Hello,
I woke up this morning to find my congo puffer's right fin looks like it is ripped in half. He currently lives in a 30 gallon that I change 50% of the water once a week in fact I changed the water just yesterday. I did use a little Amquel about a capful. The tank has been set up for over 2 months and he hasn't had any issues at all. I'm hoping someone can help me diagnose his ripped up right fin.
Thank you!
Congo Puffer Right fin problem
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.
-
PuffPuffGive
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:26 pm
-
yunachin
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1753
- Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2007 1:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 1x A. Meleagris (Golden)
2x Tetraodon nigroviridis
1x Tetraodon lineatus
1x A. hispidus
2x Takifugu Ocellatus
9x Tetraodon biocellatus
1x Canthigaster solandri
1x Diodon Holocanthus
2x A. nigropunctatus
1x Tetraodon miurus
1x Irrubesco - Location (country): USA
- Location: SC
-
PuffPuffGive
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:26 pm
Re: Congo Puffer Right fin problem
No a couple of ghost shrimp that are used to feed him but it does kind of look like the fin has been nipped. It is so weird I'm not sure how that could have happened. Do you think it could have burned it on the heater in the water?
-
yunachin
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1753
- Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2007 1:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 1x A. Meleagris (Golden)
2x Tetraodon nigroviridis
1x Tetraodon lineatus
1x A. hispidus
2x Takifugu Ocellatus
9x Tetraodon biocellatus
1x Canthigaster solandri
1x Diodon Holocanthus
2x A. nigropunctatus
1x Tetraodon miurus
1x Irrubesco - Location (country): USA
- Location: SC
-
mikeosoft
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 247
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:35 pm
- Location: Farmington Hills, MI
Re: Congo Puffer Right fin problem
Is there anything sharp in the tank like slate? I learned a while back that fish can mess themselves up pretty badly on slate.
-
PuffPuffGive
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:26 pm
Re: Congo Puffer Right fin problem
PH is about 7.5-7.7
Temp is around 78 - 80 F
and Tank size is 30 gallons
I was thinking it might be from the slate I have in there I guess I will take it out than. Do you recommend anything in the tank aside from just my puffer and sand?
Thanks again guys
Temp is around 78 - 80 F
and Tank size is 30 gallons
I was thinking it might be from the slate I have in there I guess I will take it out than. Do you recommend anything in the tank aside from just my puffer and sand?
Thanks again guys
-
zombiefetus
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 532
- Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 1:57 am
- Gender: Female
- Location (country): Illinois, USA
- Contact:
Re: Congo Puffer Right fin problem
You'll want to get lots of decor to keep the puffer interested, but make sure you only get soft things, like silk & live plants. It's what I had to do for all my betta after one of my boys ripped his fin on a stupid decoration.
-
yunachin
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1753
- Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2007 1:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 1x A. Meleagris (Golden)
2x Tetraodon nigroviridis
1x Tetraodon lineatus
1x A. hispidus
2x Takifugu Ocellatus
9x Tetraodon biocellatus
1x Canthigaster solandri
1x Diodon Holocanthus
2x A. nigropunctatus
1x Tetraodon miurus
1x Irrubesco - Location (country): USA
- Location: SC
Re: Congo Puffer Right fin problem
I do not recommend slate as puffers are delicate and they can impale themselves on it. It is very likely that that is what occurred. I just got some pagoda stone, which is much rounder and quite decorative for my Fahaka tank.
E.Ridgeway
-
Jase
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1579
- Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 3:13 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: RIP Hootey :(
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Montana
Re: Congo Puffer Right fin problem
I use river rocks from... down by the river 
they are round and flat. perfect
hope the fin heals quick.
they are round and flat. perfect
hope the fin heals quick.
-Jase
edmlfc1 wrote:A house without a puffer is not a home.
-
pufferfreak
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1012
- Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2007 10:26 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): U.S.A.
- Location: San Siego, CA
- Contact:
Re: Congo Puffer Right fin problem
Of course they are jase. When i move to colorado i will be able to get and get river rocks myself!!
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32976
- 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: Congo Puffer Right fin problem
Why are you using Amquell? Use Prime instead. Stop using the Amquel. It is preventing your tank from cycling properly.
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!"
-
Jase
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1579
- Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 3:13 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: RIP Hootey :(
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Montana
Re: Congo Puffer Right fin problem
I like the rocks in CO too. not as many colors as up here, but still very cool geology there. 
-Jase
edmlfc1 wrote:A house without a puffer is not a home.