Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

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purplecandle
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by purplecandle »

scpion wrote:No offense.. But sure it's a fahaka?
Plus 1, it sounds like a dwarf puffer. It would seem unlikely for a fahaka that stunted to live that long.
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scpion
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by scpion »

purplecandle wrote:
scpion wrote:No offense.. But sure it's a fahaka?
Plus 1, it sounds like a dwarf puffer. It would seem unlikely for a fahaka that stunted to live that long.
A 5-6cm dwarf???
I am not a Troll, I am just pissed..!
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purplecandle
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by purplecandle »

scpion wrote:
purplecandle wrote:
scpion wrote:No offense.. But sure it's a fahaka?
Plus 1, it sounds like a dwarf puffer. It would seem unlikely for a fahaka that stunted to live that long.
A 5-6cm dwarf???
A large dwarf makes more sense than a 2in, 2 year old fahaka. Lol.
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Lets see a pic! I'd still treat for IPs if I were you. Print out the article I linked you to on this & bring it to your vet.
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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Andrea85
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by Andrea85 »

I Will post pictures, but as far as I can see it must be a fahaka, he has the right colorations and markings. I have posted pics in Swedish monsterfishforums and been told its a fahaka.
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by RTR »

+1 to Scorpio's question.

With no information on former tankmates, aquarium care and upkeep there is no rational way to even guess the fish's future. If I wanted to maximize his chances I would move him to something like a US "75" gallon tank ~48x18x18 inches, all alone. If the fish doubles in size there I would move to a US 120 or 180 gallon tank, I would feed 6 days out of 7 until the fish is 3-4" long, then go alternate day feeding (but larger meals). Vitamin soaks for all no-living foods will not hurt. Live food should be cared for as well as the fish is itself. 40-50% water partials weekly are ideal.

Good Luck
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Andrea85
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by Andrea85 »

http://forumbilder.se/CDD9M/imag0412

I hope you all can see the pics, they are from his first day here, last week.

http://forumbilder.se/CDD9M/imag0414

As you can see, he is not much bigger than one of the suctioncups on the heater...

This weekend I am selling my much beloved Channas and I am moving this little fella to their tank. Its a 250 liter tank with a lagre footprint. Its fully cykled and has two big filters with both mecanical and biological cleaning. The water is slightly acidid, what Ph is best för the Fahaka? Its heavily planted and has numerous caves and hidingspots. Its also infested with snails and shrimp, so it should be like heaven. The only companion he is getting is the tiny Ancistrus he is living with right now.
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scpion
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by scpion »

Ok. That is for sure a fahaka. But the growth rate is real strange.. Even if housed in a much smaller tank, I believe it should be much bigger than 5-6cm over 2 years. Imo, My next guess would be the history of it is bogus.. Now, move it to the 250l as soon as u can to prevent further stunning.
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by Pufferpunk »

What's the pH in there & why is it acid? What's the pH of your tap water?
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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purplecandle
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by purplecandle »

scpion wrote:Ok. That is for sure a fahaka. But the growth rate is real strange.. Even if housed in a much smaller tank, I believe it should be much bigger than 5-6cm over 2 years. Imo, My next guess would be the history of it is bogus.. Now, move it to the 250l as soon as u can to prevent further stunning.
The history might not be bogus...the puffer' s eyes are abnormally large in my opinion. In other species of fish, misshapen/abnormal eyes are a sign of stunting. If I remember correctly discus fish will have misshapen eyes if stunted ??

In am truly stunned that this fish is still alive! Rename him King Survivor!
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Andrea85
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by Andrea85 »

I am sure the age is accurate, because I know where he is from originally and that store havent had puffers for 2-3 years. Meaning he is from their last shipment, and Fahakas is not a very common fish in Sweden.

The PH from the tap is 8,2, and because the Channas want acidic water the water is treated with cones, oakleafs and katappaleaves. I can test the PH that it is right now. But I can also do a 100% WC and make the water more hard. Its clay in the bottom of this aquarium thats also lowering the PH, and if the Fahaka needs hard water this clay has to be removed. I would like to leave the setup as it is if thats possible because its a good setup for the puffer in my opinion, very bushy and lots of places to lurk in. I need to test the PH, I will buy a test tomorrow and take a look, I do have "PHtestingpaperstrips" but I dont know if i can trust the result from those.

The eyes are truly very big, just like they become in fish that has been stunted and underfed. I have seen it in other fishspecies before.He is eating like a monster right now, and pooping to match. No worms in the poop and no stringy poop.
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Pufferpunk
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My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
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2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
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suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by Pufferpunk »

He doesn't need hard water, just whatever normal tap he has been getting from your area. I'd definitely take all the leaves, etc out & do a very large WC. Are you using Prime to dechlor?
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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scpion
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by scpion »

Well. I would say ime, when they are younger, their eyes are much larger in proportion to their body. Especially true for larger species where when they grow much larger, u can really see the differences. Their eyes does not seems to grow that much.
I am not a Troll, I am just pissed..!
Andrea85
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by Andrea85 »

Then I do a 70-80% WC and take the acidic things out. I use EasyLife och AquaSafe as a waterconditioner, but the water in Sweden is really good, and its only extremely sensitive fishes who need conditioners. But I consider the Fahaka sensitive so I am planing to use EasyLife. I also use pure vitamin C (powder) who neutralises the chlorine and chloramine. My neighbour (same water) breeds supersensitive freshwatershrimp without conditioners and the shrimp thrives, so the water is really good. But for my sensitive fishes, both the salt and freshwater ones, I use different products.

Prime, is that Sechaem you are using? I will try to buy some of that for the fish. I do weekly 50% WC for all my fish, so this is what I am planing to do with the fahaka. Can I use plantnutrition in his tank? The tank is actually a aquascapetank and I would like it to keep looking good.

Right now he wont eat the snails in his tank, he only wants chopped earthworms soaked in vitamins. But if I crush the snails a little bit he happily eats, he is perhaps a bit lazy 8)
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scpion
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by scpion »

Fahakas have a reputation of "rearranging" things in their tank. Basically they will just destroy stuffs that they do not like..

Anyway, good luck with your newfound friend! :D
I am not a Troll, I am just pissed..!
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