MBU acting strange
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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johnniek
- Puffer Fry
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- My Puffers: Recently deceased Mbu-Jimmy
- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
MBU acting strange
Hi, I have had a MBU for 1.5 years (jimmy). He was like my pet dog until 2/2008, when he began acting strange. He would no longer wait for me (would dart away actually) and he really lost his appetite. He has periods when he seems a little better but generally not. I keep a close eye on my levels. My tank is 75 gallons-I know a bit small right now. Water is fresh, ammonia is 0, nitrites are 0, nitrites are low, 80 degrees, ph 7.6-7.8. No other creatures in tank. HELP!!
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StormySkiez
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Re: MBU acting strange
Has he been dewormed? What size is he? Good the parameters are fine. How often do you do water changes? Him being in a small tank I believe could have adverse behavior from him.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: MBU acting strange
Can you answer any of the other Qs above? How big is he? Diet? Decor?
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!"
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johnniek
- Puffer Fry
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Re: MBU acting strange
Thanks for respondidng! He is about 6", diest is worms and snails mostly, although occasional frozen shrimp. Decor is three caves of rock with alot of room to swim. I did deworm via ___a couple months ago-sorry about not recalling the product 
. He rarely is white on the belly but seems active like regular. Are there other water parameters I should be monitoring or etc.. Thanks
. He rarely is white on the belly but seems active like regular. Are there other water parameters I should be monitoring or etc.. Thanks-
Pufferpunk
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Re: MBU acting strange
What is your nitrate? 75g is fine for now at 6" but when are you upgrading?
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!"
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johnniek
- Puffer Fry
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Re: MBU acting strange
I have read about fatty liver disease, some of the symptoms seem to fit. He's ben this way for 8 months so I think he may have died by now from that-any chance of a live problem? I fed him 2 worms a day until then.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: MBU acting strange
Worms are fine, it's feeders that are the biggest problem.
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!"
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indie
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Re: MBU acting strange
sorry to hijack, but i thought mbu's were supposed to grow at an inch per month for the first year. So shouldnt this puff be fully grown by now? Sorry im probably completely wrong..
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StormySkiez
- Fahaka Puffer
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Re: MBU acting strange
I have read they can grow up to 12 inches a year on other fish forums posted by members. I can not find any articles with MBU growth span. Stunting his growth could be the problem.
This was posted here with the same info you have indie: viewtopic.php?f=56&p=148618
He is still eating, semi active, been dewormed....no obvious illness. Tank size might be the problem. What size tank are you going to upgrade him to and when?
An MBU owner had his for 2 years at 17 inches.
This was posted here with the same info you have indie: viewtopic.php?f=56&p=148618
He is still eating, semi active, been dewormed....no obvious illness. Tank size might be the problem. What size tank are you going to upgrade him to and when?
An MBU owner had his for 2 years at 17 inches.
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The Bruce
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Re: MBU acting strange
the inch a month rule isn't a rule, i would say that rule is a best case scenario kind of thing, thats potentially how fast they can grow
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johnniek
- Puffer Fry
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Re: MBU acting strange
Hi all, he isn't eating anything for 3-4 days. Mostly swimming up and down the glass. I did a 35% h20 change yesterday. He is black on bottom or at least grey almost all the time. I just can't get a grip on this.
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flash.dan
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Re: MBU acting strange
he does sound very very small for his age my 2 month mbu is 3" now.
what colour is the skirt of his belly? and around his beak?
what does his waste look like?
what colour is the skirt of his belly? and around his beak?
what does his waste look like?
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StormySkiez
- Fahaka Puffer
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Re: MBU acting strange
I was under the impression he was eating...It seems that your water parameters are good from what you posted. Perhaps he caught something from the live worms?? Or the IP meds didn't work?? It's a guess. Him in a small tank for an MBU will only add to the stress. I'm sorry he is not well.
55g-2 green spotted puffers 1 year old Nov 08!
20g-5 leopard danio,4 whiteskirt tetras, amanos, nerita snails, 2 neon tetras
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johnniek
- Puffer Fry
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Re: MBU acting strange
Thanks for your concern. His belly is mostly dark. I actually don't see his waste, don't know if I ever have actually. I had a big goldfish for 3 years and his waste was like a jet trail-could see from across the room. I did get a buch of worms from a friend who picked from her yard-it was after this that he started to act different. Should I try to deworm again? What should I use to do this? Thank you again 
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Nick
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Re: MBU acting strange
Yard worms often have fertilizers and pesticides in them - they can definately make a puffer sick, though they're a very unlikely source for IPs.
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