One of my DP's seems a little off..been 4 days now.
1. pH 7.6, Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates currently below 10, was about 25 pre water change.
2. Inhabitants : 2 other DP's, 3 ghost shrimp (Inhabitants at time of problem start, now has 7 neon tetras 3 cherry shrimp, 2 amano shrimp, 1 ghost shrimp, 3 apple snails) 10 gallon tank.
3. Feed black worms once in the morning, occasionally in the morning and evening. Water change 25% once a week, evaporation top offs once every 3 or 4 days. Products added, stress coat, buffer, and leaf zone every 2 weeks (its a planted aquarium)
4. Changes for the week, one more 1.5 watt lighting hood (3 watts total now) and a DIY CO2 setup.
5. Had the aquarium for 2 months, cycled it for a month before puffers were added, levels were stable before they went in.
When the problem started, I had an outbreak of red algae. Its all been cleaned out and plants scrubbed.
OK, now for the symptoms, He seems to be facing downwards most of the time now (face to the gravel, tail to the lights). Does not seem stressed out. His belly seems sunken in a little bit on the left side, the other side is fine. No loss in appetite, he still goes for the worms. I don't see bumps on his belly when full. The other male seems to dominate in the tank, no nips out of the fins, but he does get bullied a little more. I have added more plants and have more hidey holes now, and this has alleviated the issue. The other 2 dp's are well, and very healthy. What bothers me most is that he is swimming face down most of the time. How normal or abnormal is that?
Thanks for the help
Sick DP?
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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julianchan
- Fahaka Puffer
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julianchan
- Fahaka Puffer
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Nick
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Re: Sick DP?
It sounds like he has an air pocket near his rear. Food with lots of roughage might help pass this as a fart, and Dps really can't be burped.
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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julianchan
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 709
- Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:25 am
- My Puffers: 1 GSP Elevator.....Lord Vator to everyone else...
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Re: Sick DP?
Now there is something new to me.....I'll give it a shot, see what happens. Thanks Nick!
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Content2Swell
- Dwarf Puffer
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Re: Sick DP?
You can burp them, but you have to be very delicate.
Instead of holding directly onto them and making them swim away, you could try making a light fist with them inside and let them swim through your fingers.
It sound like the same thing, I know, but hopefully you get the image.
Instead of holding directly onto them and making them swim away, you could try making a light fist with them inside and let them swim through your fingers.
It sound like the same thing, I know, but hopefully you get the image.
Job 12:7-10. But ask the animals, and they will teach you; or birds of the air
and they will tell you; or speak to the earth and it will teach you; or let the fish
of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the
lord has done this. In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all
mankind.
and they will tell you; or speak to the earth and it will teach you; or let the fish
of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the
lord has done this. In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all
mankind.
-
julianchan
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 709
- Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:25 am
- My Puffers: 1 GSP Elevator.....Lord Vator to everyone else...
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
Re: Sick DP?
I have uber non delicate hands...I am really more likely to crush the little guy....maybe i can get my friend with a more delicate touch to try.....