Ok, my first fish, figure 8 puffer like the title got stuck behind the heater this morning and scalded. His side is sunk in and he's burnt pretty bad. Can someone please help me with what to do or diagnose him. I have been through two catastrophes with him before and I am very attached to him, and I don't wanna lose him. Any insight as quick as possible would be great.
Thanks, Nic-
Figure 8 Stuck Behind Heater/ HELP!!!
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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Nicnumber1
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Figure 8 Stuck Behind Heater/ HELP!!!
![[welcome]](./images/smilies/welcome.gif "welcome")
Treat him with Melafix. Be sure his water is pristine, to prevent infection. Is he in BW? Looks like you're gonna need a heater cover. Are there other fish in there that he might be afraid of?
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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Nicnumber1
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Re: Figure 8 Stuck Behind Heater/ HELP!!!
FIrst off, I moved him into a hospital tank and treated him with stresszyme, pimafix, and polygaurd by seachem. I am also feeding him Daphnia and I upped the salt in his hospital tank as well as the temp and gave him places to hide. What bothers me is now on top of the very bad burn his body is contorted in the shape he was stuck very bad and his left side is sunk in. Could he be partially blown up?
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Figure 8 Stuck Behind Heater/ HELP!!!
Blown up? I've seen puffers heal from some really severe burns. If the hosp tank isn't cycled, I'd keep him in his main tank & treat with Melafix. Pimafix is for fungal infections. Be sure he's in BW, using marine salt & measureing with a hydrometer.
Daphnia is too small for him, go with a larger crustaceon. See the feeding article in our Library. F8 article in there too.
Daphnia is too small for him, go with a larger crustaceon. See the feeding article in our Library. F8 article in there too.
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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Nicnumber1
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Re: Figure 8 Stuck Behind Heater/ HELP!!!
i moved water over from the main tank and did a partial change on it. he's not been eating snails lately but has been doing well otherwise. will the polyguard by seachem do just as well? i was told by my LFS to do the daphnia with some garlic dosing but I have yet to find the garlic locally to increase his appetite. Its not been 12 hours yet should I just wait a little longer and keep checking? I don't keep him brackish now. What about the contortion of his body anyone ever seen this? Could he have broken rips trying to free himself? I had to free him.
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side19
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Re: Figure 8 Stuck Behind Heater/ HELP!!!
as far as broken ribs go, don't puffer not have ribs? i thought i read that somewhere so that can't be it as far as i know.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Figure 8 Stuck Behind Heater/ HELP!!!
No ribs to speak of. Probably torn, burnt skin from tearing itself away from the heater. His shape will come back eventually. Adding water from an established tank to a QT, does not cycle the QT, only adds water. The bacteria that keeps a tank cycled is on surfaces like substrate, decor, glass & filtration material. He's be better off in his own tank in BW. Start mixing salt so his water is at a SG of 1.002. Dissolve it 1st though.
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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Nicnumber1
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Re: Figure 8 Stuck Behind Heater/ HELP!!!
Well he is hanging on barely, he pooped but I have yet to see him eat. He is still deformed and favoring the fin and gills and side he was burned on. He color still looks great, he hasn't really swam much. Any more help?
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Agnate
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Re: Figure 8 Stuck Behind Heater/ HELP!!!
Is he back in the main tank? Seriously, that's the best place for him to be right now. Melafix and Pimafix won't harm other fish if there are others in the main tank, so you can dose him with that in the tank.
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side19
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Re: Figure 8 Stuck Behind Heater/ HELP!!!
i heard pimafix has horrible results on some kinda of fish though. particularly scaleless fish like loaches and plecos. anybody here able to confirm or deny that? melafix is working fine with my loachs but i haven't tried pimafix
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Agnate
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Re: Figure 8 Stuck Behind Heater/ HELP!!!
I really don't use either, so I can't really say. I've just seen a lot of more experienced keepers suggest it. *shrug*
Personally, unless I see fungus on them, I don't bother using Pimafix.
Personally, unless I see fungus on them, I don't bother using Pimafix.
Did our staff successfully help you? The Puffer Forum is an incredible resource and is run completely on the donations of its viewers. Proceeds from the Puffer Forum store go towards future contests and keeping the site running. Donations may also be made via PayPal.
- Paul
40 gallon - Future home of Abei Puffer
28 gallon - 1 Abei Puffer (Captain Abe)
5 gallon - 1 Betta (Frederico)
- Paul
40 gallon - Future home of Abei Puffer
28 gallon - 1 Abei Puffer (Captain Abe)
5 gallon - 1 Betta (Frederico)
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Nicnumber1
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Re: Figure 8 Stuck Behind Heater/ HELP!!!
Yes he is back in the main tank. He just sits and floats unless I coax him in which he will flutter around the tank again until I engage him again. Any ideas?
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Figure 8 Stuck Behind Heater/ HELP!!!
He's trying to recouperate. Are you getting him in BW?
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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Nicnumber1
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Re: Figure 8 Stuck Behind Heater/ HELP!!!
What do you mean by brackish? I have always kept him in freshwater, but I do use aquarium salt, although I don't think that is what you mean?
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Christemo
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Re: Figure 8 Stuck Behind Heater/ HELP!!!
Figure 8s are low end brackish. The SG for them runs anywhere from 1.005-1.008. You will need to use MARINE salt for the water, and not aquarium salt.
Two F8's, two tiny fantails and a pleco call me mommy.