Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

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Andrea85
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Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by Andrea85 »

Hello!

I am from Sweden and I bought a Fahaka Puffer last week. The fish is over 2 years old, probably 3 years. But its tiny, only 5-6 cm long. The woman that owned it before me fed it snails (both land and waterliving) and bloodworms, it had not grown anything in her care and whe it started attacking her other fish she took it to a petshop. It was skinny when I took it from the petshop, but now it looks much more healty and is superactive.

I understand that something is totaly wrong with this fish, and I want to give it the best care now.

I keep it i hard water at 26 degrees celsius with hidingspots and a lot of plants, and the filtration is extremely good, I have an extern filter. I keep it in a small aquarium for now, to make feeding easy. The fish eats waterliving snails, earthworms, mysis, krill and live shrimp. I give it fishvitamins every day. The appetite is huge, and the teeth looks good. If it starts to grow I have bigger aquariums for it to live in, upp to 500-700 liters.

Can I expect that the growth has stopped? And It will keep its miniature size? I have read about a subspecies of Fahaka that is much smaller, could this fish be one of them?

Thanks in advance!
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by Pufferpunk »

[welcome]
My guess is either is is severely stunted from being in too small a tank or it has IPs.
I highly suggest you treat for this: library/hospital/internal-parasites-pre ... treatment/

How large is his tank how?
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!"
Andrea85
Puffer Fry
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2013 4:30 pm
Location (country): Sweden

Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by Andrea85 »

Pufferpunk wrote:[welcome]
My guess is either is is severely stunted from being in too small a tank or it has IPs.
I highly suggest you treat for this: library/hospital/internal-parasites-pre ... treatment/

How large is his tank how?
Probably its stunted, I dont know how the former owner kept it, but she said it lived in a 200 liter aquarium. I keep it in a small (50 liters) tank for now, just to make sure I could overlook the eating. I could move it to a bigger tank, what size of tank should I use? In the store it lived in a 5 liter (!) aquarium.

In Sweden its not easy to get medicine for fish, often you have to buy it from a vet. Is there any medication that is preffered for treating Ip:s?
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bertie 83
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by bertie 83 »

120usg minimum for this fish alone. He is severely stunted from innapropriate housing. My fahaka hit 13" in his first year with me.
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
Andrea85
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by Andrea85 »

bertie 83 wrote:120usg minimum for this fish alone. He is severely stunted from innapropriate housing. My fahaka hit 13" in his first year with me.
I guess that means that even if I put it in a big tank (120g) it would not grow much more, being as old as it is? He has been this size now for over two years according to the former owner.
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bertie 83
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by bertie 83 »

You need to resolve the prior issues with tank size first, give a sensible tank with good to perfect water parameters. This way he will still live a long life and hopefully remain healthy
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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bertie 83
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by bertie 83 »

Also if he is looking skinny treat for ip's following pps link above
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
Andrea85
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by Andrea85 »

I understand he needs i bigger tank to live in, but can I expect him to grow more? What would be a sensible tanksize for a fish thats 5-6 cm long, and perhaps also stays that really tiny size?

He does not look skinny now, rounded belly after each feeding ,I feed small portions 3-4 times per day since he was so skinny when he arrived. He always have snails in the tank, and live feedershrimp. Waterparameters are perfect, zero nitrit.
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Pufferpunk
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2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
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lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by Pufferpunk »

It is very likely, with the proper housing & feeding, he will grow.
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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bertie 83
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Location (country): Brighton, England
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by bertie 83 »

+ 1 he will grow
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
Andrea85
Puffer Fry
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Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2013 4:30 pm
Location (country): Sweden

Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by Andrea85 »

Good, thats want I wanted to hear. Then I will buy a suitable aquarium for him so he hopefully can have many good years to come.
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bertie 83
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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: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by bertie 83 »

Good on you. Aim for a 150usg or so, he will fill it with personality alone
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
Andrea85
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Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2013 4:30 pm
Location (country): Sweden

Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by Andrea85 »

He is a huge personality alredy, and I would love to see him bulking up and getting some size in a bigger aquaria.
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bertie 83
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Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:28 pm
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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: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by bertie 83 »

Soak his food in vitamins, feed live shrimp which have eaten lots of veggies etc. I always fed mine peas soaked with his food, if he refuses add a little garlic to the mix
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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scpion
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Re: Extremely small Fahaka, need help!

Post by scpion »

No offense.. But sure it's a fahaka?
I am not a Troll, I am just pissed..!
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