Sick Puffer

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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Hettie
Puffer Fry
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Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 3:54 am
Location (country): South Africa

Sick Puffer

Post by Hettie »

Hi, I am new to this forum. I bought my two puffers over the weekend. One figure 8 and one dwarf. Put them into the tank with my other fish. Since yesterday I noticed that their colour is abit off. Can you please give me some ideas of what is wrong. :? :?
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trekenk
Fahaka Puffer
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Location: Ontario Canada

Re: Sick Puffer

Post by trekenk »

If you could please answer all the question in red above it will help us to help you. F8's and dwarf puffers both need different requirements in the SG of the tank water ( f8's are brachish and dwarfs are freshwater). They shouldnt be housed together. Here is some reading to do.

library/puffers-in-focus/fig8/

library/puffers-in-focus/dwarfpuffercare/

Welcome to The Puffer Forum you have come to the right place for the correct information.
Hettie
Puffer Fry
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 3:54 am
Location (country): South Africa

Re: Sick Puffer

Post by Hettie »

PH level is 5. I put in medisyne over the weekend to restore ph level, amonium level. Haven't taken it since then, will take it again this afternoon.
Tank size: 40 Gallons
Tank mates: 1 Parrot, 2 Pleco's, 4 Malawi's, and the two puffers
Food: freezed and dried blood worms, flakes, pellets.
Water Change: I changed water about 1 and a half weeks ago with 25% water change every weekend, and 80% water change every month.
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bertie 83
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Re: Sick Puffer

Post by bertie 83 »

Plus neither should be housed with any other species of fish either
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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Pufferpunk
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Gender: Female
My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
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C papuan
C lorteti
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suvattii
burrfish
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Location: Greenville, SC
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Re: Sick Puffer

Post by Pufferpunk »

[welcome]
I'm glad you found us! Is it possible for you to return those puffers? None of your fish will be happy with those lil terrors constantly nipping at them! If you truly want a puffer, you're going to have to set up a totally different tank. Do lots & lots of research here (we're here for your questions), before you do this.

Please do an 80% water change to remove whatever crap you just added into your tank, before it kills all your fish. None of that is necessary (not even sure what it is), that water changes can't fix. All you should be adding to your water is a good dechlor (most of us use Prime), during WC. That's it!
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!"
Hettie
Puffer Fry
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Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 3:54 am
Location (country): South Africa

Re: Sick Puffer

Post by Hettie »

I do have another tank, really want to keep the puffers, if you can give me some guide line on how to set it up it will help me a lot. It is a 20 gallon tank. And I have lots of decorations. Waiting for your advice on setting up the puffer tank.
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LilGreenPuffer
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My Puffers: Dwarf puffer - Thumbelina (only mine in my heart now; she lives in CT with my friend)

RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond.
Location (country): United States
Location: Kentucky

Re: Sick Puffer

Post by LilGreenPuffer »

The 20g should work fine for the figure 8, but it can't live with the green-spotted, which gets too big for either of the tanks, anyway.

Some reading:
library/puffers-in-focus/fig8/
library/water-filtration/fishless-cycling/
library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."

Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi


Image

Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!

I AM A DUDETTE!

NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
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Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32987
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: Sick Puffer

Post by Pufferpunk »

LilGreenPuffer wrote:The 20g should work fine for the figure 8, but it can't live with the green-spotted, which gets too big for either of the tanks, anyway.
I bought my two puffers over the weekend. One figure 8 and one dwarf.
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!"
User avatar
LilGreenPuffer
Former Staff Member
Posts: 5301
Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:26 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Dwarf puffer - Thumbelina (only mine in my heart now; she lives in CT with my friend)

RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond.
Location (country): United States
Location: Kentucky

Re: Sick Puffer

Post by LilGreenPuffer »

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Duh! Whups. It's past 4am here. I must be lacking sleep... *toddles off to bed*
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."

Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi


Image

Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!

I AM A DUDETTE!

NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32987
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: Sick Puffer

Post by Pufferpunk »

Which means, 3 separate tanks.
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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