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.
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crazedpuffer
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Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
I just syphon the sand like it's gravel. I barely loose any sand from it.
For the tail rot do a lot of water changes and Pimafix should help.
For the tail rot do a lot of water changes and Pimafix should help.
Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
Thanks, rocco.
Here's a shot of the tank:

So how deep should the sand be?
Here's a shot of the tank:
So how deep should the sand be?
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pufferfreak
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Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
2 inches max if you have no live plants. You definitly need a longer tank. Then you should make it and underwater forest. Hes probably bored out of his mind. What size tank is this now?
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pufferfreak
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Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
At least thats my opinion. he is a very nice ceylon though.
Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
Thanks for the input. The tank is 2 feet by 1 1/2 by 1 1/2. As far as available space in the house in concerned, that's all I can do for it for the time being. I think according to the care sheet, volume-wise the tank is just about ok.
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billysgirl4e
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Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
I pretty sure ceylons will need 40g (150l) when they are adults, as they can max out at 8 in. Also, you said he looks thin? I can't tell from the picture, but do you guys think he might have IPs? From experience, I would be careful with over-medicating. Just keep water conditions good and do extra water changes on a regular basis. In some cases rasing the temp a little bit can help, too. For most things, although I love maracyn2 and maracide (half doses only),.... if you're not sure what's wrong, Melafix is usally a pretty good option (not on a regular basis though). No experience w/ Ceylons though - so I'm not sure how they react to what medicines. Good luck though.
Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
Ok, I'll remember that and wait till he grows bigger. So far none of my puffers have survived beyond their current tanks.
Oh yeah, he doesn't look thin here. I stuffed it just a little while (and the two days preceding that) before taking that picture. He did look thinner in that pic with the sunken eyes if you noticed. I wouldn't think they were the same fish if I weren't the one who took the pictures.
What's IPs?
Oh yeah, he doesn't look thin here. I stuffed it just a little while (and the two days preceding that) before taking that picture. He did look thinner in that pic with the sunken eyes if you noticed. I wouldn't think they were the same fish if I weren't the one who took the pictures.
What's IPs?
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billysgirl4e
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55g Nothing yet.
10g Fresh. 1 Betta, Elvis. 1 Platy, Mickey.
5g BBGs
QT: Yellow Tang. - Location: FLoRidA!!!
Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
IPs are internal parasites. They get them in the wild, I'm pretty sure. The way to tell if the fish has them, is if the belly looks sunken in. I had 2 GSPs die from it before I knew what they were. So just keep an eye out...
Take care!
Good luck w/ your new buddy...he's awesome!
Take care!
Good luck w/ your new buddy...he's awesome!
Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
Thank you. Actually, some of his buddies are stll in the LFS now and they all seem to have this sunken belly thing. I picked this guy because he was the most responsive. He tried to bite my finger when I teased him
Anyway, his tail fin is not looking any better today. I would really like to scoop him up and apply the meds directly onto his tail, but already at this size I am finding him tough to handle. He'll try to jump out of the water and if he gets onto the floor, I'll have a problem. Perhaps some of us here with experience with large puffers can suggest something?
Anyway, his tail fin is not looking any better today. I would really like to scoop him up and apply the meds directly onto his tail, but already at this size I am finding him tough to handle. He'll try to jump out of the water and if he gets onto the floor, I'll have a problem. Perhaps some of us here with experience with large puffers can suggest something?
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Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
Start doing some water changes & add Melafix. Whea't the SG in there? With the sparce decor he is probably stressed, which will compromise his immune system. Check out the decor on my tanks.
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, Rocco.
The SG is still 1.002. It hasn't been pass the one week mark since I last upped the SG so I haven't increased it any further yet. I'll up it by another 0.002 the next time.
The SG is still 1.002. It hasn't been pass the one week mark since I last upped the SG so I haven't increased it any further yet. I'll up it by another 0.002 the next time.
Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
Okay, I asked the lady at the LFS about aragonite sand and she had no idea what I was talking about. They do have what they call "coral sand" though, which they use for their marine tanks. Would that work?
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Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
That should work. I bet if you look on the bag, it'll say aragonite on there. Duh... LDS employees.
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 + fin rot
Sigh ... more problems now ....
With Melafix, the fin rot seems under control. But then there is this whitish band that is spreading from the base of the tail up. I thought it might be fungus, so I added Pimafix too. But that hasn't helped. The poor guy has stopped eating. Any ideas?

Oh, right, parameters. Salinity 1.004, Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0.5.
With Melafix, the fin rot seems under control. But then there is this whitish band that is spreading from the base of the tail up. I thought it might be fungus, so I added Pimafix too. But that hasn't helped. The poor guy has stopped eating. Any ideas?

Oh, right, parameters. Salinity 1.004, Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0.5.
- StormySkiez
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Re: Ceylon puffer with sunken eyes
That looks bad. I'm sorry he has been ill. Have you been watching the water parameters daily and doing water daily water changes as needed to get rid of all the nitrite? You have got to get rid of the nitrite.
I have never seen this problem. I do not know what else you could do to help him. Hopefully someone else will. poor guy has been through a lot.
I have never seen this problem. I do not know what else you could do to help him. Hopefully someone else will. poor guy has been through a lot.

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