My female dwarf puffer has been acting wierd. She has ich, but it was getting better. All she's doing now is laying at the bottom. Non of her fins are mobing, either.
Water param. Uh, no kit, he he.
Tank size.. 5 gallon, yah, I know, too small, I'm moving them into a 10 gallon soon, as in a week or so. I've got 3 DP's.
Feeding, water.. I feed them every day at 11. But I've missed 2 days already in a row, not including today. Water changes are Wednesdays and Saturdays, although lately its been almost every day.
What changes.. Nothing.
How long the.. Since last August. It WAS my brothers, which he didn't cycle it, just threw 2 fantails in, then gave it to me so I cleaned the gravel.
Is my DP dying!?
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.
-
Lil' Swimz$
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1686
- Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2009 6:26 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Lorteti - Peaches
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
Is my DP dying!?
Ha ha, he he! DAncE whEn yoU're HAPpppy! He he he! DAnce, danCE, DANCe!
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32987
- 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: Is my DP dying!?
Are you dechlorinating the water when you do WC? Without knowing your water parameters & with the tank being overstocked, it's very dificult to diagnose anything here.
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!"
-
pufferpuggirl
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 3979
- Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 3:04 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffs & Stuff:
1 x M Abei
1 x M Turgidus
1 x T Palembangensis
1 x M Baileyii
1 x T Schoutedeni
1 x T Leiurus
1 x T Miurus
Rainbow crab
crayfish - Location (country): Yorkshire, GB
- Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Re: Is my DP dying!?
She's not going to get rid of the ich on her own, you have to get medication, or do something to get rid of it. Just hoping it will go away isn't going to do anything. I feel sorry for those fish in that small tank, with those parasites continuously attacking them. Maybe they'd be better off dead. Sorry, but I hate the thought that you aren't doing anything about the ich, which is not very kind to them. 
"Puffer .... man's best friend?"
-
Lil' Swimz$
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1686
- Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2009 6:26 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Lorteti - Peaches
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: Is my DP dying!?
I've got aquarium salt. Its too late, she's dead. I burried her under my treehouse. Can't wait for the 30 gallon though! Puffer Paradise!
Ha ha, he he! DAncE whEn yoU're HAPpppy! He he he! DAnce, danCE, DANCe!
-
Lil' Swimz$
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1686
- Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2009 6:26 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Lorteti - Peaches
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: Is my DP dying!?
Yes, I'm declorinizing it. Water changes are every day now.
Ha ha, he he! DAncE whEn yoU're HAPpppy! He he he! DAnce, danCE, DANCe!
-
pufferpuggirl
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 3979
- Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 3:04 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffs & Stuff:
1 x M Abei
1 x M Turgidus
1 x T Palembangensis
1 x M Baileyii
1 x T Schoutedeni
1 x T Leiurus
1 x T Miurus
Rainbow crab
crayfish - Location (country): Yorkshire, GB
- Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Re: Is my DP dying!?
You do understand that your other puffers could very well have ich as well for being in the same tank with her? I hope that you learn to treat your puffers better, and that when they are ill, they need treatment immediately, not when you feel like it, or next week ... that's what keeping puffers is about. They aren't like other fish, they need specialist care.
I'm sorry she died, but it didn't surprise me at all, and really I will be surprised if the others live very long. It's my opinion that I think you should stick with goldfish or fish that don't need such special care, or wait until you're older. I don't mean to be nasty, but that poor fish had been suffering for how long? Two weeks?
I'm sorry she died, but it didn't surprise me at all, and really I will be surprised if the others live very long. It's my opinion that I think you should stick with goldfish or fish that don't need such special care, or wait until you're older. I don't mean to be nasty, but that poor fish had been suffering for how long? Two weeks?
"Puffer .... man's best friend?"
-
Lil' Swimz$
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1686
- Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2009 6:26 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Lorteti - Peaches
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: Is my DP dying!?
I'm using salt! Temps up! Water changes every day, what else can I do?
Ha ha, he he! DAncE whEn yoU're HAPpppy! He he he! DAnce, danCE, DANCe!
-
pufferpuggirl
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 3979
- Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 3:04 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffs & Stuff:
1 x M Abei
1 x M Turgidus
1 x T Palembangensis
1 x M Baileyii
1 x T Schoutedeni
1 x T Leiurus
1 x T Miurus
Rainbow crab
crayfish - Location (country): Yorkshire, GB
- Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Re: Is my DP dying!?
