My peas are hangin' out around the bottom
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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greenspottedlover
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 632
- Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2010 10:47 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 1 GSP
- Location (country): Vermont
Re: My peas are hangin' out around the bottom
Well garlic on its own, while not PROVEN to, seems to remove parasites. I have been trying this with some interesting results. I'm not a scientist so I can not say for certain but, my puffer seems parasite free. After about 5 days using the garlic he seems more round in body shape.
Re: My peas are hangin' out around the bottom
I dont want to highjack the thread I just wanted to double check something one of you guys posted,
Someone said about having to feed snails to trim the DP's beak, I thought this was not an issue with the carinotetraodon travancoricus (dwarf puffers). Dont get me wrong you should still feed a variety but I didnt think snails or crunchy foods was essential with this species?
Someone said about having to feed snails to trim the DP's beak, I thought this was not an issue with the carinotetraodon travancoricus (dwarf puffers). Dont get me wrong you should still feed a variety but I didnt think snails or crunchy foods was essential with this species?
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Srkoe
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 770
- Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2011 2:46 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 1 Fahaka "Ares"
2 GSP "Wally"&"Marty"
6 Dwarfs "the peas"
2 Figure 8 "Fugu"&"Gizzard"
1 Honeycomb Toby "Ashera"
2 Congo "P-Nut"&"Bevo"
1 mystery puffer (turgidus?)"Manson" - Location (country): United States
Re: My peas are hangin' out around the bottom
I meant to say something about the garlic and forgot...thanks for adding that! I always have refrigerated minced garlic I just use the juice out of that.
This is exactly how you need to use the meds I told you about.
-First do a massive water change and over condition with some Prime.
-Remove carbon from filter
-Dissolve 1/2 Parasite clear tablet in a cup of TANK water. Once dissolved pour into tank. (1/2 is
assuming you are still using the 5 gallon tank)
-soak food in 1/2 tab of medication and feed to puffs (brine shrimp tend to soak up more meds)
-48 hours later do another large volume water change and repeat all steps once more
-after another 48 hours do another massive water change, the parasites should be dead at this time
During this treatment always feed them with food soaked in Parasite Clear and garlic. When you are done with treating the water you can stop feeding meds as well. You really need some Prime though? It is a wonderful product. It will be easier to dose the 6 gallon than to do it after the puffs are in a larger tank. You should treat for IP's immediately. And always vacuum your substrate well.
If you are short on funds right now at least get some Prime and meds for IP's. You really need to get them in a larger tank asap...a 20 gallon will be fine of that's all you can afford. What you really want to do is spend some extra $$$ on a good filter, and one that is rated at least 30 gallons on a 20 gallon would be better. You don't want something too strong as it will throw the little guys around. You really need a good test kit as well. However if you don't have $$$ for a tank, filter and text kit at once get the tank and filter first and assume your water conditions are bad and do daily partials until you can get a good test kit. Once you get your new tank please feel free to ask lots of questions so we can set you on the right track!!!
This is exactly how you need to use the meds I told you about.
-First do a massive water change and over condition with some Prime.
-Remove carbon from filter
-Dissolve 1/2 Parasite clear tablet in a cup of TANK water. Once dissolved pour into tank. (1/2 is
assuming you are still using the 5 gallon tank)
-soak food in 1/2 tab of medication and feed to puffs (brine shrimp tend to soak up more meds)
-48 hours later do another large volume water change and repeat all steps once more
-after another 48 hours do another massive water change, the parasites should be dead at this time
During this treatment always feed them with food soaked in Parasite Clear and garlic. When you are done with treating the water you can stop feeding meds as well. You really need some Prime though? It is a wonderful product. It will be easier to dose the 6 gallon than to do it after the puffs are in a larger tank. You should treat for IP's immediately. And always vacuum your substrate well.
If you are short on funds right now at least get some Prime and meds for IP's. You really need to get them in a larger tank asap...a 20 gallon will be fine of that's all you can afford. What you really want to do is spend some extra $$$ on a good filter, and one that is rated at least 30 gallons on a 20 gallon would be better. You don't want something too strong as it will throw the little guys around. You really need a good test kit as well. However if you don't have $$$ for a tank, filter and text kit at once get the tank and filter first and assume your water conditions are bad and do daily partials until you can get a good test kit. Once you get your new tank please feel free to ask lots of questions so we can set you on the right track!!!
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Srkoe
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 770
- Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2011 2:46 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 1 Fahaka "Ares"
2 GSP "Wally"&"Marty"
6 Dwarfs "the peas"
2 Figure 8 "Fugu"&"Gizzard"
1 Honeycomb Toby "Ashera"
2 Congo "P-Nut"&"Bevo"
1 mystery puffer (turgidus?)"Manson" - Location (country): United States
Re: My peas are hangin' out around the bottom
I have read conflicting information about feeding dwarfs snails. I do it to cover all bases. Plus it is fun to watch them hunt!
Re: My peas are hangin' out around the bottom
Another question, as it is sleep time for my puffs... As soon as the lights go out, they disappear! I find them (sometimes! They're good hiders!) and when I find them they are hiding in plants, near the middle and top of the tank. Is THIS normal? Are they "sleeping"? Is it normal to do when the lights go out?
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Blaine
Re: My peas are hangin' out around the bottom
my puffers like sleeping on top of plants or rocks at nite...perfectly normal
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Bengoshi2000
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2010 9:39 am
- Location (country): NC - USA
- Location: NC - USA
Re: My peas are hangin' out around the bottom
Since you are on a budget, try looking on craigslist or freecycle (or the Canadian equivalents) for a larger tank, filter, etc. I've got 4 tanks and all but one came from craigslist ads.
Re: My peas are hangin' out around the bottom
In case anyone was wondering, I switched to feeding my puffs once per day, and have been doing 1/4 water changes daily. My puffs are now quite active and do not stay near the bottom all the time.
Re: My peas are hangin' out around the bottom
I've checked kijiji and they're all too big or overpriced right now
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Blaine
Re: My peas are hangin' out around the bottom
I've used Kijiji and other online classifieds in my area. Sometime if the ad has been up a while you can e-mail them and offer less than they are asking. If you check the ads close to the end of the section...lots of people will let them go cheap just to get rid of it.
Good luck
Good luck
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Srkoe
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 770
- Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2011 2:46 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 1 Fahaka "Ares"
2 GSP "Wally"&"Marty"
6 Dwarfs "the peas"
2 Figure 8 "Fugu"&"Gizzard"
1 Honeycomb Toby "Ashera"
2 Congo "P-Nut"&"Bevo"
1 mystery puffer (turgidus?)"Manson" - Location (country): United States
Re: My peas are hangin' out around the bottom
Go online and check the classifieds of your local newspapers as well. Keep up on those water changes as well!
Re: My peas are hangin' out around the bottom
Just curious if anyone has some pics of what puff tummies are supposed to look like? My puffs have round tummies and I want to make sure I'm not feeding them too much or that they aren't sick.
Thanks!
Thanks!
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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Re: My peas are hangin' out around the bottom
Did you look at the pics in the Pufferpedia?
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!"