Tail is getting better but now he will not eat!
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.
Tail is getting better but now he will not eat!
I have not been able to get any answers in my other thread for over a week now. Im sure some of you have read the other one and know my puffer was QT'd and treated for a bacterial infection on his tail. He has been treated for over a week now and the black is almost gone. I stopped the treatment yesterday because the instructions say not to treat for more than 10 days. The problem now is that he has not eaten in a few days. He refuses any type of food and is getting quite thin quickly. I have NEVER seen him refuse food! Is this common when medicating puffers? Any other reasons he may not want to eat?
Re: Tail is getting better but now he will not eat!
Not sure why it's happening, but have you tried soaking his food in garlic juice first? Just mash up a clove of garlic and put it in some tank water with his food. Garlic is supposed to be an appetite stimulant. Sorry I'm not more help. 
Now, bring me that horizon...
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Tail is getting better but now he will not eat!
I'm sorry I forgot--is he in hypo for Ich?
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Re: Tail is getting better but now he will not eat!
I always soak their food in garlic, so I have tried that. He actually did eat tonight but not nearly as much as normal. I was happy to see him eat at all though.
Yes he is still in hypo for ich. He has another week to go. Is that maybe linked to the not eating?
Yes he is still in hypo for ich. He has another week to go. Is that maybe linked to the not eating?
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Pufferpunk
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T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
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Re: Tail is getting better but now he will not eat!
That's what I was wondering.
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Re: Tail is getting better but now he will not eat!
Well I hope he eats at least a little each day and in a week I will begin to raise the SG again. So in a week and a half, he should be back up to marine.
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Pufferpunk
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- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Tail is getting better but now he will not eat!
How low is it now? Maybe you can raise it a bit?
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Puffer Queen
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Re: Tail is getting better but now he will not eat!
What are the current water parameters?
When did you last see ich spots?
Usually hyposalinity does not affect puffers appetite.
When did you last see ich spots?
Usually hyposalinity does not affect puffers appetite.
Kelly
Re: Tail is getting better but now he will not eat!
Well he is eating well again. It was two and a half days in which he only ate a little bit. The black on his tail is completely gone now.
The water params are:
Amm. undetectable
Nitrite Small traces I think but not really able to match it up on the chart (very low)
Nitrate 15
I have been doing 50-75% daily water changes...very tiring even on this small tank.
I last saw ich spots...wow, I guess over 2 weeks ago. He never had very many.
The water params are:
Amm. undetectable
Nitrite Small traces I think but not really able to match it up on the chart (very low)
Nitrate 15
I have been doing 50-75% daily water changes...very tiring even on this small tank.
I last saw ich spots...wow, I guess over 2 weeks ago. He never had very many.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Tail is getting better but now he will not eat!
I wasn't sure about that--just a thought. That's what we need you here for--the facts!Puffer Queen wrote:Usually hyposalinity does not affect puffers appetite.
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
-
Puffer Queen
- Mentor
- Posts: 386
- Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 10:35 am
- Location: Louisville, KY
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Re: Tail is getting better but now he will not eat!
Having to perform such large water changes daily - can lead to feeding issues....have you checked water parameters right before a change and then after?TriniGirl wrote:Well he is eating well again. It was two and a half days in which he only ate a little bit. The black on his tail is completely gone now.
The water params are:
Amm. undetectable
Nitrite Small traces I think but not really able to match it up on the chart (very low)
Nitrate 15
I have been doing 50-75% daily water changes...very tiring even on this small tank.
If you saw ich spots two weeks ago - treatment should continue for at least two weeks after the spots as the spots are just the feeding stage....free swimming and cyst stages can't be seen by the human eye without a microscope.I last saw ich spots...wow, I guess over 2 weeks ago. He never had very many.
Kelly
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Puffer Queen
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Re: Tail is getting better but now he will not eat!
Many will attribute whatever treatment is being used for anorexia, rapid respirations, etc when in fact it is the disease process itself taking a toll on the fish or even water paramters..........Pufferpunk wrote:I wasn't sure about that--just a thought. That's what we need you here for--the facts!Puffer Queen wrote:Usually hyposalinity does not affect puffers appetite.
Kelly
Re: Tail is getting better but now he will not eat!
He ate again today and seems "normal". His tail has no more black and the slight tear in the middle has already healed up. He is back to fanning that big beautiful tail of his again!
I have been testing the water every morning before work, then doing a water change every evening around 6, then testing again before bed. I usually get a bit of nitrite in the morning and its almost gone before bed (after the water change). I have yet to see ammonia since I have been doing big water changes but Im sure it must be there in traces that my kits do not pick up.
Overall, I have been happy with his progression, as far as my untrained eye can see. He seems much more energetic and "happy" again. Even his color has brightened up. He also comes to hover with me at the glass again and beg for food.
I have been testing the water every morning before work, then doing a water change every evening around 6, then testing again before bed. I usually get a bit of nitrite in the morning and its almost gone before bed (after the water change). I have yet to see ammonia since I have been doing big water changes but Im sure it must be there in traces that my kits do not pick up.
Overall, I have been happy with his progression, as far as my untrained eye can see. He seems much more energetic and "happy" again. Even his color has brightened up. He also comes to hover with me at the glass again and beg for food.