My puffer fish (abei) has suddenly started panting heavily at the bottom of the tank, the water stats have come out fine (colour test kits all come out clear) The only thing Ive changed lately is the heater I added it yesterday and today his eyes are dark and post water change he is gasping for air
does anyone know whats going on and what I should do!
HELP GASPING PUFFER - UPDATE HE's LOOKING LOTS BETTER!!!
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.
HELP GASPING PUFFER - UPDATE HE's LOOKING LOTS BETTER!!!
Last edited by Puff8 on Mon Oct 31, 2011 5:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER
Please answer ALL the Qs above, in red.
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!"
Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER
Sorry was panicking
1) Your water parameters - pH 7, Ammonia its colour gauge but its clear,no salt
2) Tank size 4 foot tank with only the puffer fish in
3) Feeding, water change schedule : he gets fed a shrimp a day and Ive not added anything to the tank since I added filter start a few months ago water change 10 - 20% a week
4) I did a water change when I put the new heater in yesterday and Ive done a 50% change since I saw him gasping / panting no change
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? yes it was cycled and its been set up for about 5 months its all been fine until now
1) Your water parameters - pH 7, Ammonia its colour gauge but its clear,no salt
2) Tank size 4 foot tank with only the puffer fish in
3) Feeding, water change schedule : he gets fed a shrimp a day and Ive not added anything to the tank since I added filter start a few months ago water change 10 - 20% a week
4) I did a water change when I put the new heater in yesterday and Ive done a 50% change since I saw him gasping / panting no change
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? yes it was cycled and its been set up for about 5 months its all been fine until now
Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER
Oh I also upped his water temp from 22 -24 yesterday and Im worried that doing that caused this
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Pufferpunk
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- Gender: Female
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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
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER
Still a bit chilly in there, should be ~ 26C.
How large is his tank? How big is this shrimp he gets daily? Sounds like a lot of feeding for a sedentary fish.
Please post EXACT test results.
How large is his tank? How big is this shrimp he gets daily? Sounds like a lot of feeding for a sedentary fish.
Please post EXACT test results.
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!"
Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER
Hi Im really sorry my kits dont have numbers just the colour coding which say either too high or too low - if he's still with me tomorrow I'll buy more precise kits
He was more than happy on 22 for months I just upped it because I read that he should have been on 24- 26 and then all this happened I feel like its my fault for upping the temperature
He gets a river shrimp a day or a cockle every few days - I was told to do this buy the shop owner I bought him from
I read that upping the temperature can reduce the oxygen in the water - he has an air stone in there though
He was more than happy on 22 for months I just upped it because I read that he should have been on 24- 26 and then all this happened I feel like its my fault for upping the temperature
He gets a river shrimp a day or a cockle every few days - I was told to do this buy the shop owner I bought him from
I read that upping the temperature can reduce the oxygen in the water - he has an air stone in there though
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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
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Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER
He is a tropical fish & belongs in warm, tropical water. I feel this isn't the problem though. Do another water change. What are you using to dechlorinate?
I agree you need much better test kits.
I agree you need much better test kits.
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!"
Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER
Ive done another water change since posting - another 80-90% and I am using Interpet water de-chlorinator
Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER
Ive just noticed he's panting and then he almost spasms and spits out a load of water???
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Pufferpunk
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- Posts: 32976
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
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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
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER
Something stuck in his throat? Has he been eating normally lately?
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!"
Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER
He has been eating normally but he tends to wolf down his food and sometimes I worry he doesnt chew his shrimp - he wont eat at the moment
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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: HELP GASPING PUFFER
Do you have a pic of him? Is he fat?
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!"
Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER
He doesn't look any fatter than normal but he is now v lethargic if he did have anything stuck in his throat Im not sure what I can do 
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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: HELP GASPING PUFFER
But is he normally fat?
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!"
-
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: HELP GASPING PUFFER
But is he normally fat? My concern is fatty liver disease from overfeeding.
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!"