I added Melafix to my tank last night. I just remembered I had a bottle of it at home.
I did a 50% water change and realized I should have taken water tests prior to the change. I'll take the parameters tonight when I get home.
I dosed the tank a 2nd time this morning before I left for work this morning.
Fahaka not feeling so good.
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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sumfingwong
- Dwarf Puffer
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jus85411
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Re: Fahaka not feeling so good.
you took the carbon out of the filter right?
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sumfingwong
- Dwarf Puffer
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Re: Fahaka not feeling so good.
yea.. I removed the carbon. I had to leave town for a day and missed a dose yesterday. When I got back today, the left eye isnt clouded, however around the left eye, it looks like his skin peeled off. The right eye has some white fluffy stuff. When he started getting sick, the left eye was the first to get cloudy.
Water readings:
pH: 7.6
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 5
Ammonia: 0 ppm
These readings are 3 days after a 50% water change. I am still dosing the tank with Melafix and will continue on to finish the treatment to thursday.
I am just emailing myself the pics i took with my iphone and will attach them
Water readings:
pH: 7.6
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 5
Ammonia: 0 ppm
These readings are 3 days after a 50% water change. I am still dosing the tank with Melafix and will continue on to finish the treatment to thursday.
I am just emailing myself the pics i took with my iphone and will attach them
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sumfingwong
- Dwarf Puffer
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Re: Fahaka not feeling so good.
Here are the pics
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Ohyouknow
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Re: Fahaka not feeling so good.
I don't know much about it myself - but through a few google searches I've only come across a few things yet.
First thing, what all things have you tested for in your tank? What medications have you used in your tank?
I ask this because someone reported that skyrocketing pH can burn off the puffer's skin. Perhaps your pH is so high it's causing some damage to his eyes as well, causing cloudiness? Adding Melafix may have helped some, but not enough. If pH is the problem, perhaps adding driftwood or getting water from another source will be a solution. You said he's changed tanks - Moved from the office to home, correct? Perhaps he was acclimated to the pH at work or wherever he was - the new pH from your tap may be much higher causing the problems.
I ask about medications as well, because if you have added anything that may not be good for him, it may also cause the same types of burns.
Continue water changes, test your parameters - please keep us updated! I'm eager to hear.
First thing, what all things have you tested for in your tank? What medications have you used in your tank?
I ask this because someone reported that skyrocketing pH can burn off the puffer's skin. Perhaps your pH is so high it's causing some damage to his eyes as well, causing cloudiness? Adding Melafix may have helped some, but not enough. If pH is the problem, perhaps adding driftwood or getting water from another source will be a solution. You said he's changed tanks - Moved from the office to home, correct? Perhaps he was acclimated to the pH at work or wherever he was - the new pH from your tap may be much higher causing the problems.
I ask about medications as well, because if you have added anything that may not be good for him, it may also cause the same types of burns.
Continue water changes, test your parameters - please keep us updated! I'm eager to hear.
Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know you left open.
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sumfingwong
- Dwarf Puffer
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- Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 6:53 pm
Re: Fahaka not feeling so good.
He was moved this larger tank awhile ago. This tank was filled with 2 pieces of driftwood and lots of anubias plants. I have since taken them out because I had a purplish algae outbreak. I am currently treating the wood and plants in a rubbermaid container.
As for pH, its always been in the 7 range. Is 7.6 not ok?
The Melafix bottle says I need to treat for 7 days, then a 25% water change and then continue treatment if I need to.
As for pH, its always been in the 7 range. Is 7.6 not ok?
The Melafix bottle says I need to treat for 7 days, then a 25% water change and then continue treatment if I need to.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Fahaka not feeling so good.
7.6 is fine. I'd add 1 tbsp table salt/10g also. How is he now? If he's getting worse, you're going to have to add antibiotics.
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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sumfingwong
- Dwarf Puffer
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Re: Fahaka not feeling so good.
