help! my baby's slowly dying

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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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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black_lung
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help! my baby's slowly dying

Post by black_lung »

My red eye puffer Boma hasn't been looking good for about three days now. He looks like he's partially stuck inflated with air (a spot on his belly right before his vent looks especially inflated), his gill movement is really labored, his color has lightened dramatically, and he doesn't move from the bottom corners of the aquarium. Nothing has dramatically changed lately in terms of tank conditions this week; he acted fine and was eating and then overnight he was like this. I don't see any external problems like fungus or parasites, but his gills look funny.

Water parameters are- PH 8.0, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5. Water temperature is very high because there's no air conditioning, stays about 84-86 degrees. I probably need to invest in a chiller.

He's the only tank inhabitant in a 20 gallon tank, he's been living in it for 3 years.

I feed him mainly krill, with mussels, squid and/or crab meat. He eats every few days depending on how hungry he acts. 30% weekly water change, tap water with no additives except dechlorinatior/chloramine remover. Last water change was about 5 days ago.

What could be wrong with him? Sorry for the huge pics, I don't know how to edit photos.

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recombinantrider
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Re: help! my baby's slowly dying

Post by recombinantrider »

I wonder if it's related to the decreased dissolved oxygen concentration in the water due to the heat. Does anyone else think so? Maybe try putting in an airstone to see if it improves.... I hope Boma feels better soon.
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Re: help! my baby's slowly dying

Post by Nick »

Might be temperature related... have you tried a large water change?
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cobra1713
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Re: help! my baby's slowly dying

Post by cobra1713 »

yea i would second it could be possible that the temp has decreased oxygen, either an airstone or lower the water level so the filter makes some air (if you donthave an extra air pump)
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Re: help! my baby's slowly dying

Post by Pufferpunk »

He looks bloated. Has he pooed lately?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

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Re: help! my baby's slowly dying

Post by groovitudedude »

recombinantrider wrote:I wonder if it's related to the decreased dissolved oxygen concentration in the water due to the heat. Does anyone else think so? Maybe try putting in an airstone to see if it improves.... I hope Boma feels better soon.
I agree. Try adding an air stone. It could be a lack of dissolved oxygen.
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black_lung
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Re: help! my baby's slowly dying

Post by black_lung »

Pufferpunk wrote:He looks bloated. Has he pooed lately?
Honestly I have never seen him poop once in the three years I've had him; he's very private with those matters haha. How do you treat for possible constipation?

I'm going to try increasing oxygen levels and see what happens. It was about two days after the last water change that he started looking ill and had I increased the water level somewhat, so less surface agitation. It would make sense it could be lack of oxygen. He's still hanging in there, but if things don't improve I'm going to try and move him into a cooled room.
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Re: help! my baby's slowly dying

Post by Pufferpunk »

I'd add 1 tbsp Epson salt/10g for the bloating.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

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Re: help! my baby's slowly dying

Post by CtHM »

One way I manage to keep my tanks cool in the summer is I keep frozen water bottles in my tank. =]
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Re: help! my baby's slowly dying

Post by cobra1713 »

hmmm, that seems controversial but at the same time like it might work. i have s feeling there will be more posts responding to that.
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Re: help! my baby's slowly dying

Post by Pufferpunk »

I don't see it being controversial--it works but you have to keep up with it.
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!"
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cobra1713
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Re: help! my baby's slowly dying

Post by cobra1713 »

really it doesnt shock the fish at all? i would think the ice could shock them if they got near it but idk i guess water does have a very high specific heat
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Re: help! my baby's slowly dying

Post by Pufferpunk »

If the flow in the tank is good, the cold should dissipate through the tank well. A permanent solution should be found though, even if this means a fan across the top of the water or window air conditioner for the room the tank is in.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

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cobra1713
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Re: help! my baby's slowly dying

Post by cobra1713 »

yea luckily my house stay right at 80 during the summer so the hottest my tanks might get is like 82 . (although i am watching my gsp tank cus i just added the PC lighting so im not sure what thats gonna do to the temp.)
60g with 2 angels, 1 yoyo loach, Upside down catfish, Clown Loach, 1 leopard Ctenopoma, 12 black skirt tetras and a L201 Pleco

30g GSP tank (soon to be 35 gal Hex)
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Re: help! my baby's slowly dying

Post by Pufferpunk »

I don't think that lighting will affect your temp.
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!"
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