Congo no longer 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.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Congo no longer eating
Many animals when they get to starvation mode, may have to be force fed.
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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s13maximo
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Re: Congo no longer eating
I added safestart to the filters and now I guess I should see some improvements in a few days time? Does anyone know if it actually works well? Sure hope so. I would be gutted if he dies....
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LilGreenPuffer
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Re: Congo no longer eating
SafeStart works. It doesn't always completely cycle a tank, but since your tank was partly cycled already, you should be fine.
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
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s13maximo
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Re: Congo no longer eating
I did a measurement an hour ago which told me there's no longer any ammonia there, at least nothing that's measureable! Not eating yet though....
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LilGreenPuffer
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Re: Congo no longer eating
No ammonia is definitely progress! What about nitrites?
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
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Lil' Swimz$
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Re: Congo no longer eating
Don't forget, it could be the nitrates/ites that could be doing the job. 
Ha ha, he he! DAncE whEn yoU're HAPpppy! He he he! DAnce, danCE, DANCe!
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s13maximo
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Re: Congo no longer eating
Not that I'm thinking about doing anything crazy but, I'd like to know pufferpunk, what you exactly mean by "force feeding"?
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Pufferpunk
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DPs
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burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Re: Congo no longer eating
It's the actual process of pureeing healthy, vitamin-packed foods in a blender & using a syringe to push food into a tube down it's throat to feed the fish.
I think you may be ok now. Try live earthworms, to entice the puffer to eat.
Did you do a large WC before adding the product?
I think you may be ok now. Try live earthworms, to entice the puffer to eat.
Did you do a large WC before adding the product?
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!"
-
s13maximo
- Puffer Fry
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Re: Congo no longer eating
Ok, after a few days now, I have done an other ammonia-test and the problem is back, with an extra punch.... So have the bacteria died off? That would be quite strange no? I guess I have to do another big waterchange than, but this crappy safe start costs me about 20dollars a' bottle! I also took the filter that was cleaned least recent, and cleaned it out and used filter material from my other freshwater tank that has a well established bacteriaculture... All to no avail!
The puffer hasn't eaten yet and I tried another earth worm, dropped it right in front of him. He hardly looked at it, and when it touched him, he ran of and burried himself in the sand.Offcourse I also offered him clams, frozen feeder fish(which he doesn't like), and there are live shrimp in the tank.
What I do realise now is that before he stopped eating, I had recently added some riversand to the aquarium. But I didn't rinse it, and I guess it was a week after that he quit eating.
The puffer hasn't eaten yet and I tried another earth worm, dropped it right in front of him. He hardly looked at it, and when it touched him, he ran of and burried himself in the sand.Offcourse I also offered him clams, frozen feeder fish(which he doesn't like), and there are live shrimp in the tank.
What I do realise now is that before he stopped eating, I had recently added some riversand to the aquarium. But I didn't rinse it, and I guess it was a week after that he quit eating.
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qtrhorse89
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Re: Congo no longer eating
What are your actual readings for ammonia and nitrate/ites? I don't really understand how your ammonia is spiking so high, usually the safestart takes care of it. Could you have missed something in the tank maybe one of those shrimp have died and are decomposing? I don't know if there are places in your tank for stuff to hide but something could have crawled up somewhere and died. I don't know just a thought. I hope he starts eating soon.
"Okay. You! Out of the Gene Pool!"- Don't know who said it but I enjoy using it
I'm learning that puffer fish are like pringles. There is no such thing as only wanting one.
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I'm learning that puffer fish are like pringles. There is no such thing as only wanting one.
Tanks:
38 gallon: 1 Figure 8 puffer, 1 Dragon Goby, 1 Knight Goby, 3 Black Mollies
30 gallon: 1 Blue Acara, 1 Bristlenose Pleco
120 gallon: Ratchet the Fahaka Puffer
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s13maximo
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Re: Congo no longer eating
Yeah I hope so too, but I'm guessing my little guy won't hold out much longer... There is a little cave in there but could one shrimp give of enough ammonia in a 25g to create high readings?
My ammonia was at around 1.5mg/l, nitrates were around 20, nitrite 0...
Food doesn't seem to even ring a bell anymore.... I wave some food in front of him, pushing it against his mouth, but all he does is make clear that he would prefer me leaving him alone.
But how is it possible to have 0ammonia one day, and then the next day, it comes back??
There are two filters in there, I tried the safe start, I clean up leftovers of food, I stir the sand once in a while... I do what I can to make my fish's lives enjoyable but Pufferpunk's force feeding is just not my ticket. I find it hard just cutting the teeth for my f8's so doing something that elaborate seems over the top, even when I see my congo suffer. It might be selfish, but that's not how I intend to come across......
My ammonia was at around 1.5mg/l, nitrates were around 20, nitrite 0...
Food doesn't seem to even ring a bell anymore.... I wave some food in front of him, pushing it against his mouth, but all he does is make clear that he would prefer me leaving him alone.
But how is it possible to have 0ammonia one day, and then the next day, it comes back??
There are two filters in there, I tried the safe start, I clean up leftovers of food, I stir the sand once in a while... I do what I can to make my fish's lives enjoyable but Pufferpunk's force feeding is just not my ticket. I find it hard just cutting the teeth for my f8's so doing something that elaborate seems over the top, even when I see my congo suffer. It might be selfish, but that's not how I intend to come across......
-
s13maximo
- Puffer Fry
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- Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2009 3:30 pm
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- Location: Belgium
Re: Congo no longer eating
I think I may be losing my mind, but the ammonia test I just did, came out negative.... So no ammonia today?!
He is still not accepting any food, I keep pushing a mussle against his face but he gets annoyed every time... THis guy is gonna die if he keeps starving himself. It must be pretty much a month ago this guy ate something, looking skinny and all....
He is still not accepting any food, I keep pushing a mussle against his face but he gets annoyed every time... THis guy is gonna die if he keeps starving himself. It must be pretty much a month ago this guy ate something, looking skinny and all....
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LilGreenPuffer
- Former Staff Member
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RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond. - Location (country): United States
- Location: Kentucky
Re: Congo no longer eating
I think it's time to start force-feeding.
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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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: Congo no longer eating
I understand if you don't want to force-feed. I actually have never done this myself. How long have you had him? Is he an adult? I had a suvattii who was doing great when I got him & within 6 weeks, he started refusing food & then died. I opened him up & found his liver to be rock hard & yellow--liver disease, probably due to being fed feeders at the shop he was being kept at.
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!"
-
s13maximo
- Puffer Fry
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Re: Congo no longer eating
He is not an adult, well not a full grown one anyway, about 2,5-3 inches in size. I've had him for about 3 or 4 months, and he was always a good eater! His staple diet was always frozen mussles, because he didn't like much else. On 3 occasions(well spread) I gave him live fish, that were always from my own tanks.... They never had a chance! What more can I do?
Anyone have an idea about the ammonia levels swinging?
Anyone have an idea about the ammonia levels swinging?