Linus, my fahaka, is not doing well for some strange reason. On Friday, when it came time to eat, he took a couple of small nibbles on his shrimp and then completely ignored it. I left it in the tank overnight in case he wanted to eat (I feed in the evenings after work) then removed it in the morning. It was still untouched other than by the baby guppies and baby mollies. He's been hanging out at the surface a lot with his mouth skimming the surface. This morning, he appeared to have some strange spots on his skin, on his back. Not fungus looking, not ich, more like the skin had flaked off or something. I put some Melafix and Pimafix in the tank this morning, and added some extra Prime, just in case.
Ammonia-0
Nitrites-0
Nitrates-30
pH-7.8
120 gallons
Tankmates: Palembangensis (on one side with a divider between them), baby guppies and baby mollies (home-bred)
One humongous HOB filter on palembang's side, canister filter on his side
No recent changes other than the addition of the guppies and mollies over a month ago.
He's about 8" long now. I suspect he may be scraping himself on the artificial bogwood, which I will be removing tonight. He seems to not realize he's not still a tiny thing and tries to hide in the spaces, even though he has a large root structure to hide under. I'll replace them with more silk plants and another large root structure.
Linus, my beautiful fahaka, rest in peace
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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Boxermom
- Former Staff Member
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Linus, my beautiful fahaka, rest in peace
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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Boxermom
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Re: Linus, my beautiful fahaka, rest in peace
I'm completely gutted. I got home from work to find my beloved Linus had died. No idea why. Other than those few spots, he appeared to be perfectly healthy. Justin the palembang and everyone else appear to be fine. His underside was soft, didn't seem impacted or anything, nothing obvious at all. In three days' time, he went from appearing to be perfectly healthy to dying.
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
Re: Linus, my beautiful fahaka, rest in peace
Sorry to hear that, such a shame, at least you gave him a good life albeit short.
Re: Linus, my beautiful fahaka, rest in peace
Sorry for your loss. 
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crazedpuffer
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1xValentini - Location: Long Island, NY
Re: Linus, my beautiful fahaka, rest in peace
Thats so sad. I'm sorry about Linus, he was a very pretty puffer. Are you going to get another Fahaka or no?
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bonnie3188
- Figure 8 Puffer
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Re: Linus, my beautiful fahaka, rest in peace
Sorry to hear that, its so frustrating when we have no idea why we lose our friends
-Bonnie
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Boxermom
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Re: Linus, my beautiful fahaka, rest in peace
Thank you everyone. I'm totally heartbroken about losing him.flamesofifreet wrote:Are you going to get another Fahaka or no?
As far as getting another one, its highly likely if/when my LFS gets one that I'll attempt keeping another one. Their stock list shows something called a striped puffer in the freshwater list, but I'm not sure what that is.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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Pufferpunk
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Re: Linus, my beautiful fahaka, rest in peace
Wow, I'm so sorry for your loss!
Are you going to do an autopsy? Maybe Puffer Queen could tell you what to look for.
Are you going to do an autopsy? Maybe Puffer Queen could tell you what to look for.
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: Linus, my beautiful fahaka, rest in peace
Sorry to hear about Linus, sounds like you did everything you could.
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Troender
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Re: Linus, my beautiful fahaka, rest in peace
Awww! I'm so sorry to hear that! Sorry for your loss! 
Linus was one of my favorite puffers in here. He was a great fish!
Linus was one of my favorite puffers in here. He was a great fish!
Inger Anne
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Just think how stupid the average person is, and then realize that half of them are even stupider! -George Carlin
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Just think how stupid the average person is, and then realize that half of them are even stupider! -George Carlin
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kimmers318
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Re: Linus, my beautiful fahaka, rest in peace
So sorry to hear that Boxermom. Fahaka's are one of the prettiest puffers, a dream puffer for me, but I don't have the room for the tank one needs right now.
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Boxermom
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Re: Linus, my beautiful fahaka, rest in peace
I wouldn't have a clue what to look for, and don't think I could cut him open even if I did. I'm not that clinical and am far too emotionally involved. I took some photos of him, then carefully wrapped him and dug him a small grave.Pufferpunk wrote:Are you going to do an autopsy? Maybe Puffer Queen could tell you what to look for.
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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Pandora114
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Myaj
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Re: Linus, my beautiful fahaka, rest in peace
Oh no, not Linus! The poor little (okay, not so little anymore) guy.
I'm so sorry Tina. What a loss. I wonder if your local water had something changed in it.. call the city (or wherever your water comes from) and ask if they added any treatments or anything to it.
If you froze the body, you *could* send it out for an autopsy I believe. It might be a good thing to do. Remember when I lost my one SAP for no apparent reason? I did a sloppy autopsy myself and found he'd eaten a box elder beetle (must have fallen into the tank) and apparently couldn't digest it, it was blocking him and was completely undigested (or maybe it had a mild toxin to him? I don't know). I felt better knowing there was a reason for it.
*edit* Ah I see he was buried already. Again, I'm so sorry you lost him Tina.
I'm so sorry Tina. What a loss. I wonder if your local water had something changed in it.. call the city (or wherever your water comes from) and ask if they added any treatments or anything to it.
If you froze the body, you *could* send it out for an autopsy I believe. It might be a good thing to do. Remember when I lost my one SAP for no apparent reason? I did a sloppy autopsy myself and found he'd eaten a box elder beetle (must have fallen into the tank) and apparently couldn't digest it, it was blocking him and was completely undigested (or maybe it had a mild toxin to him? I don't know). I felt better knowing there was a reason for it.
*edit* Ah I see he was buried already. Again, I'm so sorry you lost him Tina.
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Pufferpunk
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C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Re: Linus, my beautiful fahaka, rest in peace
I autopsied a pignose that died after only having him for 6 wks. His liver was dark yellow & hard as a rock. I didn't need a vet's certificate to know that wasn't right.
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!"