)
GS need to be gut-loaded with something high protein or they are the same as BS. IDK why he'd prefer something dead, over live food.
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!"
-
GSPicthus
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 111
- Joined: Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:02 am
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): NY
Re: Fahaka Puffer with IP's (pics)
I don't know either. This puffer is a mystery to me. I have had a GSP and F8 puffers for years and never had a problem with any of them eating. I can try worms again who knows maybe he will suprise me. I will let you know what happens.Pufferpunk wrote:GS need to be gut-loaded with something high protein or they are the same as BS. IDK why he'd prefer something dead, over live food.
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Tripp
- Figure 8 Puffer
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- Location (country): USA
- Location: Carrollton, Texas
Re: Fahaka Puffer with IP's (pics)
I was having the same problem initially. The only thing that worked for me was garlic soaked clam meat. I would try that
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GSPicthus
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 111
- Joined: Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:02 am
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): NY
Re: Fahaka Puffer with IP's (pics)
So he took frozen brine mixed in with the live brine. I am going to do frozen brine tonight. He didn't take any of the like black worms. I am going to try and put the worms in again tonight before the brine. If he doesn't take the worms I will try the clams in garlic again. He didn't bother with them the first time but now that he is feeling a little better and eating something maybe he will show some interest.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32771
- 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: Fahaka Puffer with IP's (pics)
Keep in mind, he's getting little to no nutrition feeding him brine. I suggest at least soaking it in a good vitamin.
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!"
-
RTR
- Mentor
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- Gender: Male
- Location (country): East Coast, USA
Re: Fahaka Puffer with IP's (pics)
Brine shrimp is a taste treat, but as stated by Pufferpunk, it is all but worthless nutritionally. Its best use is mixed with other foods, to get the puffer to try and get a taste of and for those foods.
Where's the fish? - Neptune
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GSPicthus
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 111
- Joined: Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:02 am
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): NY
Re: Fahaka Puffer with IP's (pics)
So he is starting to fill out nicely. He ate a few of the feeder fish that were in his tank and just started taking black worms on Saturday. He is still not interested in clams or snails. he took two bites of cooked shrimp and ignored the rest. My hopes are high that he is going to pull through (he is making small steps in the right direction). I am going to give him another week in his quarantine tank and hopefully next weekend transfer him to the main tank.
I know brine aren't the best food but he is eating it and I am introducing new things. He isn't at a point yet where I am comfortable taking away the one food he is eating.
I know brine aren't the best food but he is eating it and I am introducing new things. He isn't at a point yet where I am comfortable taking away the one food he is eating.
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bertie 83
- Moderator
- Posts: 5298
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:28 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: lineatus R.I.P, South American puffer. Valentini puffer, porcupine puffer.
Non puffer
Danios, Tetras, Redtail Rasporas,
Harlequins, CAE's, Yoyo
Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
- Location: brighton , england
Re: Fahaka Puffer with IP's (pics)
Keep him there until he is a competant feeder. Don't move him too quick or you will be back at square 1
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly