alright well my parameters are fine im sure, i havnt tested them but i cycled the tank for a month or so and slowley added some community fish and continually checked the nitrites and amonia and it is all finished cycleing, but i dont have any more test strips so i cant tell you exactly. I would say it is about half way between brackish and fresh, i know its not great for the puffer but im working on getting him another home, (i didnt want to leave him at the fish store were they were feeding him flakes in a ten gallon tank with one teaspoon of reagular table salt and four figure eights and a pleco.)
this might be the problem idk, its a 60 gallon with, (dont hate me to much) 4 black skirt tetras, two angel fish, two mollies, one platy, and two yoyo loaches(botia loachata) and finaly the figure eight puffer.
ive used cycle and amquel plus. i usually change about 15 gallons every other week and feed flakes and frozen blood worms,
ok now to the problem, I came home today and couldnt find my little puffer (well not so little 2.25 inches) he had hidden himself in some of the plants and just was very lathargic. i attempted to feed him again thinking he might be hungry, well he wouldnt eat a bite. so i thaught maybe water conditions so i did another water change.
well after the water change he seemed even more lathargic, and even got stuck to the filter, since then i put him in the net breeder thing i use for my guppy fry. and am just watching him very carefully.
any ideas from more experienced puffer keepers?
F8 puffer not doing so good
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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cobra1713
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 316
- Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 3:26 am
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F8 puffer not doing so good
60g with 2 angels, 1 yoyo loach, Upside down catfish, Clown Loach, 1 leopard Ctenopoma, 12 black skirt tetras and a L201 Pleco
30g GSP tank (soon to be 35 gal Hex)
30g GSP tank (soon to be 35 gal Hex)
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cobra1713
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 316
- Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 3:26 am
- Location: Apple Valley, CA
Re: F8 puffer not doing so good
another thing i just noticed is he has a lump on the right side at the base of his tail. I would say it almost looks like a tumor or something, hopefully someone can help i really love this little dude.
60g with 2 angels, 1 yoyo loach, Upside down catfish, Clown Loach, 1 leopard Ctenopoma, 12 black skirt tetras and a L201 Pleco
30g GSP tank (soon to be 35 gal Hex)
30g GSP tank (soon to be 35 gal Hex)
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crazedpuffer
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1755
- Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:57 pm
- My Puffers: 1x Porcupine Puffer
1xValentini - Location: Long Island, NY
Re: F8 puffer not doing so good
Test strips are very innacurate. Get a liquid test kit. F8s need low end brackish water so it could be brackish enough already.
Also those other fish will do poorly with BW and F8s can live in FW just not long healthy lives.
Why are you using cycle if your tank is cycled? That is just dead bacteria and doing more harm then good. I'd just stop adding it in if I was you. Also I think weekly water changes would be much better,
The lump could be from the filter. Do you have a quarantine tank? If not Pimafix Melafix the tank.
Your puffer may be acting lethargic for a number of reasons. The other fish could be bullying him. I'd by a 10 gallon tank, and take the filter media from your tank and put it in the 10 gallons filter and put the F8 in.
Is his belly sunken in? It could be IP doing it.
Also those other fish will do poorly with BW and F8s can live in FW just not long healthy lives.
Why are you using cycle if your tank is cycled? That is just dead bacteria and doing more harm then good. I'd just stop adding it in if I was you. Also I think weekly water changes would be much better,
The lump could be from the filter. Do you have a quarantine tank? If not Pimafix Melafix the tank.
Your puffer may be acting lethargic for a number of reasons. The other fish could be bullying him. I'd by a 10 gallon tank, and take the filter media from your tank and put it in the 10 gallons filter and put the F8 in.
Is his belly sunken in? It could be IP doing it.
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cobra1713
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 316
- Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 3:26 am
- Location: Apple Valley, CA
Re: F8 puffer not doing so good
well i had used the cycle originally because i thaught it was cycled but it wasnt so i added id, anyway.
well i appreciate all the ideas but i woke up to him no longer alive. so i wish i could have tried the melafix but looks like i was just a little to late. but thank you guys any way.
and im now gonna take my little ten gallon i was breeding guppies in and make it a puffer tank cus they are just the best fish i have ever had.
well i appreciate all the ideas but i woke up to him no longer alive. so i wish i could have tried the melafix but looks like i was just a little to late. but thank you guys any way.
and im now gonna take my little ten gallon i was breeding guppies in and make it a puffer tank cus they are just the best fish i have ever had.
60g with 2 angels, 1 yoyo loach, Upside down catfish, Clown Loach, 1 leopard Ctenopoma, 12 black skirt tetras and a L201 Pleco
30g GSP tank (soon to be 35 gal Hex)
30g GSP tank (soon to be 35 gal Hex)
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crazedpuffer
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1755
- Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:57 pm
- My Puffers: 1x Porcupine Puffer
1xValentini - Location: Long Island, NY
Re: F8 puffer not doing so good
Yes I agree they definetly are. Sorry about your puffer but now you can learn from your mistakes and do it right. Good luck!
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yunachin
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Re: F8 puffer not doing so good
Several things wrong here:
1) Adding Cycle is just like adding more fish waste--adding to your bioload. It's junk, don't use it.
2) Adding Amquel, removes ammonia needed for nitrifying bacteria to develop & live.
3) Putting a puffer in a comminuty tank, especially with angels. Puffers nip fins, especially long ones of poor swimmers.
4) Using strip tests. Very inaccurate. Get a liquid Master Test Kit.
5) Don't buy a fish you aren't prepared for, even to "rescue" it. If the fish dies at the shop, that shows it's a poor seller & maybe they'll stop carrying it. Buy from a reputable shop that takes care of their puffers. That puffer may have been doomed from the start.
1) Adding Cycle is just like adding more fish waste--adding to your bioload. It's junk, don't use it.
2) Adding Amquel, removes ammonia needed for nitrifying bacteria to develop & live.
3) Putting a puffer in a comminuty tank, especially with angels. Puffers nip fins, especially long ones of poor swimmers.
4) Using strip tests. Very inaccurate. Get a liquid Master Test Kit.
5) Don't buy a fish you aren't prepared for, even to "rescue" it. If the fish dies at the shop, that shows it's a poor seller & maybe they'll stop carrying it. Buy from a reputable shop that takes care of their puffers. That puffer may have been doomed from the start.
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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Myaj
- Tech Team
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- Contact:
Re: F8 puffer not doing so good
Actually, Amquel does not remove ammonia, it just makes it less toxic. The bacteria can still use it. Products such as Zeolite DO remove the ammonia, which starves the bacteria.
I would suspect your parameters are no where near "good". On a 60 gallon tank with all those fish, you need to be doing much larger water changes. Also, if you added the salt all at once, it would hurt your biofilter, possibly crashing the tank. And I doubt you are anywhere "halfway between fresh and salt", or most of those tetras, loaches and possibly even the angels would be dead.
Get yourself some test kits before you even think about getting more fish.
And a 10 gallon tank is really too small for a figure 8, they do best in 15 gallons or larger.
I would suspect your parameters are no where near "good". On a 60 gallon tank with all those fish, you need to be doing much larger water changes. Also, if you added the salt all at once, it would hurt your biofilter, possibly crashing the tank. And I doubt you are anywhere "halfway between fresh and salt", or most of those tetras, loaches and possibly even the angels would be dead.
Get yourself some test kits before you even think about getting more fish.
And a 10 gallon tank is really too small for a figure 8, they do best in 15 gallons or larger.
