congo skin flaking?

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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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ryverrat
Figure 8 Puffer
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congo skin flaking?

Post by ryverrat »

My husband justed IMed me that the skin is flaking off my congo- just checked him at 6 am and didn't notice anything wrong. Feed him 1/2 a shrimp and he was happy. I'm not home to test the water but will as soon as I get home tonight. Just did a 50% WC on Sunday and everything was fine. Husband said it is along his back where is it flaking. Substrate is sand and I have had him for a month. Any ideas?
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edmlfc1
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Re: congo skin flaking?

Post by edmlfc1 »

It could be sand stuck to his slime coat. Have a good look at him when you get home to see.
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ryverrat
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 137
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:10 am
My Puffers: 4 SAPs, 4 A. modestus, 2 GSPs, 3 DPs, 1 irrubesco, 1 congo , and 1 C. solandri
Location: NE Pennsylvania

Re: congo skin flaking?

Post by ryverrat »

He has black sand in his tank- is an orange congo. Hope it is just that he scratched himself on some decor.
Just remembered I soaked his shrimp in Krodon Vitatrace for freshwater and Geltek Ultra Cure PX- did that with all the food for the puffers as a preventative- he has had Ultra CurePX before but not the vitamins.
ryverrat
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 137
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:10 am
My Puffers: 4 SAPs, 4 A. modestus, 2 GSPs, 3 DPs, 1 irrubesco, 1 congo , and 1 C. solandri
Location: NE Pennsylvania

Re: congo skin flaking?

Post by ryverrat »

Home- looks like his slime coat is peeling- water felt too water too- checked it- at 83F- turned down the heater and checked the water parameters- pH 6- yikes! ( 75% WC going right now), ammonia 0.25ppm, nitrites 0, nitrates 20. I also put some well rinsed crushed coral into the filter media basket just in case for the pH- don't know how that jumped, also found a piece of shrimp I missed taking out- probably cause the ammonia spike. Thinking of adding an air wand and a half dose of melafix just in case. He is up and around- still has a slight belly from feeding this morning- that's good
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Re: congo skin flaking?

Post by Pufferpunk »

Definately Melafix.
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!"
ryverrat
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 137
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:10 am
My Puffers: 4 SAPs, 4 A. modestus, 2 GSPs, 3 DPs, 1 irrubesco, 1 congo , and 1 C. solandri
Location: NE Pennsylvania

Re: congo skin flaking?

Post by ryverrat »

Hoover is look much better today- no peeling slime coat, and now burying himself again- temp down to 77F and going to check the water when I get home again
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edmlfc1
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Location: Texas

Re: congo skin flaking?

Post by edmlfc1 »

Sounds like he's feeling better already. :D
Need to know what kind of puffer you have? Click on Puffer ID.....Puffer ID: ug.php/v/PufferPedia/
What to feed your puffer? Click on Feeding......
Feeding: library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/
Have a GSP, need more information......Click on GSP Article.....
GSP Article: library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
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