What's wrong with Pocky?
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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Pufferluv09
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 317
- Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:58 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Porcupine puffer
- Location (country): USA, Oregon
What's wrong with Pocky?
He's been acting stressed lately, and within the past few days redness has shown up around his gills and on the base of his pectoral fins, and a bit around his mouth. Also he's had a stress mustache that hasn't been going away. The last water test I did was less than a week ago, and there was 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and about 5 nitrates. I don't have the test kit at the moment (lent it to my bf). I did a 50% water change yesterday afternoon, during which he puffed up for the first time that I've witnessed (he's never liked water changes... I think the vacuum and my arm rearranging his stuff frightens him. Plus I realized I was wearing a red shirt, which he doesn't like either). The only thing I've added to the tank really recently was some live ghost shrimp on Thursday. Three out of five of them are gone. Does anyone have any idea of what could be causing the stress and redness?
Pufferluv09 -is- Zyash
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pufferpuggirl
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Rainbow crab
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- Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Re: What's wrong with Pocky?
Hmmm, I'm not sure what the cause of the redness would be, but doesn't Melafix help that, seems I remember seeing that listed on the back of the bottle. Doesn't sound good though, whatever the cause is. 
"Puffer .... man's best friend?"
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mrgreen
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Re: What's wrong with Pocky?
What size tank? What kind of puffer?
"Puffs puff cuz they're puffs cuz they puff cuz they're puffs. - Nathan age 12
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Pufferluv09
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 317
- Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:58 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Porcupine puffer
- Location (country): USA, Oregon
Re: What's wrong with Pocky?
GSP, 30 gallon. Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed everyone would know my puffer by name lol.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: What's wrong with Pocky?
Definitely add Melafix. What's the SG?
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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Pufferluv09
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 317
- Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:58 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Porcupine puffer
- Location (country): USA, Oregon
Re: What's wrong with Pocky?
SG 1.006
I will get some Melafix first thing in the morning.
I will get some Melafix first thing in the morning.
Pufferluv09 -is- Zyash
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Pufferluv09
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 317
- Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:58 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Porcupine puffer
- Location (country): USA, Oregon
Re: What's wrong with Pocky?
Urgent update!!
This morning Pocky is acting very ill. He has been bumping into everything, acting very disoriented and hazy, and I'm sure he is blind. His eyes don't move at all, and doesn't react to anything right in front of his face. Also, the entire "green" part of his body is all dark brown, and it's been that way since I started the Melafix on Tuesday. I just did a big water change and put the activated carbon back in the filter. Also, I put him in a breeder box in his tank so he doesn't hurt himself by getting stuck to the filter or bumping into the rocks and things more.
This morning Pocky is acting very ill. He has been bumping into everything, acting very disoriented and hazy, and I'm sure he is blind. His eyes don't move at all, and doesn't react to anything right in front of his face. Also, the entire "green" part of his body is all dark brown, and it's been that way since I started the Melafix on Tuesday. I just did a big water change and put the activated carbon back in the filter. Also, I put him in a breeder box in his tank so he doesn't hurt himself by getting stuck to the filter or bumping into the rocks and things more.
Pufferluv09 -is- Zyash
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pufferpuggirl
- Mbu Puffer
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1 x M Baileyii
1 x T Schoutedeni
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1 x T Miurus
Rainbow crab
crayfish - Location (country): Yorkshire, GB
- Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Re: What's wrong with Pocky?
That's really sad to hear. Are his eyes clouded over at all, or do they look normal?
"Puffer .... man's best friend?"
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Pufferluv09
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 317
- Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:58 pm
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Re: What's wrong with Pocky?
They aren't clouded over, they could even be a bit darker than normal.
Last edited by Pufferluv09 on Fri Apr 09, 2010 2:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Pufferluv09 -is- Zyash
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pufferpuggirl
- Mbu Puffer
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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: What's wrong with Pocky?
And he just changed like this since when?
"Puffer .... man's best friend?"
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Brandon8521
- Fahaka Puffer
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Re: What's wrong with Pocky?
I have been researching the symptoms and most of the searches lead me to bacterial infection. Not sure what to medicate with I have never come across this issue maybe someone else can chime in with some more advice good luck.
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Pufferluv09
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 317
- Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:58 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Porcupine puffer
- Location (country): USA, Oregon
Re: What's wrong with Pocky?
His body has been dark since Tuesday, but the acting blind is just since this morning.
Pufferluv09 -is- Zyash
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Pufferluv09
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 317
- Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:58 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Porcupine puffer
- Location (country): USA, Oregon
Re: What's wrong with Pocky?
Bcummings- I have been treating him for a different reason with Melafix which is an antibacterial, but he has gotten worse since then, so I did a water change to get the meds out of the water. I was afraid it could have contributed to it. Like, caused a secondary infection by killing bacteria that wasn't as harmful, allowing more harmful bacteria to thrive... IDK. Maybe I should continue with the meds cuz it's not good to stop antibiotics before they are finished, I just don't know what I should do.
Pufferluv09 -is- Zyash
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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: What's wrong with Pocky?
If it's bacterial, then Melafix should have done some good. I don't know what to think about him going "blind" so suddenly. I wish I had some words of wisdom to give you, but I'm racking my brain trying to think of something that might be helpful to you. Make sure he's got plenty of oxygenation where he is.
"Puffer .... man's best friend?"
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Pufferluv09
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 317
- Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:58 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Porcupine puffer
- Location (country): USA, Oregon
Re: What's wrong with Pocky?
Yeah, it's just so weird. And I do have a bubble wall, so there should be plenty of O2.
Pufferluv09 -is- Zyash