New Hairy Puffer!!! Help Needed
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
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32975
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
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A modestus
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C valentini
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burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: New Hairy Puffer!!! Help Needed
I'd add an airstone in there & make sure the temp isn't >78.
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:
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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: New Hairy Puffer!!! Help Needed
MachMe wrote:Ok so I might be being over critical but she is breathing very heavily and fast. Kinda opening her mouth between breaths. Is that normal?
I did say that you should probably add an airstone, as that's the most common thing I've heard people complain of when using Melafix & Pimafix.
"Puffer .... man's best friend?"
-
MachMe
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 72
- Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:43 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 2 Figure 8s
1 Monotrete Baileyi - Location (country): U.S.
- Location: The Q, New Mexico
Re: New Hairy Puffer!!! Help Needed
I added a 10inch bubble curtain I had. She is no longer breathing heavily. However, I did about an 80% water change prior to this because it seemed like her breathing was that bad. It was pretty scary. I'm kinda afraid of this stuff now.
As far as the fungus goes it seems about the same. Maybe a lil more detailed now. I will continue adding pimafix today but has anyone dealt with a fungus before?
What was the product you had success with?
As far as the fungus goes it seems about the same. Maybe a lil more detailed now. I will continue adding pimafix today but has anyone dealt with a fungus before?
What was the product you had success with?
-
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: New Hairy Puffer!!! Help Needed
Yes, my Baileyi had a fungus last year, and was quite bad, but I used the Melafix/Pimafix for 7 days as directed and it went away, never had any problems with it since then. But I'd be careful, if you stop using the Pimafix, those fungi can multiply rapidly and it can be a very bad outcome very quickly.
I use a syringe (without a needle) for measuring my Melafix/Pimafix, and over here, it says to use 5ml for every 38-liters of water. I've never had any problems with it, and it's always helped my puffers. In fact, I think most puffers benefit from a little Melafix, whether they have a problem or not, but that's just my opinion.
I use a syringe (without a needle) for measuring my Melafix/Pimafix, and over here, it says to use 5ml for every 38-liters of water. I've never had any problems with it, and it's always helped my puffers. In fact, I think most puffers benefit from a little Melafix, whether they have a problem or not, but that's just my opinion.
"Puffer .... man's best friend?"
-
MachMe
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 72
- Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:43 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 2 Figure 8s
1 Monotrete Baileyi - Location (country): U.S.
- Location: The Q, New Mexico
Re: New Hairy Puffer!!! Help Needed
Ok I will continue dosing today. Pufferpuggirl, how often do you feed your Baileyi? My puff is about 2inches so I'm thinking of feeding here every other day. The nightcrawlers I got are huge so I dont want to feed her too much.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32975
- 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: New Hairy Puffer!!! Help Needed
That sounds about right. Try to find other foods he'll eat too.
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: New Hairy Puffer!!! Help Needed
I'm a bad woman because I feed all my puffers every day, unless the lurkers don't seem interested, which does happen every now and then. I ran out of food last night and so I didn't feed my one Abei, Hymie, and he had a fit! I probably could have thawed out some shrimp, but I didn't. He was really not happy with me at all.
Because I have small puffers that need to eat regularly, I just feed everyone, more habit than anything, and as all of my puffers are what I'd call "very robust", maybe I should think of skipping a day during the week. I will have some very unhappy puffers, because they all know when it's feeding time and they all get very excited.
Because I have small puffers that need to eat regularly, I just feed everyone, more habit than anything, and as all of my puffers are what I'd call "very robust", maybe I should think of skipping a day during the week. I will have some very unhappy puffers, because they all know when it's feeding time and they all get very excited.
"Puffer .... man's best friend?"
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32975
- 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: New Hairy Puffer!!! Help Needed
Maybe you should go back & read that sticky on overfeeding your puffers!
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: New Hairy Puffer!!! Help Needed
I know, I was asking for that one. 
"Puffer .... man's best friend?"