Burrfish Troubles
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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HRPuffersnStuff
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 105
- Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2005 1:51 pm
- Location: State College, PA
- Contact:
Burrfish Troubles
A friend of mine recently got a burrfish, and I have noticed that over the last week or so, it has swelled up. His face almost looks like a cabbage patch kid. Could this be dropsy? Or would his spines be sticking out? He is about an inch and one quarter long, currently in QT being treated for ich, I believe quick ich was used for two days. SG was about 1.015 at the lowest point of his treatment. (osmoregulation issues?) He is eating krill, and acting pretty normal, but his face is almost twice as big as it used to be. He also looks like he might be constipated? Could this be causing him to swell? I gave him some Garlic Guard to soak the krill in a few days ago. He won't eat peas. Any ideas on whether it could be just stuffed up or what a burrfish with dropsy would look like? I will try to get a pic.
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Boxermom
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 2182
- Joined: Sun Mar 12, 2006 8:34 pm
- Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: Burrfish Troubles
If its eating krill, its likely constipation is a problem. Krill isn't a good staple, it causes constipation and malnutrition. Epson salt works for freshwater fish that won't eat peas, not sure about saltwater fish though.
Tina
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
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spoot
- Green Spotted Puffer
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- Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 5:21 am
- My Puffers: T. fluviatilis 2x
C. travancoricus - Location: Vancouver
Re: Burrfish Troubles
If it is a C. schoepfii, the low sg wouldn't be the issue. They are often found in estuaries and river mouths. Is it just the face that is swelled? Could be an infection.
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Puffer Queen
- Mentor
- Posts: 386
- Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 10:35 am
- Location: Louisville, KY
- Contact:
Re: Burrfish Troubles
picture would help!
Secondary bacterial infections are common after external parasite infections.
Secondary bacterial infections are common after external parasite infections.
Kelly
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OraLacerta
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 573
- Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:51 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Tetraodon biocellatus.
RIP: C. travancoricus, Chilomycterus schoepfi. Canthigaster jactator. - Location (country): USA
- Location: USA
Re: Burrfish Troubles
Is it a Burrfish or a Porcupine Puffer? I noticed you asked, "Or would his spines be sticking out" leading me to believe it's a porc of some sort as Burrfish's spines always point out rather than laying flat like Porcs. If it is a C. shoepfi then as Spoot pointed out the low SG wouldn't be an issue. I kept mine at 1.009 for more than 4 weeks to treat ich and he didn't seem to suffer one bit from the salinity.
Regardless, a photo will really help us identify the problem, but I think Spoot & P_Q may be right that it could be an infection.
Regardless, a photo will really help us identify the problem, but I think Spoot & P_Q may be right that it could be an infection.
-Michelle
Prevent unnecessary deaths due to disease- quarantine ALL new additions at least 4 weeks in a separate tank before adding to your main display tank!
Puffers: Hindenburg the Figure Eight, 75gallon Brackish
Prevent unnecessary deaths due to disease- quarantine ALL new additions at least 4 weeks in a separate tank before adding to your main display tank!
Puffers: Hindenburg the Figure Eight, 75gallon Brackish
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Myaj
- Tech Team
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- Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 12:27 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Bubba, turgidus
Paris, lined burrfish - Location: SE Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: Burrfish Troubles
I dont' really have any advice, but my avatar is a burrfish's face, if that helps at all!
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HRPuffersnStuff
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 105
- Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2005 1:51 pm
- Location: State College, PA
- Contact:
Re: Burrfish Troubles
It is definately a burr, I believe it is schoepfi. The swelling has gone down, but he did get stuck to the filter today. Had to pull him off, but now he is swimming normally. ON a good note, ich is gone. 