Thanks for the replies all
The pics I posted above was just taken at that time.
I am also treating the tank with salt. I havent added any since the water change last week. I will add some tomorrow
What are the best antibiotics to get? During lunch I will make a stop at the LFS.
The pics I posted above was just taken at that time.
I am also treating the tank with salt. I havent added any since the water change last week. I will add some tomorrow
What are the best antibiotics to get? During lunch I will make a stop at the LFS.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Fahaka not feeling so good.
Start with Maracyn 1 & 2, to cover all bases. They won't hurt your biological bed (supposedly...).
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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sumfingwong
- Dwarf Puffer
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Re: Fahaka not feeling so good.
MElafix = Magic in a bottle
So today when I got home, I went to dose the tank with some Melafix.
The skin that was loose on his head has fallen off, the white fluffy gross stuff that was sticking out of his right eye is gone. The cloud is almost all gone on the right eye. He seems happy since his colors are really bright. Hes usually really dark/black when I do water changes (hes pissed off)
Ill snap some pics with my iphone in a bit and post it up.
Lets hope his recovery keeps up.
On a side note, the driftwood and plants are almost ready to be added to the tank again. But I want to wait till he has completely healed and slowly add the anubias back in the tank.
So today when I got home, I went to dose the tank with some Melafix.
The skin that was loose on his head has fallen off, the white fluffy gross stuff that was sticking out of his right eye is gone. The cloud is almost all gone on the right eye. He seems happy since his colors are really bright. Hes usually really dark/black when I do water changes (hes pissed off)
Ill snap some pics with my iphone in a bit and post it up.
Lets hope his recovery keeps up.
On a side note, the driftwood and plants are almost ready to be added to the tank again. But I want to wait till he has completely healed and slowly add the anubias back in the tank.
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pufferpuggirl
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Re: Fahaka not feeling so good.
Melafix really does work wonders, it's great stuff and no puffer-keeper should be without it. I'm glad to hear that your puffer is doing better, that's great news. I hope he continues to improve and gets back to good health. 
"Puffer .... man's best friend?"
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sumfingwong
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Re: Fahaka not feeling so good.
Just thought I would give a quick update. Puffer is still recovering I hope. He doesnt have an appetite still. I throw some food in, and if its still there in 3 hours I take it out.
Water tests are good, and im added some salt in the tank along with the daily dose of melafix. I just burned through one bottle, and I have a brand new bottle to crack open tonight.
Water tests are good, and im added some salt in the tank along with the daily dose of melafix. I just burned through one bottle, and I have a brand new bottle to crack open tonight.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Fahaka not feeling so good.
Try live earthworms.
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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sumfingwong
- Dwarf Puffer
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Re: Fahaka not feeling so good.
Thanks I will try it tonight.
Last night he was sleeping a little weird, he was sleeping kinda tilted to the side. Today is actually the last day of the 7 day treatment of Melafix (thought it was thurs)
Will have to do a WC, treat the tank with salt and Melafix and see what happens.
The left eye that healed first is now white again, but this time not the cloudy. Its more like it cracked/popped. I will snap pics tonight.
Last night he was sleeping a little weird, he was sleeping kinda tilted to the side. Today is actually the last day of the 7 day treatment of Melafix (thought it was thurs)
Will have to do a WC, treat the tank with salt and Melafix and see what happens.
The left eye that healed first is now white again, but this time not the cloudy. Its more like it cracked/popped. I will snap pics tonight.
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sumfingwong
- Dwarf Puffer
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- Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 6:53 pm
Re: Fahaka not feeling so good.
Looks like things turned for the worst.
He is now just floating at the top of the tank. bobbing up and down. The left eye looks like it popped and its red. Do I need to put him down??
I am hoping to do a 25% WC (according to the Melafix bottle)
He is now just floating at the top of the tank. bobbing up and down. The left eye looks like it popped and its red. Do I need to put him down??
I am hoping to do a 25% WC (according to the Melafix bottle)
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