Lazy F8

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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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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Cooper
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Lazy F8

Post by Cooper »

The F8 I got the other day is spending a lot of time on the bottom of the tank. All the readings were normal (0 nitrite, 0 amonia, <20 ppm Nitrate). He/she does swim around a lot, but then spends an equal or longer amount of time on the bottom between a big rock and a plant. No signs of ick/ich or anything externally wrong. Tummy is white and even smothly rounded after eating. Is frequent "napping" comon among F8s? Is he/she perhaps depressed about the change in surroundings? He/she does eat well and spends time "hunting" after eating but the frequent long "rests" have me worried.

Thanks -- Cooper
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Post by RTR »

The pH? Specific gravity?
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fatpuffer
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Post by fatpuffer »

I think he is just unsure of his surroundings. give him a couple of days or so to get used to the new home and he will start swimming around. Mine was very skittish initially but comes out more often now.

js
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Cooper
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Post by Cooper »

I know the SG is less than 1.001 as my hydrometer goes that low and it's below that. I did put 1 tsp Instant Ocean per gallon -- the LFS had 1 teaspoon of "aquarium salt" per 10 gallons.

PH, I checked it yesterday but have forgotten. I'll check as soon as I get to work tomorrow.
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Cooper
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Post by Cooper »

Water Parameters:

Amonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate Between 0-20 (closer to 0 based on the color)
Hardness: 425 ppm
Alkalinity/Buffering Capacity: 240ppm
pH: 8.0

I just noticed something that looked like a clear mucousy string with a bubble in it coming off of his left pectoral fin. It's very fine -- like a clear hair witha bubble in it.

Advice? For all I know F8 may be fine and just spit out a partially chewed worm that got hung around his fin. I guess just after having a hyperactive SAP, I would think the F8 should spend less time under a plant on the bottom.
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Cooper
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Post by Cooper »

Update -- Upon closer inspection, the stringy thing may be coming out of his gill. It's about 1/3-1/2 inch long, pale tan in color but very thin -- slightly wider than a hair.

Thanks -- Cooper
TheSilentPerogy
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Post by TheSilentPerogy »

That sounds strangely similar to what happened to my Figure 8 last night. Check my thread further down to see if the picture in it is what yours looks like.
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Cooper
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Post by Cooper »

Wow -- SilentPerogy, you are right. Only thing is my fish must be much larger than yours was or my "unidetified worm-like thing" is skinnier/thinner.

He went from swimming around a little to kind of lodging himself in a plant and just hanging there, seems to be breathing normally but not moving.

I think it has what yours had because at this rate, I don't think he'll make it through the night. :(
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Cooper
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Post by Cooper »

Poor thing met his fate.

That was fast -- Monday at the store, Wed. died of parasites.

Never going to that store again. I should have known better as many of the puffers looked like they'd been through the ringer. I should go back and see how many dead ones they have or if the tank is empty.

There is only ONE reputable fish store in town that I found. I think I'll go see them next week.

Any advice on what to do with the tank in the meantime? I want to keep the bacteria alive, but want to be sure any parasites or bugs/etc. are gone . . .
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Post by Pufferpunk »

I'd drain 90% & fill again. Leave w/o fish for about a month--enough time for the bugs to die w/o a host. Keep it cycled w/ammonia. Do another 90% water change, before adding new fish.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

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Post by Pamela »

Sorry to hear that. He probably had a hard time in transport, and then moving to a new tank didn't help. Poor little thing.
Pami.
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Cooper
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Post by Cooper »

Where does everyone find pure amonia? I've been to 3 different grocery stores and a few discount stores plus Target & KMart and have yet to find Amonia without soap, etc. in it.

Thanks -- Cooper
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Post by Woland »

Cooper wrote:Where does everyone find pure amonia? I've been to 3 different grocery stores and a few discount stores plus Target & KMart and have yet to find Amonia without soap, etc. in it.

Thanks -- Cooper
Try a pharmacist.
Regards

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Post by RTR »

In the USA, you generally want the super-cheap stores or the discount chains. They tend to offer "no frills" goods, which is what is wanted for fishless cycling.
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Post by YBeNormal »

I checked several Dollar, hardware, grocerie and discount stores before finally finding 'pure' ammonia at Shoppers Food Warehouse. Keep checking and you'll eventually find a store that sells it.
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