But it was 2 weeks before anything was done for that female, wasn't it?
Hey, they are your fish and you can do as you please, I just think you need to change some things if you want to successfully keep puffers in the future!
That's all I'm saying.
Hey, they are your fish and you can do as you please, I just think you need to change some things if you want to successfully keep puffers in the future!
That's all I'm saying.
"Puffer .... man's best friend?"
-
Lil' Swimz$
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1686
- Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2009 6:26 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Lorteti - Peaches
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: Is my DP dying!?
No, it was about a week ago I started.
Ha ha, he he! DAncE whEn yoU're HAPpppy! He he he! DAnce, danCE, DANCe!
-
Mrs.Puff
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 250
- Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:20 pm
- My Puffers: I have had my first puffer for about 2-3 weeks now and her name is Mrs. Puff, i just bought another puffer about 5 days ago and his name is Mr. Puff. They are awsome fish and they look great!! Mr. Puff is more curious and loves to see me. Mrs. Puff is very shy but im working with her so hopefully she will become more open.
- Location: ohio
Re: Is my DP dying!?
Schismy007...have you ever thought that maybe he didnt have a ride to get to a petstore or anything? Id give him a break, i know how it was when i was too young to drive and when my fish needed "special" attention that i couldnt get to. He did the best he could and now he knows what to do now!
LilSwims$...i think you did the best you could! I'm very sorry that your fish died!!!
LilSwims$...i think you did the best you could! I'm very sorry that your fish died!!!
Puffers are amazing!! 
WELCOME! - 2 angelfish, and 1 upside down catfish
Piranha 29g
2 Oscars 75g
R.I.P: Mrs.Puff, Mr. Puff and, Jumbo
1 Betta 2g
WELCOME! - 2 angelfish, and 1 upside down catfish
Piranha 29g
2 Oscars 75g
R.I.P: Mrs.Puff, Mr. Puff and, Jumbo
1 Betta 2g
-
Lil' Swimz$
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1686
- Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2009 6:26 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Lorteti - Peaches
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: Is my DP dying!?
Thanks Mrs.Puff. I'm actually thinking of cremating her..
Ha ha, he he! DAncE whEn yoU're HAPpppy! He he he! DAnce, danCE, DANCe!
-
Mrs.Puff
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 250
- Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:20 pm
- My Puffers: I have had my first puffer for about 2-3 weeks now and her name is Mrs. Puff, i just bought another puffer about 5 days ago and his name is Mr. Puff. They are awsome fish and they look great!! Mr. Puff is more curious and loves to see me. Mrs. Puff is very shy but im working with her so hopefully she will become more open.
- Location: ohio
Re: Is my DP dying!?
your welcome!! Cremating her wont be expensive... my sister cremated her cockerspaniel and it was priced at around $70-$100 so a small fish like that they might do for free...I hope your doing good...i HATE it when my died. I had my betta for 5 years! and they only ive 3-4!
Puffers are amazing!!
WELCOME! - 2 angelfish, and 1 upside down catfish
Piranha 29g
2 Oscars 75g
R.I.P: Mrs.Puff, Mr. Puff and, Jumbo
1 Betta 2g
WELCOME! - 2 angelfish, and 1 upside down catfish
Piranha 29g
2 Oscars 75g
R.I.P: Mrs.Puff, Mr. Puff and, Jumbo
1 Betta 2g
-
Lil' Swimz$
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1686
- Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2009 6:26 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Lorteti - Peaches
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: Is my DP dying!?
Oh. I was planning on putting her in a stone pot and pouring gas over her and doing it myself. Sorry about your betta. I've never actually had one.
Ha ha, he he! DAncE whEn yoU're HAPpppy! He he he! DAnce, danCE, DANCe!
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32987
- 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: Is my DP dying!?
Please don't play with fire. Leave her burried in peace.
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!"
-
Lil' Swimz$
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1686
- Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2009 6:26 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Lorteti - Peaches
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: Is my DP dying!?
Okay. I really want to make her a gravestone then.
Ha ha, he he! DAncE whEn yoU're HAPpppy! He he he! DAnce, danCE, DANCe!