Hi,
I was wondering if someone could help me out here. I woke up this morning to find that my Ceylon puffer has sunken eyes, was a little darker in colour than usual, and had white salt-like specks on its body (I assume it was ich). I have since added medication for ich and hopefully that will help. There was some stringy stuff on it as well, so I added a fungus medication too. It didn't eat anything in the morning, but since I did a partial water change and added a live shrimp in, it has started eating, though its strike is a little off. It's much clumsier than usual. I would like to seek the advice of experts here as to what to do next, and also about what's causing the sunken eyes. Thank you.
Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
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.
-
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: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
Can you post a pic? Also answer the questions above in red please.
Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
1) I only have text kits for Ammonia and Nitrites ... When last I tested prior to the water change: Ammonia - 0, Nitrites - between 0.25-0.50. Salinity - there is about 20 teaspoons of salt in the tank of about 100 L. I have tried to measure with a hydrometer, but so far the SG has remained at 1.000.
2) 100 L tank, just the Ceylon puffer.
3) Fed usually once a day, on mealworms and shrimp, not usually on the same sitting. They are rotated. Water changed about once a week. Usually 30%, though since the last incident where I measured the nitrite I changed 50% of the water. Medication added to tank: for fungus, bacteria and ich. Also about 8 spoonfulls of Oxycure since the last water change. Some chemical for clearing the water of cloudiness from floating matter, though not in the past 3 days.
4) Nothing significant comes to mind ...
5) Tank was set up a couple of weeks ago, not having been cycled properly before. Had been housed with red-eye puffers before they were moved away and the Ceylon puffer moved in.
Here's the best I can do for a photo. It keeps swimming about.
Thank you, crazedpuffer.
2) 100 L tank, just the Ceylon puffer.
3) Fed usually once a day, on mealworms and shrimp, not usually on the same sitting. They are rotated. Water changed about once a week. Usually 30%, though since the last incident where I measured the nitrite I changed 50% of the water. Medication added to tank: for fungus, bacteria and ich. Also about 8 spoonfulls of Oxycure since the last water change. Some chemical for clearing the water of cloudiness from floating matter, though not in the past 3 days.
4) Nothing significant comes to mind ...
5) Tank was set up a couple of weeks ago, not having been cycled properly before. Had been housed with red-eye puffers before they were moved away and the Ceylon puffer moved in.
Here's the best I can do for a photo. It keeps swimming about.
Thank you, crazedpuffer.
-
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: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
wow... that is odd...
nitrite reading will not be helping... sign the tank is not fulled cycled.
You need to do large daily water changes to keep the nitrite in check whilst your tank cycles properly as nitrite as it is very bad for your fish... that 'should' at least help..
you also need to mix up enough salt to make the hydrometer read 0.002.. and then increase it by 0.002 (no more) a week which should begin to work on the ich..
be careful what meds you put in as puffers are very sensitive to them... only use ones that have been checked and ok'd here..
not sure how you can treat the sunken eyes.... someone else may have had experience of this..
nitrite reading will not be helping... sign the tank is not fulled cycled.
You need to do large daily water changes to keep the nitrite in check whilst your tank cycles properly as nitrite as it is very bad for your fish... that 'should' at least help..
you also need to mix up enough salt to make the hydrometer read 0.002.. and then increase it by 0.002 (no more) a week which should begin to work on the ich..
be careful what meds you put in as puffers are very sensitive to them... only use ones that have been checked and ok'd here..
not sure how you can treat the sunken eyes.... someone else may have had experience of this..
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
-
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: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
No clue about sunken eyes either.
Also you are using Sea salt right? Not aquarium salt?
Also you are using Sea salt right? Not aquarium salt?
Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
Thanks for the response so far.
Yep, I am using sea salt.
Yep, I am using sea salt.
-
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: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
You are using way too many chemicals in there. Start doing 50% water changes daily & add 1 cup of marine salt for every 10 gallons to the tank, replacing the salt you remove with every water change. Do this every other day. Add fresh carbon to your filter. Read the Ich treatment article in our Library for FW fish.
What are you using for substrate? How large is the fish?
Mealworms are a very poor diet for puffers. They are extremely fatty & their outer shell (chiton) is very difficult to digest. Look at the feeding articles in our Library.
What are you using for substrate? How large is the fish?
