I just got my F8 puffers a week ago after my tank cycled. Here are the answers to the questions first:
1) ph= 7.2, ammonia= 0, nitrite= 0, nitrate= ~8, they are basically at freshwater now...i added like a teaspoon of marine salt (i don't know if they should be in brackish water at 1 inch big)
2) 2 figure 8 puffers in a 28 gallon tank
3) they get frozen blood worms and mysis shrimp, and we feed til their bellies are slightly round. when the tank cycled, i took out about 90% of water. this week i changed 1/3 of the water, and i plan on doing that weekly. i only add prime to condition the water, and i have added a teaspoon of marine salt last time (which i don't think makes any difference).
4) the only thing that changed is that i added a piece of decor to it.
5) i cycled the tank using fishless cycle. it took about a month, and i have been monitering the peaks and drops of ammonia and nitrite.
so, the problem that i am observing is that one of the puffers has a blackish mouth. the tail is slightly grey too. i'm, wondering if stress can be caused by IP because he's quite thin, and i saw a tiny almost clear circle on his stomach. i don't know if it is a bite mark..but he does have a bite scar that looks very different from the circle. he's not buzzing around like the other guy, but he still moves around and eats well. i hope to get some advice as to how i should deal with the problem. i took some pictures, but i don't know if they will help. please let me know if more pics are needed.
could it be IP?
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.
could it be IP?
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Re: could it be IP?
ok, i was more and more sure that he had IP so i started treating him for it yesterday. i soaked 1/8 of the jungle tab into their blood worms and they took them fine. but today, the sick puffer will not eat. the other one ate all of it and now his behaviour seems slightly "off". he's not as energetic as before, so i am wondering if this is just a typical effect of the medicine. i don't think the sick one will make it 
, so i want to at least keep the healthy one alive. i separated the sick one and put the medicine in his water instead. hopefully they will both make it.
, so i want to at least keep the healthy one alive. i separated the sick one and put the medicine in his water instead. hopefully they will both make it.
Re: could it be IP?
Have you seen it poo yet. The poo will be long, white and stringy. My F8 belly's change colours alot and one develops darkspots when ever it eats.
How large are they?
What store did you get them from?
What is the exact name of the medicine you are giving?
I feed my F8s 3 days aweek so the smaller one may not be hungry. They also sometimes eat sporatically when they are settling in to a new tank.
How large are they?
What store did you get them from?
What is the exact name of the medicine you are giving?
I feed my F8s 3 days aweek so the smaller one may not be hungry. They also sometimes eat sporatically when they are settling in to a new tank.
Re: could it be IP?
Had another look at the pic. He looks fine to me. Keep watching for the poo the most definitive sign. Or if he keeps eating but gets thinner.
Re: could it be IP?
thanks for the advice. yeah, i did see white stringy poop on both of the fish. they were getting Jungle Parasite Guard tabs (it was the only thing they had at my closest pet store), and they are an inch big.
the dark one became really, really listless today. i don't know if he will make it.
should i continue medicating either one of them?
the dark one became really, really listless today. i don't know if he will make it.
should i continue medicating either one of them?
Last edited by nosepuff on Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: could it be IP?
I tried using tabs before and found that they did not disolve adequately. Liquid is mouch better.I have some prazipro handy PM me your location maybe I can dropit for you.
keep medicating with whatever you have for now.
keep medicating with whatever you have for now.
Re: could it be IP?
thanks for the offer, but sadly he really didn't make it. i don't understand if it is just that the medicine is too strong. he was fine and hungry one day on the first treatment and then the next day he just lost his appetite and sat at the bottom until he died. i hope the other one turns out fine. he's quite plump and curious, with no signs of stress yet.
i don't understand if it is just that the medicine is too strong. he was fine and hungry one day on the first treatment and then the next day he just lost his appetite and sat at the bottom until he died. i hope the other one turns out fine. he's quite plump and curious, with no signs of stress yet.-
Myaj
- Tech Team
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- My Puffers: Bubba, turgidus
Paris, lined burrfish - Location: SE Wisconsin
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Re: could it be IP?
If they already have a full load of parasites, sometimes the die off once you give them the meds can make them even more sick. Yours didn't look too bad though, but who knows what these poor guys go through before they get to us (remember, they are all wild caught, so ripped out of their habitat, shipped, shipped again, probably yet again, tossed in a tank in a store, taken home and put into yet anohter tank...). Lots of stress and its amazing more of them don't die in their first few weeks of "domestic life".
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manutius
- Former Staff Member
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- My Puffers: RIP Clooney the Mbu :(
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Re: could it be IP?
really sorry to hear of your loss but as Myaj says they go through a lot before you get them home so don't be too har don yourself, you did the best you could
Re: could it be IP?
yeah, they probably went through a lot. and i just remember that the pet store was feeding them guppies, which was bad practice right? the healthy one seems to enjoy having the tank all to himself. :S
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manutius
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1316
- Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:49 pm
- My Puffers: RIP Clooney the Mbu :(
- Location: Southend essex, UK
- Contact:
Re: could it be IP?
that is bad practice yes and it frustrates me when LFS do not do their homework. Nothing new there then!!!! Your single puff will be a lot happier in ther for sure
Re: could it be IP?
i am treating my current puffer for IP for 7 days. is it necessary to treat for another week? just wondering becuz it seems to stress him out a bit cuz after feeding he will hide and poop. and then afterwards he feels better (or so it seems).