emergency help needed please!
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.
-
rachy
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 289
- Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2009 3:01 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 4 adult dwarf puffers ( sugar, hamish, diddy + porky)
2 smallerDP's (squidge + speckle)
+ now 70+ baby DP's :)
7 south american puffers ( shaun, paddy, sketch,
pele + 3 with no name yet!)
2 irrubesco (princess ruby + richy) - Location (country): uk
- Location: north east uk
emergency help needed please!
i just got 3 saps delivered this morning. at 1st they were all ok,swimming around etc..but then 2 of them were just sick
kinda just floating aroun, not really swimming etc:( even struggling 2 stay upright at times. 1 of them has kinda recovered a bit now, but 1 is still just laid on the bottom of the tank
a frog just went near it, n scared him so he puffed up :S i never saw a puffer puff up before. now hes not puffed up anymore, but he still has a kinda lump in his belly, as if he hasnt properly deflated :S should i try burp him? or is that gonna b 2 much stress for an already unhappy puffer :S help needed quickly please! 
- 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: emergency help needed please!
Check the Inflated Puffer article in the Hospital section of our Library.
Also be prepared to go ahead & treat now for Ich & IPs. I have rarely seen a SAP who didn't get Ich (or even worse, velvet) from the stress of shipping or even being moved from one tank to another.
Where did you get them from? Are they in a cycled tank? (Sorry if you've posted about this already.)
Also be prepared to go ahead & treat now for Ich & IPs. I have rarely seen a SAP who didn't get Ich (or even worse, velvet) from the stress of shipping or even being moved from one tank to another.
Where did you get them from? Are they in a cycled tank? (Sorry if you've posted about this already.)
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!"
-
rachy
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 289
- Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2009 3:01 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 4 adult dwarf puffers ( sugar, hamish, diddy + porky)
2 smallerDP's (squidge + speckle)
+ now 70+ baby DP's :)
7 south american puffers ( shaun, paddy, sketch,
pele + 3 with no name yet!)
2 irrubesco (princess ruby + richy) - Location (country): uk
- Location: north east uk
Re: emergency help needed please!
i got them sent up from a shop down the country, trimar.co.uk. yep they are in a cycled tank. all 3 of them had a couple of worms maybe 2 hours after i put them in, dunno if thats important or not tho! u think i should go ahead n straight away treat for ips + ich, or wait see if they need it?
thanks for the fast reply
thanks for the fast reply
- 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: emergency help needed please!
I would go ahead & at least raise the temp & add 1 tbsp salt/10g. I have seen them not recover, once infected. For some reason, they have weak immune systems. It's great they're eating already--maybe wait on the iP treatment.
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!"
-
rachy
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 289
- Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2009 3:01 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 4 adult dwarf puffers ( sugar, hamish, diddy + porky)
2 smallerDP's (squidge + speckle)
+ now 70+ baby DP's :)
7 south american puffers ( shaun, paddy, sketch,
pele + 3 with no name yet!)
2 irrubesco (princess ruby + richy) - Location (country): uk
- Location: north east uk
Re: emergency help needed please!
he died
am gutted man,been waiting so long to find some more of these little fellas. the other 1 who wasnt well is still swimming about a bit, but he still dosent seem 2 have as much energy as the 3rd 1 does.
- 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: emergency help needed please!
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!"
-
rachy
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 289
- Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2009 3:01 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 4 adult dwarf puffers ( sugar, hamish, diddy + porky)
2 smallerDP's (squidge + speckle)
+ now 70+ baby DP's :)
7 south american puffers ( shaun, paddy, sketch,
pele + 3 with no name yet!)
2 irrubesco (princess ruby + richy) - Location (country): uk
- Location: north east uk
Re: emergency help needed please!
well this morning, the 2nd 1 is really poorly looking aswell
just kinda laid on his side.poor little guy
i think he might have ips like u say, he looks extremely thin now hes laid down is there anything i can do for him now? i will treat the 3rd for ips 2day
- LilGreenPuffer
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 5301
- Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:26 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Dwarf puffer - Thumbelina (only mine in my heart now; she lives in CT with my friend)
RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond. - Location (country): United States
- Location: Kentucky
Re: emergency help needed please!
I would give him the most relaxing environment possible. Put him in a quiet room with the lights off. Give him a hiding spot. Keep the other SAP with him, since they'll probably get even more stressed if they're alone. Avoid looking in there too often.
"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
- 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: emergency help needed please!
Be sure to inform the suppler of your problems, ASAP.
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!"
-
rachy
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 289
- Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2009 3:01 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 4 adult dwarf puffers ( sugar, hamish, diddy + porky)
2 smallerDP's (squidge + speckle)
+ now 70+ baby DP's :)
7 south american puffers ( shaun, paddy, sketch,
pele + 3 with no name yet!)
2 irrubesco (princess ruby + richy) - Location (country): uk
- Location: north east uk
Re: emergency help needed please!
the 2nd 1 died aswell
the 3rd isnt by himself tho, hes with the 2 i already had. i did ring the fish shop last night as soon as i got in from work...basically because they were alive when i got them, they really didnt wanna know
said it must b down to my water.im not convinced..all the levels are where they should b, and the other new 1, plus the 2 old 1s are fine. i think ill try ringing again 2moro. thanks for ur help you 2 x
- 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: emergency help needed please!
I never would have put those fish in with your healthy ones. Lets hope you don't lose them all.
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!"