Rescue of a F8
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.
- By_a_coo
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 474
- Joined: Sun Sep 03, 2006 7:14 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 1 X GSP
- Location (country): Brazil
- Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Re: Rescue of a F8
Russ, don't worry, give him/her good treatment as people here are saying, try to fatten him/her up while he/she is in a QT. I bought my F8 in worst condition than yours, now he's cured and having great time in his main tank.
Good luck for you both, and keep us updated!
Good luck for you both, and keep us updated!
Fernando
Re: Rescue of a F8
Thanks for all the advice.. charlie (for now) is still alive, He happily watched us make breakfast this morning and snacked on a few snails himself. I did a quick water change matching his SG and raised the temp up a few deg. when I get home this afternoon for lunch he should be right around the magic 85-86 temp. I'll try to snap a few pics and upload them. But from his appearance this morning he's in the clear from fatal to stable. Just gotta stay vigilant on the treatment and his water changes.
Re: Rescue of a F8
Did a 50% water change tonight, removed the gravel and everything, I left him a cup so he's at least got a cave to go into. His look hasn't really changed. some of the old spots are gone, some new ones have formed. Got his temp up to 86 and I did a good water change tonight. He's still eating and went through lots of blood worms. he only likes the live ones though, isn't going for the dried ones.








- By_a_coo
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 474
- Joined: Sun Sep 03, 2006 7:14 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 1 X GSP
- Location (country): Brazil
- Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Re: Rescue of a F8
I wish there was a good secured medicine to treat his white-spots... It breaks my heart to see a puffer in a shape like this =(
Fernando
Re: Rescue of a F8
Sorry to report but I woke up and Charlie was dead. Which really sucks for more reasons that just I lost a fish. It makes me question what I did, and what I could have done differently or better, cause he was still alive and seemed to be doing good. Did I push him to far to fast, could have done x,y,z.... etc.
The only good that came out of this is I got a little more experience at dealing with sick fish. I've learned a bit more about Ich, which I thankfully haven't dealt with in my display tanks for years (searches the office for real wood)
But I'm not gonna let this stop me from buying another F8 if I can ever find another one if the fairfax area. Even if it is sick, but what I am gonna do is ask for half price again.
Thanks for all the advice and support. I was hosting the pics directly from my site and deleted them so don't expect them to show. If the mods wanna remove this thread go ahead.
The only good that came out of this is I got a little more experience at dealing with sick fish. I've learned a bit more about Ich, which I thankfully haven't dealt with in my display tanks for years (searches the office for real wood)
But I'm not gonna let this stop me from buying another F8 if I can ever find another one if the fairfax area. Even if it is sick, but what I am gonna do is ask for half price again.
Thanks for all the advice and support. I was hosting the pics directly from my site and deleted them so don't expect them to show. If the mods wanna remove this thread go ahead.
- t1gerbee
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 831
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2 x goldfish - Location: london
Re: Rescue of a F8
i'm sorry to hear that...
sometime fish just are too sick to pull through... especially when you look at the damage that ich can do to the gills...
at least you tried, i'm sure he/she would have appreciated the effort you put in.. (if fish can appreciate things...)

sometime fish just are too sick to pull through... especially when you look at the damage that ich can do to the gills...
at least you tried, i'm sure he/she would have appreciated the effort you put in.. (if fish can appreciate things...)
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

1 x 30G LPS Reef
1 x 30G 1 x Blind goldfish

- mikeosoft
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 247
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:35 pm
- Location: Farmington Hills, MI
Re: Rescue of a F8
Sorry to hear that he didn't make it. The fish looked pretty infested, once they get that bad it's kind of hit or miss.
- 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: Rescue of a F8
sorry for your loss
you did your best though.
-Jase
edmlfc1 wrote:A house without a puffer is not a home.![]()
- edmlfc1
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 2011
- Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:03 pm
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125G:Fahaka (Annabelle) - Location (country): U.S.A.
- Location: Texas
Re: Rescue of a F8
Think of it this way: Even though Charlie is gone, you did the very best you could and you followed the directions that everyone gave you. With all this great advise I would "not" say you could have or should have done anything different. Charlie's last days were good days with you. It's better to pass in a loving home than in a LFS. I am so sorry about your loss. 
Need to know what kind of puffer you have? Click on Puffer ID.....Puffer ID: ug.php/v/PufferPedia/
What to feed your puffer? Click on Feeding......
Feeding: library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/
Have a GSP, need more information......Click on GSP Article.....
GSP Article: library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
What to feed your puffer? Click on Feeding......
Feeding: library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/
Have a GSP, need more information......Click on GSP Article.....
GSP Article: library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
- By_a_coo
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 474
- Joined: Sun Sep 03, 2006 7:14 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 1 X GSP
- Location (country): Brazil
- Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Re: Rescue of a F8
I'm so sorry for your loss, even though the smart group in this forum said it's dangerous to use medicines, I ran the risks. Check it out:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/vie ... =3&t=11787
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/vie ... =3&t=11787
Fernando
Re: Rescue of a F8
Ya, U win some, ya lose some....best o luck to ya by_a_coo.
-
crazedpuffer
- Former Staff Member
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1xValentini - Location: Long Island, NY
Re: Rescue of a F8
Sorry about your loss!