Just purchased a sick fahaka..

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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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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shagy382
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Just purchased a sick fahaka..

Post by shagy382 »

Hi guys, i been observing this fahaka for a while at my LFS and i finally decided to buy it. I seriously cldnt bear to leave the fahaka there & slowly let him fade away. As of now, i added a dose of Melafix + Primafix. The good part is that the puffer is still eating :D . Should i adminster a dose of Jungle Labs Parasite Guard? (Ordered from amazon) Is there anything else i should do for now besides the current treatment? Im thinking of getting Waterlife Vitazin..anyone had any experience with it?? Tank is completely cycled...

Here are some pics of the fahaka..he looks really stressed & emaciated. When the LFS owner touched him just now to provoke him & to bag him, he threw a big fit. But when i tried to move him abit just now, he was really calm. I hope he knows that im trying my best to save him & i mean him no harm :D . As of now, i got to feed him the food..as in place it directly at hes mouth. Hes fins are still constantly moving..

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Re: Just purchased a sick fahaka..

Post by Pufferpunk »

I've seen way worse, more emaciated puffers than that one. It may have just been fed the wrong foods. You can certainly treat for IPs without harm.
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Re: Just purchased a sick fahaka..

Post by Dadof4 »

Does he have ich or is that a trick of the camera or sand? That would be making him real uncomfortable too.
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Re: Just purchased a sick fahaka..

Post by J-P »

maybe sand ... nothing on the fins?
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Re: Just purchased a sick fahaka..

Post by shagy382 »

Theres so signs of Ich, its just the sand trick :o i treated him for IPs. He seem to have regurgitated the food he ate last night which caused a spike in the ammonia. Just performed a 50% water change which i think removed half of the meds in the water. So i gotta top it up again. I added some epsom salt, hes poop is like a small yellowish egg..indication of IPs i guess.

Hope the meds help. :(
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Re: Just purchased a sick fahaka..

Post by Flutter »

It won't work while it isn't eating but once it is you can treat the food too and get those nasties from both inside and outside :)
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shagy382
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Re: Just purchased a sick fahaka..

Post by shagy382 »

Yup but jungle labs parasite clear doesnt require me to soak it in the foods. So, wat other meds would there be where i can use it with the food? :)
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Re: Just purchased a sick fahaka..

Post by Flutter »

Same one :) 1/4 tablet in about 1/4 cup of water with food. Soak for several hours. I normally soaked overnight in the fridge.
It is absurd to talk of one animal being higher than another. We consider those, when the cerebral structure/intellectual faculties most developed, as highest. A bee doubtless would when the instincts were.
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shagy382
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Re: Just purchased a sick fahaka..

Post by shagy382 »

Yea i just read on it in another post :) thanks !
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Re: Just purchased a sick fahaka..

Post by shagy382 »

He isnt eating much of the medicated food today. However, i tried to dissolve some meds in water and use a syringe to inject it directly into hes mouth. He seemed to readily accept it as he opens hes mouth when i inject the meds in, he doesnt really cough it back out or retailiate. Does it mean that the meds are going into hes stomach?

Im thinking of making a slurry for him. What kinda slurry would you recommend & how do i go about making it? how often should i adminster the meds orally? I already added the meds to hes Water as instructed on the jungle labs parasite clear box. Could there be a chance of an overdose?

Thanks
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Re: Just purchased a sick fahaka..

Post by Pufferpunk »

Some meds are probably going in--what a cooperative fella! Try soaking his foods in garlic too, to enhance flavor.
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Re: Just purchased a sick fahaka..

Post by Nick »

Your very lucky he lets you do this, oral injections are TOUGH most of the time. Sometimes a type of IP infects the mouth and throat, making swallowing too painful. If thats the case, you are doing just the right thing.
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Re: Just purchased a sick fahaka..

Post by shagy382 »

Latest update:

I think the puffer passed out a dead tapeworm..cause it really resembles one. Its looks like a long 'intestine'. On e other hand, the puffer also has camallanus worms zzzzzzzzzzzzz significant red thread like worm hanging at the anus area. The good part is that the worms are not so bad and i only seen like two of em hanging at the anus. Jungle labs parasite clear doesnt seem to be able to tackle this problem. Would be going down to my local fish vet later to ask for some levasimole HCL cause its a controlled drug here.

This should really do the trick and save the puffer..

Reminds me of the annabelle case thread a few months ago :(
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Re: Just purchased a sick fahaka..

Post by Pufferpunk »

I was just thinking that... Lucky this puffer got you as it's owner!
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!"
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Re: Just purchased a sick fahaka..

Post by Flutter »

No kidding PP!

One lucky puffer for sure.
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