Is there a standard treatment for heater burn in puffers? I've added melafix, waterchanged and am about to go out and get a cover for it. It looks horrible, right on his nose.
Is Pimafix a safe secondary treatment in case it turns out to be something more sinister?
Many thanks.
Heater burn
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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Phaedrus
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1402
- Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:34 pm
- Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Contact:
Pimafix is generally for fungal infections, but it couldn't really hurt as long as you follow directions.
I'd probably just stick to Melafix and water changes and let it heal naturally. Getting a cover is a good idea.
You've got me concerned now. Maybe I should get a cover for my heater. My GSP likes to sleep in the same corner as the heater.
I'd probably just stick to Melafix and water changes and let it heal naturally. Getting a cover is a good idea.
You've got me concerned now. Maybe I should get a cover for my heater. My GSP likes to sleep in the same corner as the heater.
Nope, Vertical. I recently removed my inadequate Juwel filter, but haven't been able to replace the heater, so I'm using the Juwel heater, and a seperate filter.lisalisa wrote:Felloa, is your heater horzontal?
I've seen him glass chasing against the heater though, and wedging himself between heater and filter.
I've since moved the filter to the front of the tank where he spends the least amount of time and placed it in a positing where it would be difficult to chase against.
Irritatingly I've just had a power cut as well, meaning the local store was closed, meaning no pimafix or heater cover today. Irritating to say the least! Have to go back tomorrow.
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Phaedrus
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1402
- Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:34 pm
- Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Contact:
Ouch. Looks nasty. What kind of puffer is that?
I'd recommend the same as before. You could treat this just like Ich basically. Melafix, ~80f temp, and aquarium salt if it's freshwater. 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons.
Clean water is going to be very important in allowing it to heal. To be sure to vacuum and do water changes regularily.
Hopefully the damage isn't so deep that it can't heal.
I'd recommend the same as before. You could treat this just like Ich basically. Melafix, ~80f temp, and aquarium salt if it's freshwater. 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons.
Clean water is going to be very important in allowing it to heal. To be sure to vacuum and do water changes regularily.
Hopefully the damage isn't so deep that it can't heal.
Some call it a product of a mis-spent youth, I call it Rock n Roll ! 
To make matters worse, looks like it's not heater burn, and rather, something else, as the female has it on her back, and her slime coat is peeling away.
I'm away for a few days and have left my girlfriend to treat it.
And yeah rocker, what a PITA!! There's a Fahaka that is the same size as my female irrubesco in Timmermans at the moment. I can't tell you how tempted I am! But I think I'll not buy any new puffers for some time. Too much heartbreak!
I'm away for a few days and have left my girlfriend to treat it.
And yeah rocker, what a PITA!! There's a Fahaka that is the same size as my female irrubesco in Timmermans at the moment. I can't tell you how tempted I am! But I think I'll not buy any new puffers for some time. Too much heartbreak!