Labored Breathing
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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sevenyearnight
Re: Labored Breathing
The 45 gallon was purchased from a stranger used, so I think she did the right thing by cleaning it. The bacteria may have been dead, but it also could have had something worse in it like ich.
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hadla
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1626
- Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 gsps and a big Stars and stripes
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- Location: Sacramento, CA
- Contact:
Re: Labored Breathing
i actually rinse all my filter cartridges off in hose water and ive never had any problems... i do it outside cause its easier just to dump the water from the bucket out there. i do the same thing if my filter seems really dirty and isnt working like it should.katfemme89 wrote:And I'm assuming you probably made the same mistake I made at the beginning of fishkeeping and you rinsed the filter media in chlorinated tap-water. Chlorine kills all nitrifying bacteria. Don't "clean" anything anymore. Let it gunk up. You can remove large pieces of waste using a siphon, but do not rinse ANYTHING under tapwater. Just do your water changes, and let that bacteria build up. You will know when it has because your water will be crystal clear, and your nitrite and ammonia readings will be zero and your nitrate readings will be steady (if you keep performing regular water changes).
-Kat
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. -RTR
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
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Re: Labored Breathing
I also use tap water but probably not a good idea if you're trying to get a tank to cycle.
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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hadla
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1626
- Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 gsps and a big Stars and stripes
- Location (country): California
- Location: Sacramento, CA
- Contact:
Re: Labored Breathing
oh ok, yeah, i havent tried to cycle a tank in years lol
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. -RTR
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signnet
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 159
- Joined: Sun May 22, 2011 11:35 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 GSP's
1 Orange Saddleback Fucca - Location (country): USA
- Location: Coral Springs, FL
Re: Labored Breathing
PufferPunk, (Nice to see you back in) I read the info on the links you sent and understood about the cycling. In order for the cloudiness to subside, I had to rinse the filters out a couple times in the tap water because they were filled with sand debris. As we had tested before, the tap water registered 0 for ammonia/chlorine. Anyway, puffer is doing ok with the exception of pacing the glass up and down. He is eating. How do I tell if it is male or female? Belly is totally white. Loves his new pots that he goes in an out of. The log he used to go in he hasn't been in at all.
Water still looks a little hazy, but all seems to be ok for the moment.
Water still looks a little hazy, but all seems to be ok for the moment.
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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: Labored Breathing
Only the puffer know's it's sex for sure. Be sure to keep testing for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate.
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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signnet
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 159
- Joined: Sun May 22, 2011 11:35 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 GSP's
1 Orange Saddleback Fucca - Location (country): USA
- Location: Coral Springs, FL
Re: Labored Breathing
Hi Everyone,
Well, Ammonia 0, Nitrate 0 after a week. Puffer is doing ok and not pacing so much against the glass. Actually followng my finger. Great job for helping me everyone. Now, two questions: Why is puffer's belly not all white? It has black spots. Found him sitting on the log before I turned on the light, ran to test water, water ok. But belly has black on it. Also now how do I change or SHOULD I change the water to backish and how do I start doing that?
Well, Ammonia 0, Nitrate 0 after a week. Puffer is doing ok and not pacing so much against the glass. Actually followng my finger. Great job for helping me everyone. Now, two questions: Why is puffer's belly not all white? It has black spots. Found him sitting on the log before I turned on the light, ran to test water, water ok. But belly has black on it. Also now how do I change or SHOULD I change the water to backish and how do I start doing that?
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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: Labored Breathing
Sometimes, it's just a resting color. Does it ever go white?
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19348
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19348
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!"
-
signnet
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 159
- Joined: Sun May 22, 2011 11:35 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 GSP's
1 Orange Saddleback Fucca - Location (country): USA
- Location: Coral Springs, FL
Re: Labored Breathing
Yes, it goes white after awhile. Do their bellies turn black for other reasons? When should I start changing water to brackish water? I have to change some of the wwater tomorrow because all tha has been said in here is that constant water changes are necessary. So in a 45 gal tank, how much of a water change?
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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: Labored Breathing
Let the parameters sit stable for a week or 2, before adding salt. My puffers used to get dark when sleeping or eating or just grumpy.
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!"
-
sevenyearnight
Re: Labored Breathing
Balki gets dark shading when he's hunting, it's his "hunting colors." Usually you can tell if the darker tummy is due to stress our illness because they'll act different as well. Like gasping, lethargy, clamped fins, etc. Not every puffer will change colors for the same reasons.
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signnet
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 159
- Joined: Sun May 22, 2011 11:35 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 GSP's
1 Orange Saddleback Fucca - Location (country): USA
- Location: Coral Springs, FL
Re: Labored Breathing
The black changed to white and he was white for about 10 minutes, then was scoping out the bottom of the tank and now he's back to being black belly again
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Salmon
- Green Spotted Puffer
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Milo and Millie (DPs) - Location (country): United States of America
- Location: Ohio
Re: Labored Breathing
I lol'd when I saw this, but that is so true.Pufferpunk wrote:Only the puffer know's it's sex for sure.
Those who say money can't buy happiness don't know where to find puffers.
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signnet
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 159
- Joined: Sun May 22, 2011 11:35 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 GSP's
1 Orange Saddleback Fucca - Location (country): USA
- Location: Coral Springs, FL
Re: Labored Breathing
Does anyone know if the little Ammonia Alert cards that hang in the tank by a sucker cup are accurate? I was in pet supermarket about 20 minutes ago and saw one. If they work I will get one. Also, as you know I have a puffer and he is doing well thanks to everyone in here. When I was at the pet supermarket store they had two GSP's in a freshwater tank with albino sarks and tiger barbs. The tiger brbs were picking on the fins of the puffers and they were huddled in the corner of the tank. I called the manager up t the tank and told her wha I learned about puffers in this forrum and asked her to remove the puffers from the tank and that Aquarium salt does not work for the tank the are in.
I told her that if they wanted to sell them the should by by themselves. The manager was really surprised at everything I told them, incuding not to cach the fish with a net because they can gulp air and die. The poor things were in the corner being picked on by the tiger barbs.
Anyway, so, are the ammonia alert hangers a good idea?
I told her that if they wanted to sell them the should by by themselves. The manager was really surprised at everything I told them, incuding not to cach the fish with a net because they can gulp air and die. The poor things were in the corner being picked on by the tiger barbs.
Anyway, so, are the ammonia alert hangers a good idea?