MS-222
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.
- Dinsdale
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 190
- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 1:10 am
- My Puffers: Bak Mei, ~4" Auriglobus Modestus. In a 55g tank (since '06) w/ some guppies he pays no attention to.
- Location (country): USA
- Location: N. Illinois
MS-222
My Modestus is very much ready for a trimming! I used Clove oil several years ago on him and I didn't enjoy it at all. I got a bad feeling about it. I'm glad to see there is a new anesthetic being used - MS-222. I would really like to take care of my puffer today as he's having trouble eating. Is there anywhere in the Chicago area (I'm actually a ways west of Chi) that sells Tricaine methanesulfonate, so I wouldn't have to wait any longer?
Thanks!
Thanks!
- sevenyearnight
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1894
- Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2011 2:41 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: T. nigroviridis
Balki Bartokomous - Location (country): USA
- Location: South Carolina
Re: MS-222
Pufferpunk can probably help you on that end, but yes, good call on not using the clove oil. Pufferpunk lives in Chicago and does puffer dentistry.

- Dinsdale
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 190
- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 1:10 am
- My Puffers: Bak Mei, ~4" Auriglobus Modestus. In a 55g tank (since '06) w/ some guppies he pays no attention to.
- Location (country): USA
- Location: N. Illinois
Re: MS-222
Yes, I do recall that Pufferpunk lives in Chicago. I also recall her expertise on the matter
- she gave me some advice years ago when I last did this . I think I can handle the procedure once I have the correct anesthetic, although it is very tempting to hire her to do it for me...
Pufferpunk, or anyone else in Chi area: if there are no stores that carry it, do you have any Finquel you could sell me?
Pufferpunk, or anyone else in Chi area: if there are no stores that carry it, do you have any Finquel you could sell me?
- Dadof4
- Tech Team
- Posts: 2862
- Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:50 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 1 GSP (Microfiche) RIP, 1 Monotrete Turgidus (Leon) in a 30gal. 1 Monotrete suvattii in a 40 gal FW. 120 gallon BW with 3 juvenile Dragon Gobies (so cool). 55 gal with a 2" GSP named Hank. 180 gallon being set up for a Fahaka in the next few months!
- Location (country): United States
- Location: North Wisconsin
Re: MS-222
Fosters and Smith sells it too if you can wait a few days for shipping.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/p ... atid=12271
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/p ... atid=12271
"Darwin swings...annnnnnd a miss. Boy Jim, Chuck's suffered at the plate tonight. He's 0 for 3 and I'm not sure he's recovered from that shoulder pull a few weeks ago. I'll bet the front office is re-thinking that contract."
- Dinsdale
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 190
- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 1:10 am
- My Puffers: Bak Mei, ~4" Auriglobus Modestus. In a 55g tank (since '06) w/ some guppies he pays no attention to.
- Location (country): USA
- Location: N. Illinois
Re: MS-222
Unfortunately, Drs Foster and Smith have it on backorder. It won't be avail until at least 10/06...
Are there any other reputable sources of it online?
Are there any other reputable sources of it online?
- 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: MS-222
I've got plenty. Come by & get some. 
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!"
- eieio
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1033
- Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2009 11:34 am
- My Puffers: *
The Congo Puffer:
"olivia"
and.......
The DP:
"cream puff"
RIP cream puff :-( - Location (country): U.S.A.
- Location: Prescott, Arizona
Re: MS-222
what a nice offer!Pufferpunk wrote:I've got plenty. Come by & get some.
"I plan ahead. That way, I don't have to do anything right now!"
- sevenyearnight
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1894
- Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2011 2:41 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: T. nigroviridis
Balki Bartokomous - Location (country): USA
- Location: South Carolina
- Dinsdale
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 190
- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 1:10 am
- My Puffers: Bak Mei, ~4" Auriglobus Modestus. In a 55g tank (since '06) w/ some guppies he pays no attention to.
- Location (country): USA
- Location: N. Illinois
Re: MS-222
That's wonderful, thanks Pufferpunk! I will PM to discuss details.
- 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: MS-222
I've got no work for tomorrow. Just have to bring my neighbor to get her hair done.
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!"
- Dinsdale
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 190
- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 1:10 am
- My Puffers: Bak Mei, ~4" Auriglobus Modestus. In a 55g tank (since '06) w/ some guppies he pays no attention to.
- Location (country): USA
- Location: N. Illinois
Re: MS-222
Indeed!puffpaddy wrote:PP is always lookin out...
Thanks again, Pufferpunk! It was a pleasure to meet you and your puffers! I will be trimming Bak Mei's teeth tomorrow afternoon!
- sevenyearnight
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1894
- Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2011 2:41 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: T. nigroviridis
Balki Bartokomous - Location (country): USA
- Location: South Carolina
- Dinsdale
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 190
- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 1:10 am
- My Puffers: Bak Mei, ~4" Auriglobus Modestus. In a 55g tank (since '06) w/ some guppies he pays no attention to.
- Location (country): USA
- Location: N. Illinois
Re: MS-222
I'm going to try again today. Hopefully in the next hour, I'm getting things prepped.
I think with an extra set of hands here it will go smoother.
I know he doesn't have to be totally out, but he is a rambunctious puffer - I couldn't get him to be still at all last time. But, I think I had too much water for the amount of MS-222 I used. I will use about 2 cups as Pufferpunk suggests.
I think with an extra set of hands here it will go smoother.
I know he doesn't have to be totally out, but he is a rambunctious puffer - I couldn't get him to be still at all last time. But, I think I had too much water for the amount of MS-222 I used. I will use about 2 cups as Pufferpunk suggests.
Re: MS-222
When I did it I put the puffer in tank water, put a wee bit of the sedative in, put the puffer in, and then added more sedative if it was needed until the puffer rolled over. They do keep breathing and it's a pain when you're trying to trim
Just make sure to keep putting them back in the medicated water so they can actually breathe.
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