MBU sucked into power head :-(

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tkddavep
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MBU sucked into power head :-(

Post by tkddavep »

Hi all,

Sorry to post an emergency first time around!!

Picked up a lovely little mbu on sat (6 or 7 cm or so), come home from work today and found him up inside the powerhead intake (which WAS protected, but protection got sucked in as well). He's still alive (just) but looks REAL bad :-(

whole left side is damaged, including fins etc, he looks a bit twisted up and looks like undigested food has been sucked out of his back side, poor poor thing. Also his left eye has been badly damaged.

I have him seperated at mo in a 2 litre plastic pot with drill holes, so other fish cannot get to him, but what else should I do?? I do not have another tank i can move him to. as i type there is "raw" food coming out of his backside, which is also very big.

is it kinder to end his life? what are his chances do you think??

Any suggestions welcome.

Dave (gutted and worried).
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t1gerbee
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Re: MBU sucked into power head :-(

Post by t1gerbee »

god, that sounds aweful.

Melafix will help heal wounds, but i'm not sure if he's too far gone or not....


Clove oil is good to peacefully putting fish to sleep if you need it... (you can get it at the chemist)


guess all you do is medicate with melafix and wait and see...

although i'm guessing if it's food/insides coming out of it's backend then the outlook is bad... :-(
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crazedpuffer
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Re: MBU sucked into power head :-(

Post by crazedpuffer »

So sorry about your mbu!
I'd just wait it out and see waht happens, how is he doing and what size tank is it?
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tkddavep
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Re: MBU sucked into power head :-(

Post by tkddavep »

hi there (01:00 here in uk and i've sat up to keep an eye)...

some background...and update ( :-( )

I have dwarf puffers in a 20gal and 1 south amaerican ina 20gal...

my (nearly 4) year old son named our mbu "Sticky Wow wow", how can I explain when he's not there in the morning to chase his finger around :-(, he passed around 1 hour ago. his injuries were just too much. I am angry at myself AND my stupid power head.

I had planned for my mbu for over 3 months, researching and even having my floor (1930's house) re-inforced. then finally getting my tank, whichy is a 175 gal by the way. It's so unfair that Sticky met and end so soon, and so violently (he was a baby and only 6 or 7 cm or so).

I'm gutted and saddened. My son will be devistated and i can't even replace him (mbu's are like golddust!!).

Thanks for the comments so far.

Dave

p.s. i'm tempted to smash my powerhead up, but i know that's Irrational.
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SpockthePuffer
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Re: MBU sucked into power head :-(

Post by SpockthePuffer »

I'm sorry to hear about your MBU.

There will be other puffers you can get in the future but mbus are pretty special from what I hear from owners on here
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crazedpuffer
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Re: MBU sucked into power head :-(

Post by crazedpuffer »

Sorry about your loss!
Chances are he wasn't a very healthy puffer than, since a healthy fish wouldn't get sucked into a filter, except if it was incredibly too strong. Mbus are very unique puffers but sadly are unsuitable for most home aquariums. Are you planning on another large puffer?
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tkddavep
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Re: MBU sucked into power head :-(

Post by tkddavep »

hi,

possibley he was sick already, he was quite "skinny". i would "love" another mbu, i have arranged for him for ages, but am now scared by the loss etc, i also understand it's not tank params, but a freak accidient.

i read mbu r ok for 50gal plus, and up to 1000 gal!!, i got the biggest tank i could, 175 gal is am estimate it's bigger than the largest standard 6x2x2...

i'll hold off for now, poor Sticky Wow wow.

Dave
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Jase
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Re: MBU sucked into power head :-(

Post by Jase »

I'm sorry for your loss. they are such friendly fish with so much personality. hope you can find a new aqua friend to love when the time is right.
-Jase
edmlfc1 wrote:A house without a puffer is not a home. :D
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Re: MBU sucked into power head :-(

Post by Nick »

Perhaps you could try a Fahaka puffer...
No matter how magnificent your successes or devastating your failures, the worlds' approximately 5 billion impoverished people could not possibly care less.
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manutius
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Re: MBU sucked into power head :-(

Post by manutius »

If you do geta fahaka you will have to take the other fish out the tank though.

