IP?? I'm trying to think of what that is the acronym for.
Haven't seen her eat. When I add food to the tank, she swims around like she's in feeding mode but the food goes right past her.
Normally her belly is kind-of rounded square and somewhat flat on the bottom. Just like in the bonnie3188 picture. This past week, she has occasionally made the skin along her belly stick out with a ridge down the middle like in the picture but then it goes back flat and normal.
I have been out all day and when I got home, didn't see her in the tank. I just checked again and she was sitting on the bottom but when I looked in the tank she swam up a bit and circled around then eventually settled back down. Then she slowly scooted behind a rock. Often, when I'm kneeling in front of the tank to do water changes, I'll look up because something caught my eye and it is Tessa who has swam down to look at me. So, she hasn't been "shy" in the past. This is going to sound crazy but maybe something happened that scared her. Could that be?? With the algae issues I've had, I have been cleaning the glass a lot -- maybe I accidentally knocked her with the scraper or something like that.
Gail
Help save Tessa!!
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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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: Help save Tessa!!
IP=internal parasites. It sounds like tehy could be the problem if she is refusing food. Try treating with Praziquantel.
Also what are your perameters?
Also what are your perameters?
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bonnie3188
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 127
- Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 7:48 am
- Location: Australia
Re: Help save Tessa!!
My valentini used to do that (skin sticking down thing) when he was scared or trying to be aggressive. I used to call it his half puff. Id be worried about it sticking down permanently and I would suggest that something is irritating her.
Any aggression in the tank causing her to be stressed?
My first guess would be constipation. Do a search for constipated puffers or puffers that have swallowed air. I think peas are used to relieve constipation?
Any aggression in the tank causing her to be stressed?
My first guess would be constipation. Do a search for constipated puffers or puffers that have swallowed air. I think peas are used to relieve constipation?
-Bonnie
Re: Help save Tessa!!
This is making me crazy. When I started feeding tonight, Tessa swam up off the bottom and started looking around like she was interested but never went after any of the food. She eventually settled back down and grabbed at the gravel a couple times. It is like she is hungry but can't track the food. She swam around like she was interested a couple of times but then never went after anything. Makes me want to find a way to make the food more accessible to her only but there is nothing I can do short of trying to catch her (and then what) and that would only stress her out and make her worse...
I'll look into getting the Praziquantel and try that. I'm guessing I can treat the whole tank? Of course I'll read up on it. I'd think that internal parasites would affect other fish in the tank. All the other fish have hearty appetites.
Gail
I'll look into getting the Praziquantel and try that. I'm guessing I can treat the whole tank? Of course I'll read up on it. I'd think that internal parasites would affect other fish in the tank. All the other fish have hearty appetites.
Gail
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bonnie3188
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 127
- Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 7:48 am
- Location: Australia
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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: Help save Tessa!!
She might be getting bossed around at feeding time so she has to attempt to eat at other times.