Canthigaster Solandri Puffer not eating
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.
-
fishlady1958
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 146
- Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2009 9:11 am
- My Puffers: 4 pea puffers...eenie, meenie, mineie, and moe
1 Fahaka ....Ra....(named after the egyptian sun god)
colony of 60 F1 tropheus red chimba's
assorted cichlid tank....calvus, buffalo head, honduran red point, hi fin loaches...
4 discus in a planted tank
tetra's, and rams in another planted tank.... - Location: Cypress, Texas
- Contact:
Re: Canthigaster Solandri Puffer not eating
being new to puffer keeping i don't know alot....but being experienced in using metronidazole on my fishies i know a little....you can add that to the tank....being a 30 gallon tank i would give a bolus dose to the water of 1000mg...then go to 500mg for the next 2 days.....by the end of the third day you should see a difference in the behavior...and a return of hunger....mix this medication in some tank water and dissolve it. it won't completely dissolve but it will do pretty well, then add it in front of the powerhead or return line so that the flow of the water will disperse it throughout the tank.
-
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: Canthigaster Solandri Puffer not eating
I have never had a problem with metro not working added to the water - it fully dissolves, so even freshwater fish can take in a reasonable bit through the gills if you maintain treatment. Adding to food is great, and when the puffer starts eating again, do it for sure, but this med SHOULD work just in the water.
No matter how magnificent your successes or devastating your failures, the worlds' approximately 5 billion impoverished people could not possibly care less.
Re: Canthigaster Solandri Puffer not eating
Thanks everyone for your suggestions and guidance. I have acquired the Metro in powder form and dissolved it in tank water. Yesterday I did a 30% water change and housed both fish in the Metro solution "bath" in a separate container for about 1-1.5 hours during with tank change. I plan to give her another "Bath" in the Metro this evening for about the same amout of time.
My question to all is this: Should I give her daily baths in the solution or just add it directly to the tank? Is there any advantages or disadvantages to either method? From the sounds of the suggestions, adding directly to the tank is likely the most effective method, but I am concerned about removal once treatment is complete.
Thanks again for all the help, it is greatly appreciated.
Eric
My question to all is this: Should I give her daily baths in the solution or just add it directly to the tank? Is there any advantages or disadvantages to either method? From the sounds of the suggestions, adding directly to the tank is likely the most effective method, but I am concerned about removal once treatment is complete.
Thanks again for all the help, it is greatly appreciated.
Eric
-
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: Canthigaster Solandri Puffer not eating
Metro is safe for salt water tanks, I would not think there would be any special way to remove it, it dissolves fully, so water changes should to the trick just fine.
No matter how magnificent your successes or devastating your failures, the worlds' approximately 5 billion impoverished people could not possibly care less.
Re: Canthigaster Solandri Puffer not eating
OK, I put in the recommended amount (dissolved as much as possible in tank water beforehand) yesterday and will put in 50% of that later today. Per instructions, I should do water changes the 3rd day to start to removal process. I am hoping to see a difference when I get home tonight and if not, hopefully tomorrow at the latest. I will update when I have more information.
Thanks again to all who posted, I do appreciate the help.
Eric
Thanks again to all who posted, I do appreciate the help.
Eric
-
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: Canthigaster Solandri Puffer not eating
If you don't see improvement, a large water change and treatment with other parasite killers may do the trick. Flubendazole is very wide spectrum, levimisole kills camalanus worms but not tapeworms, and prazi kills tapeworms but not camalanus worms. Hopefully improvement will occur without further treatment.
No matter how magnificent your successes or devastating your failures, the worlds' approximately 5 billion impoverished people could not possibly care less.
Re: Canthigaster Solandri Puffer not eating
The latest update unfortunately does not contain good news, my puffer is still ill and not eating. She is growing more emaciated with each passing day, very sad to witness. I did some tank changes and continue to use food entice, but without success. My next step is to obtain and try the Flubendazole treatment option. I will keep you posted on results.
Thanks again,
Eric
Thanks again,
Eric
Re: Canthigaster Solandri Puffer not eating
Well, I do have some good news on the status of my puffer not eating. First, she is still with us, although in a very emaciated state. She has been eating, but not as much as pre-illness times.
I was not able to locate Flubendazole powder, but at this time, I don't believe that would offer any remedy to the situation.
Looking closely at her eyes, they do appear to be a bit hazy, and since she is still bumping into the tank walls and coral, I am curious if there are known issues with puffer vision that I should be aware of. If anyone has any insights, please post.
Also, I was able to feed her a bit by directly holding a piece of food in front of her via a narrow wood dowel. She is skiddish of the dowel, but I am thinking that if she starts to equate it to food, she will warm up to it.
I am beginning to think that this entire issue may be that she can no longer see very well and therefore is unable to see the food that is present in the tank.
Again, any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Eric
I was not able to locate Flubendazole powder, but at this time, I don't believe that would offer any remedy to the situation.
Looking closely at her eyes, they do appear to be a bit hazy, and since she is still bumping into the tank walls and coral, I am curious if there are known issues with puffer vision that I should be aware of. If anyone has any insights, please post.
Also, I was able to feed her a bit by directly holding a piece of food in front of her via a narrow wood dowel. She is skiddish of the dowel, but I am thinking that if she starts to equate it to food, she will warm up to it.
I am beginning to think that this entire issue may be that she can no longer see very well and therefore is unable to see the food that is present in the tank.
Again, any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Eric