Jack the Ripper is ill

[Agnate]

Well, I'm glad to hear his appetite is coming back! And I agree, you never get bored with a house full of puffers, hehe!

Unfortunately, my first puffer died because I didn't know what I was doing.

[OkieMavis]

That's so great to hear! Hopefully he'll be right as rain in no time. It does sound like he's gaining more trust in you too.

It's probably an ego boost to see the jealous lortetis! Sounds just like 'em by the way. My guy gets angry and tries to bite the glass at *me* if I take too long to defrost his food.

[Troender]

He has started losing interest in his food again. He only takes one bite on anything I give him. At least he takes one bite, so he hasn't stopped eating yet, but I really don't like the way this develops. I will give him a water change later on today, and then give him his second dose of Flubenol.
The good part is that this whole thing has actually made him bond more to me. Every time I pass his tank, he looks at me, hoping for food, even though he doesn't want to eat much.

[Pufferpunk]

I hope he is feeling better soon. How's the algae problem?

[Troender]

How's the algae problem?

It looks like there's less BGA now. I will buy a new light for the tank as well, as I've seen that's helped in the tank with my lortetis. Jack doesn't eat much, but his colors look all right now. But he is still too thin, and eats less than he should.

[Troender]

Jack eats now, but he still looks very slim. I've given him two doses of Flubenol 15, and it only seems to help a bit. It made him start eating again, but he doesn't gain any weight. And that worries me. Advices anyone?

[Nick]

If the parasites were treated with flubenol before, and somehow made a comeback, they're most likely nearly immune. I'd try jungle labs parasite clear fizz tabs, they have a couple different antiparasitics and might work, but I don't know if you can get it in Norway. Flubenol is also VERY safe even in high doses - you could try putting him in a 2.5 gallon or other tiny tank with 4 times recommened dose of the flubenal safely - I'd recommend nothing in the tank except the water, flubenol, and a circulating pump or airstone, for maximum effectiveness. Flubendazole based products are microsuspended in the water, not dissolved like metrodiazole, so they do their "magic" in those first cloudy 3-6 hours, and something to keep a current going with no mechanical filter at all will keep it suspended better. I'd say leave him in the bath for 4 hours or so, then do it again in a week, if you can't get the jungle labs tabs.

[Troender]

The IP meds in Norway are very limited. Most of them either don't work good enough, or they kill the filter bacteria. I don't think we have Jungle labs meds. I've never seen them. The Flubenol I've smuggled into the country (it's not legal to import meds for animals. For humans on the other hands... I just love the laws in Norway ). But I do have PraziPro in the house (also smuggled ). And I know you should use a bigger dose than it says on the bottle. Maybe I should give PraziPro a try?

[Nick]

If it's segmented worms instead of protozoans, the prazi will do it. If I recall from what puffer queen said, a 3 hour bath should be sufficient with prazi at normal dose, rather than having to add it to the tank.

[Troender]

I never gave an update on this one. But I guess you have found out that Jack is very well again. I never gave him PraziPro. Small, but frequent meals, together with lots of patience, was all that was needed. He now looks like a salivator male is supposed to look: stunningly beautiful! I was reminded of this right now, as I saw Jack hold his tail like a fan (something he rarely does - at least when I'm watching). His belly looks like it has the perfect size, so I am very happy! But I am pretty sure the IPs spread to other tanks. I lost my irrubesco a little later, and I have just been through a tough time with medicating my discuses (I had to try three different meds before it worked). It seems like it has been very tough IPs, that can stand some meds.

In case someone connect this to Hufflepuff: it was not IPs that killed Hufflepuff. He was in perfect condition (no sign of losing weight), with his usual appetite. He didn't show any signs of illness until I suddenly found him dead that morning. I have a theory that it was something wrong with the water. There's been a drop in the PH in the tap water. It also has been very, very rainy lately, and in those cases, it happens that they put something in the water to clean it. I lost a lot of cory fry at the same time. I miss him. When it's shrimp day for my puffers, it's really something lacking when I don't have Hufflepuff going totally nuts when he sees the shrimp in my hand. I miss my little fishy!

[pufferfreak]

Glad he got better. Sorry about hufflepuff though.