Hi all,
First, tank parameters:
PH: 7.2
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: .5 ppm
Phosphates: around .75 ppm
Tank: Freshwater, 10-gallon, low-light, planted, established for one year
Puff: Carinotetraodon irrubesco (red-eyed red-tailed puffer)
Tank mates: four neon tetras
Feeding: Once a day, live blackworms
I have a flashing puff and need to know if they flash for many reasons or just one. I noticed a single salt-like speck on him yesterday but nothing today. However, he hasn't eaten in two days and is acting reclusive. I only noticed him flashing when he came out of his cave for a minute and saw me watching. He flashed twice.
Also, a couple of weeks after I got him I noticed a single salt-like speck that also disappeared after a day, but I treated him as Pufferpunk recommends for ich, and he responded well and was happy and healthy. Until a couple of days ago.
His belly doesn't look concave, but it doesn't look rounded. However, his sides look rounded. Could he be constipated? I did a 60% water change tonight with RO water and have put a tablespoon of aquarium salt in his tank. I haven't put the other tablespoon (2 tblsp per 10 gal) because I'm not sure if I should try epsom salts.
I am also dosing him with Herbtana, which he has reacted well to in the past but right now is still acting puny. Maybe it's too soon to tell.
To summarize: He hasn't eaten in two days. He's being reclusive. He flashed twice that I've noticed. Sides look rounded but belly is flat. Other tank mates are doing fine. I did 60% water change tonight and put in 1 tblsp aquarium salt. Holding off on other tblsp until I know if I should try Epsom salts. Treating with Herbtana since yesterday.
Constipated? Ich? Something else?
Thanks for any insight and advice you can give me...
Epsom salts for puffs
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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JenJen19720
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Fri May 20, 2011 1:09 pm
- My Puffers: Carinotetraodon irrubesco (Red-tailed Puffer)
- Location (country): United States
-
xrayjeeper83
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 4167
- Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 9:31 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Fahaka named Bloat
Abei named Huey
GSP named Bacon - Location (country): USA
- Location: Orange Park, FL
Re: Epsom salts for puffs
epsom salt wouldnt hurt to try, if he is constipated it will help. If he's not I dont think it could do any damage
RTR wrote:Fahakas do not have tank mates, they may have swimming food reserves.
Re: Epsom salts for puffs
If he's still flashing then he probably still has ich. It is primarily a gill parasite so just because we can't see them doesn't mean they aren't there. I would treat for ich again. If he is constipated you can add epsom salt to the water, it won't hurt to try it.
Are you putting straight RO in the water? If so that isn't good for the fish. You can mix it with tap water to get the desired water hardness but you shouldn't do straight RO.
Are you putting straight RO in the water? If so that isn't good for the fish. You can mix it with tap water to get the desired water hardness but you shouldn't do straight RO.
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
-
JenJen19720
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Fri May 20, 2011 1:09 pm
- My Puffers: Carinotetraodon irrubesco (Red-tailed Puffer)
- Location (country): United States
Re: Epsom salts for puffs
Thanks to both of you. How much Epsom salt do I put in? It's a 10-gallon tank and it already has 1 TBL of aquarium salt in it.
I am using straight RO water. I had no idea it wasn't good for the fish. Is 7.2 too low for PH? I do have some minerals I can put in, Seachem Equilibrium.
I am using straight RO water. I had no idea it wasn't good for the fish. Is 7.2 too low for PH? I do have some minerals I can put in, Seachem Equilibrium.
-
xrayjeeper83
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 4167
- Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 9:31 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Fahaka named Bloat
Abei named Huey
GSP named Bacon - Location (country): USA
- Location: Orange Park, FL
Re: Epsom salts for puffs
Im fairly sure its 1 tbl per 5 gals, but wait for someone else to chime in
RTR wrote:Fahakas do not have tank mates, they may have swimming food reserves.
Re: Epsom salts for puffs
That sounds about right to me too.
Do a water change with treated tap water (use a dechlorinator). Then treat for ich and put in the epsom salt for constipation. Then get reading up on necessary tank size and water conditions
Do a water change with treated tap water (use a dechlorinator). Then treat for ich and put in the epsom salt for constipation. Then get reading up on necessary tank size and water conditions
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