Mbu hasn't eating much
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
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2008 12:30 am
- My Puffers: Recently deceased Mbu-Jimmy
- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Mbu hasn't eating much
Hi-I have a Mbu who is about 4 months old. He was quite active and excited to eat until about a week ago. I was feeding him salad shrimp and he loved it but I switched to regular shrimp and ...no go. He seems aloof and stays mostly in the back of the tank behind a cave. My numbers are good-ph 7.6, 0 nitrates and nitrites, 0 ammonia, but hardness is 180+. Maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit-I'll get more salad shrimp and see what happens. Any ideas? Thanks
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Mbu hasn't eating much
What test kits are you using? Unless he's in a really HUGE tank, diluting the nitrate to 0, that test has got to be wrong. Please answer ALL the above Qs. Especially water change schedule, tank & fish size & any other foods you are offering?
He needs a much more varied diet than just shrimp. See the feeding articles in our Library, under the Learn tab above.
He needs a much more varied diet than just shrimp. See the feeding articles in our Library, under the Learn tab above.
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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- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Re: Mbu hasn't eating much
thanks pufferpunk. I'm using API. Nitrate 20, nitrite 0, ph 7.6, kh120, gh 180+. I have tried to feed him other things-he's pretty finneky. I will get some worms-my other puffer loved them.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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T miurus
A modestus
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C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
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Re: Mbu hasn't eating much
I knew that nitrate reading had to be wrong. 
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!"
-
johnniek
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2008 12:30 am
- My Puffers: Recently deceased Mbu-Jimmy
- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Re: Mbu hasn't eating much
ok-so.....what are your thoughts? I put some epsom salt in the tank-75 gallon 10 tbsp. Got some worms, krill, seafood mix.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Mbu hasn't eating much
Start with the live worms. Earthworms?
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!"
-
johnniek
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2008 12:30 am
- My Puffers: Recently deceased Mbu-Jimmy
- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Re: Mbu hasn't eating much
Gave him an earthworm and he just looked at it and swam away. He seems out of it. His belly is nice and bright but his skin seems a bit dartk in some blotches. He is not himself-that's for sure. I would welcome some "here's what I think is wrong" thoughts-I lost a Mbu last year and don't to lose this guy (Tiberius is his name)
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johnniek
- Puffer Fry
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- Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2008 12:30 am
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Re: Mbu hasn't eating much
Pufferpunk...can you help me-any thoughts?
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Nick
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Re: Mbu hasn't eating much
Not sure - how big is the guy getting, and what kind of decor does he have? Bored maybe?
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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johnniek
- Puffer Fry
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Re: Mbu hasn't eating much
Hi-thanks. I've had him for only 2 months-he was fine until last week-won't eat and just seems off. He swims in spurts, in fact-if it weren't for him not eating I wouldn't be too concerned as he wouls sit on bottom often. I've treated the tank with parasite chemicals but no change so far. Levels seem ok as far as h20 quality. All my other fish-in separate tanks are great. In the tankI have several caves and oxygen bar, dim lighting, 75 gallon. He is young and about 4". Thanks
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Nick
- Former Staff Member
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GSPs - Shakespeare and Jillybean
F8 - Velvet
My fiance:
DP - Emma Goldman
Narrow Lined Puffer - Ulrike - Location (country): Northeastern USA
- Location: Middletown, CT
- Contact:
Re: Mbu hasn't eating much
What kind of parasite treatment? Some are more effective for certain things than others.
No matter how magnificent your successes or devastating your failures, the worlds' approximately 5 billion impoverished people could not possibly care less.
-
johnniek
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2008 12:30 am
- My Puffers: Recently deceased Mbu-Jimmy
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Re: Mbu hasn't eating much
Parasite clear. I also have pimafix for use if that doesn't work.
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Nick
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 3231
- Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2006 8:47 pm
- My Puffers: Mine:
GSPs - Shakespeare and Jillybean
F8 - Velvet
My fiance:
DP - Emma Goldman
Narrow Lined Puffer - Ulrike - Location (country): Northeastern USA
- Location: Middletown, CT
- Contact:
Re: Mbu hasn't eating much
Don't bother with pimafix, has no effect on parasites.
No matter how magnificent your successes or devastating your failures, the worlds' approximately 5 billion impoverished people could not possibly care less.
-
johnniek
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2008 12:30 am
- My Puffers: Recently deceased Mbu-Jimmy
- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Re: Mbu hasn't eating much
Do you think I'm proceeding ok-looking at it as a parasite problem first? (after h20 quality). I'll treat tonight with a second dose.
-
Nick
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 3231
- Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2006 8:47 pm
- My Puffers: Mine:
GSPs - Shakespeare and Jillybean
F8 - Velvet
My fiance:
DP - Emma Goldman
Narrow Lined Puffer - Ulrike - Location (country): Northeastern USA
- Location: Middletown, CT
- Contact:
Re: Mbu hasn't eating much
Yea, parasitse are very common in these puffers. Remember to never underdose a parasite med.
No matter how magnificent your successes or devastating your failures, the worlds' approximately 5 billion impoverished people could not possibly care less.