Im not sure if this is actually sickness, but it was something I was curious about. I wanted to ask other F8 or brackish water puffer owners whether they've seen their fish do this? Occasionally my puffers 'cough'. Its not painful looking, but they puff out their lips and their mouth rounds out and it looks like they are trying to expel air, water, or something from their body, but their body poofs out slightly and has a spasm from belly to mouth. They will 'cough' in this way a few times, and then desist. They usually are in the act of swimming, or looking around, they dont act sick in any way. Ive never noticed them doing it when they have empty bellies, only sometime after they have eaten. The coughing really looks quite cute, but I dont want to make light of something thats possibly harming my puffer. Its just that pretty much anything they do looks cute. I wanted to get a professional opinion, and hear whether anyone has noticed this. Because Im concerned on the side that it might have something to do with my water or the food Im giving them. Please put my concerns at ease!
ph- 8.0
Ammonia- 0
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- .5
SG- 1.004
30 gal. with 2 F8 puffers, (2 1/2" each) 6 bumblebee gobies, 3 (1") juvenile mollies
they eat pond snails, brine shrimp and bloodworms
50% WC a week 10% when needed and I add Prime and Instant Ocean marine salt (mixed seperately)
Made a 50% WC yesterday, vacuum, scrub because theres hair algae in there, and a black algae i havent identified growing on my decor
Aquarium has been up since January, cycled with fish in tank
F8 Coughing
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.
-
fugu99
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 183
- Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2011 11:29 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Herbie (Figure 8)
Otto (Figure 8) *deceased
Henry the Figure Eighth (Figure 8)
Other: Luna (Panda Platy)
Io (Panda Platy)
Ganymede (Panda Platy)
Ocelot (Albino Pleco)
Aramis (juvenile Red Wag Platy) - Location (country): United States
- Location: Hampton, VA
F8 Coughing
"It is never easy, sweet child, to have a real gift: something else is withheld to compensate."
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32976
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
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T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
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C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: F8 Coughing
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!"
-
My HD PVR
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 389
- Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2011 8:46 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): Maryland
Re: F8 Coughing
do you need to mix prime and salt differently? i just add prime in with my salt and just let it sit...
Noobs, it takes one to know one.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32976
- 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: F8 Coughing
That's fine but are you using a powerhead to mix the salt?
I'm not sure why you posted that in this thread?
I'm not sure why you posted that in this thread?
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!"
-
My HD PVR
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 389
- Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2011 8:46 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): Maryland
Re: F8 Coughing
not sure either saw it and got scared... but from what ive read coughing is normal..? haha
Noobs, it takes one to know one.
-
fugu99
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 183
- Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2011 11:29 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Herbie (Figure 8)
Otto (Figure 8) *deceased
Henry the Figure Eighth (Figure 8)
Other: Luna (Panda Platy)
Io (Panda Platy)
Ganymede (Panda Platy)
Ocelot (Albino Pleco)
Aramis (juvenile Red Wag Platy) - Location (country): United States
- Location: Hampton, VA
Re: F8 Coughing
Thanks for the topic link, PP. I guess its kind of unconfirmed exactly WHY they do this coughing? It was my thought that perhaps when they cough like that they are trying to expel uneaten pieces of shell or food that they cant digest, only thing is Ive never seen them actually expel anything before. Sometimes they do this between feedings. Is it a 'yuck' action? Or a moodiness action? Its very curious to me.
HD PVR- if youre adding the water to the tank you should add Prime, it doesnt matter how you add it though it doesnt need to be mixed seperately or in a special way. salt does though!
HD PVR- if youre adding the water to the tank you should add Prime, it doesnt matter how you add it though it doesnt need to be mixed seperately or in a special way. salt does though!
"It is never easy, sweet child, to have a real gift: something else is withheld to compensate."
-
My HD PVR
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 389
- Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2011 8:46 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): Maryland
Re: F8 Coughing
yeah yeah yeah, well hopefully its nothing bad! if its not bad, and looks cute.... i would keep it 
Noobs, it takes one to know one.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32976
- 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: F8 Coughing
You don't have to add Prime to the tank, if you add it to the new water in the bucket.
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!"
-
fugu99
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 183
- Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2011 11:29 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Herbie (Figure 8)
Otto (Figure 8) *deceased
Henry the Figure Eighth (Figure 8)
Other: Luna (Panda Platy)
Io (Panda Platy)
Ganymede (Panda Platy)
Ocelot (Albino Pleco)
Aramis (juvenile Red Wag Platy) - Location (country): United States
- Location: Hampton, VA
Re: F8 Coughing
So theres no known reason for the coughing in anyones experience? Thats all Im asking here. No one knows what this activity is related to?
"It is never easy, sweet child, to have a real gift: something else is withheld to compensate."