Mealworms are a very poor diet for puffers. They are extremely fatty & their outer shell (chiton) is very difficult to digest. Look at the feeding articles in our Library.
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!"
Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
Thank you, Pufferpunk.
The LFS was keeping it in pure fresh water so I didn't want to put too much salt in at once. You think it would be okay to put in that much now, eh?
I am not using any substrate, and the fish is just under 5 inches.
Oh, and it seems better today than yesterday. Its right eye is less sunken now and it seems much more active and responsive. It tends to look rather thin, so I gave it 6 or 7 live ghost shrimp to hunt just now. It got them all pretty quickly.
The LFS was keeping it in pure fresh water so I didn't want to put too much salt in at once. You think it would be okay to put in that much now, eh?
I am not using any substrate, and the fish is just under 5 inches.
Oh, and it seems better today than yesterday. Its right eye is less sunken now and it seems much more active and responsive. It tends to look rather thin, so I gave it 6 or 7 live ghost shrimp to hunt just now. It got them all pretty quickly.
-
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: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
Get some substrate in there, preferably aragonite sand. It will buffer the pH & give a place for more good bacteria to live.
Adding the amt of salt I mentioned will only raise the SG to about 1.0025. It may also help to neutralize the nitrite. At 5", your fish should be at a SG of around 1.016-1.020. Get a hydrometer & raise the SG by .002/weekly 50% water change but in the meantime you need to do daily WC, until the nitrite remains 0.
Adding the amt of salt I mentioned will only raise the SG to about 1.0025. It may also help to neutralize the nitrite. At 5", your fish should be at a SG of around 1.016-1.020. Get a hydrometer & raise the SG by .002/weekly 50% water change but in the meantime you need to do daily WC, until the nitrite remains 0.
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!"
Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
Thanks pufferpunk. I'll follow up with that.
On a positive note, the fish is getting better by the day. The eyes look better today than yesterday. I am pretty optimistic
On a positive note, the fish is getting better by the day. The eyes look better today than yesterday. I am pretty optimistic
Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes (ok, but with another problem
Thanks to all who offered advice. My fish has recovered from the sunken eyes problem. Couldn't really get a good pic of it, it's quite camera shy =P
There is another problem I am rather worried about. There appears to be a small sore/ulcer(?) of some kind on its head above the right eye. (Doesn't show in this pic though) I wonder if it may be hexamita?
There is another problem I am rather worried about. There appears to be a small sore/ulcer(?) of some kind on its head above the right eye. (Doesn't show in this pic though) I wonder if it may be hexamita?
-
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: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
Great comeback! I do not believe they get that disease. Add Melafix & keep an eye on it. Could you post a full tank shot? Why no substrate?
Also post your parameters please.
Also post your parameters please.
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!"
Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
Thanks, pufferpunk. I don't know what contributed most to the recovery. It could even be due to my feeding the guy more with live shrimp. Gives it something to do. I was reluctant to feed as much before reading the articles on feeding. But it did look rather thin before that's for sure ... Not as full as it does now.
I haven't gotten round to adding the substrate yet. Will be waiting till next week to go the LFS to get some. Parameters - same as before in spite of water change. The strange thing is that nitrite level seems to be the same as before I changed the water ... I measured almost immediately. Oh, but salinity is up to 1.002. I'll do a full tank shot tomorrow. It's getting late over here. Good night everyone
I haven't gotten round to adding the substrate yet. Will be waiting till next week to go the LFS to get some. Parameters - same as before in spite of water change. The strange thing is that nitrite level seems to be the same as before I changed the water ... I measured almost immediately. Oh, but salinity is up to 1.002. I'll do a full tank shot tomorrow. It's getting late over here. Good night everyone
-
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: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
Substrate will help to even out the parameters. Lots of surface area there for good bacteria to attach & grow on.
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!"
Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
Thanks, pufferpunk.
I've got a question: with sand in there, wouldn't it be difficult to scoop up the waste matter without scooping up the sand along with it?
Also, I think the fish has tail rot. It used to be a little spot when I first got him but now the area seems to be growing. Any suggestions apart from anti-bacteria meds?
I've got a question: with sand in there, wouldn't it be difficult to scoop up the waste matter without scooping up the sand along with it?
Also, I think the fish has tail rot. It used to be a little spot when I first got him but now the area seems to be growing. Any suggestions apart from anti-bacteria meds?