Disoriented Puffer, Swimming almost vertically
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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.
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.
Re: Disoriented Puffer, Swimming almost vertically
Yes, we do but I'd like to avoid it if possible. If there's no improvement in 3 days then we may have to euthanize. We have to do a lot of thinking about where to draw the line. Do we euthanize if he isn't better or set up his own small tank where he can live out his days. But then what if he's in pain and just isn't showing it? We could give him his own small tank as long as he's comfortable, I don't want to cause prolonged suffering.
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.
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Disoriented Puffer, Swimming almost vertically
I wouldn't think driftwood hard enough to do brain damage.
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!"
Re: Disoriented Puffer, Swimming almost vertically
That's true, it's not even the hard heavy stuff (like mopani).
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.
Charles Darwin
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RTR
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Re: Disoriented Puffer, Swimming almost vertically
I have never heard of any Val toxicity. As it is my commonest plant, you would think that I would have run into it - all my FW puffers other tan DPs have had it in their tanks. And puffer bites were standard from their harvesting dark-cycle snails added to their tanks.
Where's the fish? - Neptune
Re: Disoriented Puffer, Swimming almost vertically
That's good to hear. We didn't like them much anyways 
It was an easy decision.
He's still out and about this morning but he's wasting away (fast). It's like he's experiencing rapid muscle atrophy. His body is thinner all over today than it has ever been. He's hiding a bit more. When someone goes to the tank they'll all come out front and beg for food (heck, all you have to do is look at the tank) and he isn't coming out for food. He just keeps swimming in the back of the tank. It does not appear that the big male is bothering him at all. He just ignores him now.
It was an easy decision. He's still out and about this morning but he's wasting away (fast). It's like he's experiencing rapid muscle atrophy. His body is thinner all over today than it has ever been. He's hiding a bit more. When someone goes to the tank they'll all come out front and beg for food (heck, all you have to do is look at the tank) and he isn't coming out for food. He just keeps swimming in the back of the tank. It does not appear that the big male is bothering him at all. He just ignores him now.
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.
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
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Pufferpunk
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T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
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C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
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Re: Disoriented Puffer, Swimming almost vertically
I wonder if puffers get cancer?
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!"
Re: Disoriented Puffer, Swimming almost vertically
I'll bet they can. He's continuing to do worse. Still eating well but he's wasting away quickly and it looks like it's more and more work for him to move around. He was able to eat his fill just now and we'll terminate him with a lethal dose of MS-222 tonight (and then we'll freeze him in that water just to be sure). He's so thin and exhausted. After eating he just lay on the bottom right in the feeding area. He's still completely alert and perky in the way that he can be. He watches us and like I mentioned, he's eating well. He's so worn out though. It's time before he gets worse. Thankfully the other puffers aren't bothering him at all and he was able to eat a nice big meal.
He's just getting worse though so we're going to give him the last Christmas present we can
He's just getting worse though so we're going to give him the last Christmas present we can
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.
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
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Pufferpunk
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- 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: Disoriented Puffer, Swimming almost vertically
So sad to see that happen to what seems a perfectly healthy fish.
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!"
Re: Disoriented Puffer, Swimming almost vertically
Very sad. He's a great little puffer. I just got home, one of my dogs was very ill, he's doing better now but he's on painkillers. I don't know if the painkillers are masking the situation. I spent 4 hours laying on the floor with him as I couldn't stand to leave his side.
It's not a nice way to end Christmas unfortunately.
It's not a nice way to end Christmas unfortunately.
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.
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
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J-P
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Re: Disoriented Puffer, Swimming almost vertically
awww that sucks... Was Kyle with you?
if you follow me, you avoid stepping in the crap that I just did...
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZR55G ... pqlgec1A2Q
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZR55G ... pqlgec1A2Q
Re: Disoriented Puffer, Swimming almost vertically
Yeah but he ended up having to leave. We have too much to do. I stayed until my mom got home and had a chance to check him over. We're hoping for some severely pulled muscles. The other thing that comes to mind is an intestinal blockage and he's already had a serious one, he's getting older, and that surgery would be very expensive. He was acting very crazy and hyper earlier so the muscle issue is definitely possible.
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.
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32980
- 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: Disoriented Puffer, Swimming almost vertically
Poor doggie!
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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Aquarist
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Re: Disoriented Puffer, Swimming almost vertically
Did you euthanize the Puffer?
Re: Disoriented Puffer, Swimming almost vertically
Yes, he went very quickly, in under 2 seconds.
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.
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
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purplecandle
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