New F8 Puffer Problems
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.
Re: New F8 Puffer Problems
How long do you think I will have to continue treating him for IP's?
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Sponge bob
- Mbu Puffer
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Re: New F8 Puffer Problems
Until he looks fine?
How long does it say to treat him?
How long does it say to treat him?
Re: New F8 Puffer Problems
The box says "Treatment may be repeated up to two times with 48 hours between treatments and a 25% water change."
But thats when you add it directly to the water. Since I'm also soaking his food with it I'm a bit lost as to how long to keep feeding it to him.
But thats when you add it directly to the water. Since I'm also soaking his food with it I'm a bit lost as to how long to keep feeding it to him.
Last edited by liquid88 on Tue Mar 24, 2009 4:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Sponge bob
- Mbu Puffer
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Re: New F8 Puffer Problems
Ok.So far sounds good. I would ask someone else about the how many times to do it. Im not that good with that.
Re: New F8 Puffer Problems
Update:
He's doing somewhat better after a 40-50% WC yesterday. Still adding Melafix daily and the cloudy eye has almost cleared up compltetely. The ich is getting worse though...I need to know what type of ich treatment to buy because not all are made for scaleless fish.
I added about 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of marine salt today and about 10 mintues later his colors were bright and pronounced.
Since treating for possible IP's for about 3 days his stomach stays fuller for longer and he seems more energetic.
He's doing somewhat better after a 40-50% WC yesterday. Still adding Melafix daily and the cloudy eye has almost cleared up compltetely. The ich is getting worse though...I need to know what type of ich treatment to buy because not all are made for scaleless fish.
I added about 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of marine salt today and about 10 mintues later his colors were bright and pronounced.
Since treating for possible IP's for about 3 days his stomach stays fuller for longer and he seems more energetic.
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Legend Of Zero
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 9:17 pm
Re: New F8 Puffer Problems
Do you know your SG? I had a puffer and I encountered puffer sickness with a parasite when I bought him and I treated him with salt. Now he is happy and very healthy. I think the best way to treat puffer is salt and heat because medicine can be sometime hard to use the right one. Also keep the tank clean is good, that how i treat my puffer. I just want to share my experience, it might not necessary in your situation. Good luck.
Re: New F8 Puffer Problems
No...I bought the wrong kind of Hydrometer. I have the Coral Life Deep Six but the scale STARTS at 1.012. I'm gonna return it this weekend and exchage it.
I only added a little over a table spoon because I didn't think it would raise the SG by much and damage the bacteria in the bio filter.
I only added a little over a table spoon because I didn't think it would raise the SG by much and damage the bacteria in the bio filter.
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ROTTEN76
- Dwarf Puffer
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20 gallon - 4DP's, 3OTO's
10 gallon - pond snails & RCS's
10 gallon - ghost shrimp - Location: SIN CITY
- Contact:
Re: New F8 Puffer Problems
Buy a refractometer, much more accurate for low SG's. They cost more, but the peace of mind is worth it. Not to mention everything about a hydrometer is a major pain, flicking off air bubbles, cleaning, and reading the results. The difference in the readings from my hydrometer and my refractometer are +/- .004, which means you could be be damaging your BB by using the hydrometer. Just my personal experience.
Grant me the serenity to accept that I can't take every puffer home;
The courage to say no to those big eyes looking back at me;
And the wisdom to do every thing I can for the ones that I have.
The courage to say no to those big eyes looking back at me;
And the wisdom to do every thing I can for the ones that I have.
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Nick
- Former Staff Member
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F8 - Velvet
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Re: New F8 Puffer Problems
I prefer to treat the water and soak the food, personally, and tend to do more than the two recommended re treatments, a total of 5 seems to be fine. If you are soaking food, I soak overnight in the fridge - I've noticed it seems to get much deeper into the food that way.
No matter how magnificent your successes or devastating your failures, the worlds' approximately 5 billion impoverished people could not possibly care less.
Re: New F8 Puffer Problems
So about the ick though, should I treat ONLY with salt?
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Sponge bob
- Mbu Puffer
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Re: New F8 Puffer Problems
quick cure always works with me.
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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: New F8 Puffer Problems
I never have even bothered with the "heat" part with F8's... ich seems to melt off them totally by the time I get SG over 1.005 with no additional effort. I use quick cure on cold water fish that don't tolerate the "heat" part of salt and heat treatment well.
No matter how magnificent your successes or devastating your failures, the worlds' approximately 5 billion impoverished people could not possibly care less.
Re: New F8 Puffer Problems
Update:
Added quick cure yesterday and also tested water. Nitrite was between 0 and 0.25. Spike may be due to possible overfeeding.
Davy Jones is still eating well and very active. Ick not getting better or worse so I guess some progress should come in the next 48-72 hours.
Still treating with Melafix for fins and 3rd treatment of Parasite Clear started yesterday.
Will not feed today; soaking food in meds for tomorrow.
Added quick cure yesterday and also tested water. Nitrite was between 0 and 0.25. Spike may be due to possible overfeeding.
Davy Jones is still eating well and very active. Ick not getting better or worse so I guess some progress should come in the next 48-72 hours.
Still treating with Melafix for fins and 3rd treatment of Parasite Clear started yesterday.
Will not feed today; soaking food in meds for tomorrow.
Last edited by liquid88 on Mon Mar 30, 2009 5:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
Sponge bob
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1185
- Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:50 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): United States of America, North America
- Location: Long Island, New york
Re: New F8 Puffer Problems
Ok.
At least he is getting the right treatment =)
And If you have the heat on (above like nick was mentioning)
It helps to(some times)
At least he is getting the right treatment =)
And If you have the heat on (above like nick was mentioning)
It helps to(some times)
Re: New F8 Puffer Problems
Ok guys now we're in deep. I saw some stringy/white poo from Davy today...I finally put him in the 29g yesterday. I fed him some shrimp soaked in the Parasite Clear today and he just took 2-3 bites and left it alone.
I dosed the 29g today with parasite clear because I saw a few tiny white worms swimming about. I don't know if they are parasitic but they have been in the tank the whole time I was cycling without there being any other fish present; just 1 small snail (Yes...it survived the ENTIRE cycle).
He seems to be getting a little lazy now and i'm hoping its just the treatment making him weak.
I wonder if the poos I'm seeing now are pieces of dead worm being purged after the last treatment. (I will try to post pics)
I dosed the 29g today with parasite clear because I saw a few tiny white worms swimming about. I don't know if they are parasitic but they have been in the tank the whole time I was cycling without there being any other fish present; just 1 small snail (Yes...it survived the ENTIRE cycle).
He seems to be getting a little lazy now and i'm hoping its just the treatment making him weak.
I wonder if the poos I'm seeing now are pieces of dead worm being purged after the last treatment. (I will try to post pics)