Really sorry to hear that Squishy didn' make it, that really is a shame. Mbu are the greatest fish ever IMO and I feel for you having to tell your little one that he is no longer there. Where abouts are you in UK. MY LFS always have Mbu which if I am honest about really upsets me as many people fall for them and end up with them in a 3 ft tank, or in my case a 5ft tank which in the long term really wasn't big enough for him either. Let me know what you think about my article in my signature :P

Once again I am sorry for your loss, I know that big hole that MBU leave when they are gone :(
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tkddavep
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Re: MBU sucked into power head :-(

Post by tkddavep »

Hi there,

I saw clooney on youtube, and I think your article was in a recent (Feb?) practical fishkeepinh mag wasn't it? of so, it was one of the final deciders for me to invest in the time and equipment for an mbu. (like i mentioned, had to have my floor strengthened first, then 6 people to move in tank, plus removal of banisters and door frame!!!). I keot the mag because of that article.

Fahaka is not possible for me as I do have a few other fish (2 x kribs and 9 scissors).

I am in surrey. Would be interested in any LFS with mbu near you (essex?) or in surrey!!

Thanks

Dave
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t1gerbee
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Location: london

Re: MBU sucked into power head :-(

Post by t1gerbee »

Where are you in the Uk?

I know of two LFS (enfield) (one voted top 3 in PFK mag) that always have Mbu's...

the other is a wyvale but they have three mbu's in tiny tanks, and they've been there for months.. they've grown alot and it's now painful to see them in there. :-(

If you've done your research and are really wanting another one, then I know places ou can get them from.


sorry about your new buddy, really sad. :-(
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tkddavep
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Re: MBU sucked into power head :-(

Post by tkddavep »

hi, i'm in surrey.

would rather have one in my 175gal than than seeing it starving in a tiny shop tank or not cared for properly by anyone else!!

I am in surrey, Enfield isn't a massive treck for me. Is it Whyvale (spelling) enfield branch? what is the other FS please?

Many Thanks

Dave
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t1gerbee
Fahaka Puffer
Posts: 831
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 5:10 am
My Puffers: 1 x Ceylon + 1 x GSP + 1 x stars and stripes (juv) -Marine
(Non puffs-)
4 x clowns
1 x Oscar-Tropical
3 x Convicts-Tropical
1 x Map Turtle-tropical
2 x Plecs-Tropical
2 x goldfish
Location: london

Re: MBU sucked into power head :-(

Post by t1gerbee »

Look up crews hill, enfield...

It's fish heaven (and hell)

the whole road is dedicated to garden centres and fish warehouses...

the best one is wildwoods.. it's blow your mind, they import some very rare things, and have a whole puffer section....and they're very good ethically etc.. actually care for the fish. I was there last week and they had one, maybe two mbu's. Their turn over is bigger, as they are used to more specialist customers.

The other one is whyvale (dunno about spelling, big garden centre, loads of branches.. the fish sections of the centre are maidenhead aquatics....)just standard garden centre, along the same road..(round the bend) the mbu's in there are about £80 and are maybe 6 inches long, all in 10G holding tanks, and have been for months...

they look in good condition though, beautiful infact.

There are about 3 or 4 other fish warehouses there, if you're marine curious then there is an AMAZING shop, hidden behind springtime garden centre, just park in the carpark and walk to the back, you'll see it... stunning SPS reef display tank, and tank after tank of rare marines... (don't get tempted by the pet shop at springtime, it's not part of the garden centre itself.... and has a history of animal abuse...) :-(


Crew's hill also has some horrid fish warehouses, with badly kept fish in various states, so watch out, I trust Wildwoods, wyvale SEEMS ok... and springtime marine has a good rep...

stay away from the others.


Enjoy!
Last edited by t1gerbee on Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
1 x 90G Juv stars and stripes puffer, Ceylon Puffer + GSP + 2 black clowns
1 x 30G LPS Reef
1 x 30G 1 x Blind goldfish :-)
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crazedpuffer
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Re: MBU sucked into power head :-(

Post by crazedpuffer »

Some mbus are very aggressive too, if you do get another mbu be very careful, and quarantine it and treat it for IP since chances are they will need them
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