Labored Breathing

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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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.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Labored Breathing

Post by Pufferpunk »

Poor fella... Yeah, let him sleep.
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!"
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Labored Breathing

Post by Pufferpunk »

Poor fella... Yeah, let him sleep.
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!"
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Re: Labored Breathing

Post by xrayjeeper83 »

ya let him sleep. Light should be on for no more then about 8 hours a day
RTR wrote:Fahakas do not have tank mates, they may have swimming food reserves.
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Re: Labored Breathing

Post by signnet »

Well I got up this morning, he is still not good. He is black, hydrometer is at 1.000
Nitrate = 0, Ammonia = 0

I'm going down to Fish Emporium to get kit for NITRITES. Is there medication for that? If there is what do I get because I would like to have it on hand

If the nitrites are ok, then what.....what could be wrong. I have been doing water changes since Tuesday. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday 50% water changes........
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Re: Labored Breathing

Post by signnet »

Here's what he looks like now.
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Re: Labored Breathing

Post by Pufferpunk »

Does he have white spots all over him like salt specks?
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!"
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Re: Labored Breathing

Post by signnet »

I just looked, YES!!!!
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Re: Labored Breathing

Post by signnet »

I thought it was because he was in the sand
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Re: Labored Breathing

Post by Pufferpunk »

So this is the real cause of your puffer's behavior.
library/hospital/fwich/
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!"
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Re: Labored Breathing

Post by signnet »

I will ge the melafix.

It says to put 1 tablespoon of marine salt or every five gallons of water........do I do that now, which would be 9 TBS
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DPs
suvattii
burrfish
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Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Re: Labored Breathing

Post by Pufferpunk »

Double that. Raise the temp too.
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!"
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Re: Labored Breathing

Post by signnet »

Malafix is in (1 Tsp per 10 Gal). Doubled the Marine Salt. All is a go right now
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Re: Labored Breathing

Post by signnet »

At 3:00PM all was in the tank. 18 TBS of Marine Salt. 4 TSP of Malafix. Two Airstones running full, second filter running full and the filter system that came with the tank.

He is no longer, after an hour and a half, sitting on bottom. I can see more yellow on him now. While I was at pet store I purchased a full kit for freshwater to est nitrites, nitrates, PH and Ammonia. But I don't think I can use it because now I have put Marine salt in the water. Am I right?
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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
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Contact:

Re: Labored Breathing

Post by Pufferpunk »

You can use it. The ammonia test may come out a little cloudy, is all.
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!"
signnet
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Posts: 159
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Re: Labored Breathing

Post by signnet »

Ok, he looked like he was doing better, now he is back on the bottom again and black again. How often can you use the Malafix. It says that you can use it daily for seven days.

On the link you gave the lady stated I can also use Primafix as well. The tank has the 18 TBS of marine salt. Should I be doing something else? I have two airstones running, an additional filter running, the tank's filtration system (No carbon, just blue filters).
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