That's a good idea! I have to pick up some medicine Monday for my older kitty, if the pharmacy won't sell me one, I can buy one from them.Pufferpunk wrote:My vet gives them to me.
Bichir is biting his own tail *Again :(
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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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: Bichir is biting his own tail *Update w/pics
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Nuclear_Glitter
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 971
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 1:03 am
- Gender: Female
- Location (country): North Carolina, USA
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Re: Bichir is biting his own tail *Again :(
Do you have any idea what makes him do this?
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." -- Henry Ford
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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: Bichir is biting his own tail *Again :(
I guessing some internal parasite, I tried several medications, and the food treated with Parasite clear was the only thing that worked.
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Nuclear_Glitter
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 971
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 1:03 am
- Gender: Female
- Location (country): North Carolina, USA
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Re: Bichir is biting his own tail *Again :(
Do you think he came that way? And is it a common problem with their species?
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." -- Henry Ford
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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: Bichir is biting his own tail *Again :(
I don't know about him coming that way, we've had him since he was 2", and he's 9" now, pretty sure we've had him about 2 years now. Might have been something he ate. Either way, he has tankmates of 2 American Flag Fish, 2 Siamese Algae Eaters, a BN pleco and an Atabapo pleco, I'm soaking their food too. But the BN pleco, Barbra Streisand, is a fat mean wa\rus, and she's going to Fintastic when we make it up there.
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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: Bichir is biting his own tail *Again :(
I have been treating his worms with Parasite Clear, since that is the last medication I listed when he had this the first time, but it's not making any change in his behavior. I was hoping I wouldn't have to move him from his home again, but I have set up a hospital tank for him, and I'll be moving him over tomorrow. Since I don't know exactly what it is, but that it did recur within a few months upon returning to the main tank, I have to assume that whatever it is, it's in this tank. I considered that it might be the supplements added to the tank for the plants, since that was one thing that was different from before this ailment, but I'm thinking that it may be that the Atabapo Butterfly pleco may have brought something into the tank, even though he was quarantined. I think he may just not exhibit the same symptoms, since he can't bite his own tail, but may have been carrying whatever this is.
So considering this, I have no choice but to remove all the other 6 fish besides Mortimer as well, and quarantine and treat all of them, 2 separate tanks, Mortimer in one, the other 6 in another. I'll have to build fish traps because there is no other way I'm going to be able to catch them all.
I'm super excited about having to catch all the fish, and about doing gigantic daily water changes and medications indefinitely! :/
So considering this, I have no choice but to remove all the other 6 fish besides Mortimer as well, and quarantine and treat all of them, 2 separate tanks, Mortimer in one, the other 6 in another. I'll have to build fish traps because there is no other way I'm going to be able to catch them all.
I'm super excited about having to catch all the fish, and about doing gigantic daily water changes and medications indefinitely! :/
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xrayjeeper83
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 4167
- Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 9:31 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Fahaka named Bloat
Abei named Huey
GSP named Bacon - Location (country): USA
- Location: Orange Park, FL
Re: Bichir is biting his own tail *Again :(
that sucks seven, I hope all turns out well
RTR wrote:Fahakas do not have tank mates, they may have swimming food reserves.
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FADE2BLACK_1973
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1185
- Joined: Thu Nov 18, 2010 5:09 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Fahaka (Tetraodon lineatus)
Once owned:
Congo (Tetraodon miurus) R.I.P
GSP's
Figure 8's
SAP
DP's
Stars and Stripes
Porcupine puffers
Yellow long horn Cowfish
Striped Burrfish - Location (country): United States of America
- Location: Kentucky
Re: Bichir is biting his own tail *Again :(
Hey Seven 
its been awhile. Now your bichir still havin problems? Sorry I could not have read anything since the last time I left off. Had alot going on through the summer. Btw, looks like you been moving on up in the world 
. Now if I ever have a problem on this site (only to the web bots) then I will come to you, friend...lol.
its been awhile. Now your bichir still havin problems? Sorry I could not have read anything since the last time I left off. Had alot going on through the summer. Btw, looks like you been moving on up in the world . Now if I ever have a problem on this site (only to the web bots) then I will come to you, friend...lol.Chris,
He who knows best knows how little he knows - Thomas Jefferson
He who knows best knows how little he knows - Thomas Jefferson
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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: Bichir is biting his own tail *Again :(
Welcome back!
Yeah, he was good for a while, but it's back. I am still trying to treat him within the tank, I have a hospital tank set up just in case though.
Glad you are back
Yeah, he was good for a while, but it's back. I am still trying to treat him within the tank, I have a hospital tank set up just in case though.
Glad you are back
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FADE2BLACK_1973
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1185
- Joined: Thu Nov 18, 2010 5:09 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Fahaka (Tetraodon lineatus)
Once owned:
Congo (Tetraodon miurus) R.I.P
GSP's
Figure 8's
SAP
DP's
Stars and Stripes
Porcupine puffers
Yellow long horn Cowfish
Striped Burrfish - Location (country): United States of America
- Location: Kentucky
Re: Bichir is biting his own tail *Again :(
Ty for the welcome . Im glad to see you are still workin with him because alot of people would had gave up by now. You got a big heart .
. Im glad to see you are still workin with him because alot of people would had gave up by now. You got a big heart .Chris,
He who knows best knows how little he knows - Thomas Jefferson
He who knows best knows how little he knows - Thomas Jefferson