golden puffer problems

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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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saltyESQ
Puffer Fry
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:33 pm
My Puffers: Golden (ArothronMeg) and blue spotted

golden puffer problems

Post by saltyESQ »

I have had my goldy for over 2 years.
About 4 months ago I noticed he has problems breathing. His breathing problems were so bad that he would be swimming and immediately fall to the sand bed. Once on the sand bed he would breath really heavy.

I then put the puffer in qt and attempted to treat with diff medications, such as cupramine. As I tried doing the treatment, I kept on getting ammonia problems. After battling with ammonia and 4 months later, the puffer seemed fine. a couple weeks ago I put him back in my display.

today, the puffer still has some breathing problems, not nearly as bad as before, but his color has changed.
In the first picture, the fish was healthy, but I noticed some white spots appearing on his head,

The second pic, he is completely healthy.

Third pic is how he looked yesterday.

any help would be appreciated
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Tank: 210g 3 sided starphire with 100g sump 200lbs LR and 240lbs LS.
Equipment: Bubble king Supermarine 200, Red Dragon 6.5 return pump, Aqua 114w UV
Fish: Golden Puffer (Arothron Meg), Blue spotted puffer, humu trigger, pearlscale Butterfly, Angels: emperor, flagfin, singapore, red sea regal, Tangs: Sohal and purple
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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: golden puffer problems

Post by LilGreenPuffer »

Can you answer these questions?

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.
"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


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Black Widow

Re: golden puffer problems

Post by Black Widow »

saltyESQ wrote:I have had my goldy for over 2 years.
About 4 months ago I noticed he has problems breathing. His breathing problems were so bad that he would be swimming and immediately fall to the sand bed. Once on the sand bed he would breath really heavy.

I then put the puffer in qt and attempted to treat with diff medications, such as cupramine. As I tried doing the treatment, I kept on getting ammonia problems. After battling with ammonia and 4 months later, the puffer seemed fine. a couple weeks ago I put him back in my display.

today, the puffer still has some breathing problems, not nearly as bad as before, but his color has changed.
In the first picture, the fish was healthy, but I noticed some white spots appearing on his head,

The second pic, he is completely healthy.

Third pic is how he looked yesterday.

any help would be appreciated
Just from the pick i can tell you instantaneously my dogface puffer went thru the same thing, one day he turned dark brown and stayed in the corner. he looked really stressed after that his breathing got worse and his color got darker .He stopped eating lost a lotta weight and died. I notice your puffer is skinny now ! Is he eating at all ? Like your puffer my dogface did occasionally go up for air then drop back down again. the cause of his death was crap water quality and Very low oxygen in the water. Is your water Aerated? If not adjust your pump so it blows bubbles into your water! also maybe lower the salinity abit. While my dogface was stressed i noticed a 5min Fresh Water bath relaxed his breathing and destressed him a bit. As Lower salinity means the Puffer uses less energy motabilising nutrients and breathing. So Bathe him a bit, Also STOP ALL THE MEDICATION on your puffer hes breathing in crappy water and your adding more chemicals when you dont know what the hell is going on in your tank!!!!! Adding all meds in the hope he will be better is real noobish and should not be attempted unless treating specific diseases you know are on the tank! Which right Now you DONT.

The Golden Puffers whitespots / paler colour are its stressed sign coupled with loss of weight hes defo stressed.
pufferfreak
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Re: golden puffer problems

Post by pufferfreak »

Your tank is way overstocked. Not trying to bash you but i am just saying i would look into that and that is most likely we he is stressed because he feels cramped.
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