Evening update.
I got a bit happy with the siphon, as I usually do, and ended up doing a 75% water change. I was so obsessive about getting every bit of mulm possible from the tank, paranoid that this fungus may be popping up from a hidden morsel in some plant roots or the like.
After I treated with Prime and filled back up, I read the directions for the Prima and Mela again. One teaspoon per 10 gallons. Nuclear is definitely right with the ~24 realistic gallons in the 29, but I ended up dosing two teaspoons of each for the tank. I made sure to not completely fill the teaspoons, just to be on the conservative side.
I immediately added an air pump and stone set darn close to full blast. It breaks the surface quite a bit and makes lots of bubbles, so hopefully that will help the oxygen exchange. I'm sure that my CO2 levels will suffer as a result, but fish > plants. If I end up with BBA next week, I'll deal with it.
I haven't seen a reason yet to change my routine otherwise on account of the medicine. Routine being dosing liquid plant fertilizers and Excel. I assume that it's alright to keep my water change schedule as long as I replace the medication taken out with each change. If I'm wrong, someone please set me right on that.
Still confused about why people are knocking the Melafix and Pimafix. I've heard nothing but good things until my research today when I wanted to be sure that it was safe for everyone else in the tank.
Dwarf Puffer Fungus
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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kcartwright856
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 289
- Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2010 12:17 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 C. travancoricus (dwarf puffer)
7 Pangio kuhlii
5 Otocinclus vittatus (w/ fry) - Location (country): USA
- Location: Millersburg, PA
- Contact:
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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:
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T miurus
A modestus
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DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Dwarf Puffer Fungus
I find 1 drop/g to be an easier measurement for smaller 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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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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: Dwarf Puffer Fungus
Hopefully nothing else goes wrong.
Anyway, every medication is bad according to someone if you look hard enough.
Primafix and Melafix have worked for me many times, so I wouldn't consider them crap. Perhaps whoever is calling them that used it wrong, or diagnosed their fishes problem wrong.
Anyway, every medication is bad according to someone if you look hard enough.
Primafix and Melafix have worked for me many times, so I wouldn't consider them crap. Perhaps whoever is calling them that used it wrong, or diagnosed their fishes problem wrong.
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." -- Henry Ford
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scpion
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 672
- Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2010 10:57 am
- My Puffers: 23in Mbu, donated to SEA Aquarium
4in Fahaka 150g - Location (country): singapore
Re: Dwarf Puffer Fungus
For melafix and pimafix, the instruction is to douse daily. I always use a plastic syringe to measure med. Its easier for me. As for mela and pima, 5ml/38l. I would use the full dose though for pimafix though.
I am not a Troll, I am just pissed..!
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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: Dwarf Puffer Fungus
You have a much bigger tank. 
I also use a syringe for mine.
I also use a syringe for mine.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!"
-
scpion
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 672
- Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2010 10:57 am
- My Puffers: 23in Mbu, donated to SEA Aquarium
4in Fahaka 150g - Location (country): singapore
Re: Dwarf Puffer Fungus
I have tons of that.. courtesy of the med dispenser when my daughter falls sick.. smallest on can measure as low as 0.01ml. Real handy!
I am not a Troll, I am just pissed..!
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kcartwright856
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 289
- Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2010 12:17 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 C. travancoricus (dwarf puffer)
7 Pangio kuhlii
5 Otocinclus vittatus (w/ fry) - Location (country): USA
- Location: Millersburg, PA
- Contact:
Re: Dwarf Puffer Fungus
The teaspoons weren't difficult but I'll definitely try the drops and see which works better for me. Thanks for the idea!
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kcartwright856
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 289
- Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2010 12:17 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 C. travancoricus (dwarf puffer)
7 Pangio kuhlii
5 Otocinclus vittatus (w/ fry) - Location (country): USA
- Location: Millersburg, PA
- Contact:
Re: Dwarf Puffer Fungus
I tried the drops and found it a bit fiddly. I may stick to the teaspoons. Thank you for the idea, though, PP.
For anyone wondering, all inhabitants seem fine. I'm eager for the treatment to be over so that I can take that airstone out and get back to my CO2 regimen, but as long as my fish are healthy, I'm happy.
I'm pleased that I have the tools to deal with this in the future, should it crop up again. If it ever does, I really hope that it gives me more than a few hours of notice.
To bertie and nuclear, I won't be replacing my lost girl. I'll keep just the four DPs in the tank. I'd also like to catch a few of my non-breeding otocinclus to move to the plant holding tank, but who knows how that will go!
For anyone wondering, all inhabitants seem fine. I'm eager for the treatment to be over so that I can take that airstone out and get back to my CO2 regimen, but as long as my fish are healthy, I'm happy.
I'm pleased that I have the tools to deal with this in the future, should it crop up again. If it ever does, I really hope that it gives me more than a few hours of notice.
To bertie and nuclear, I won't be replacing my lost girl. I'll keep just the four DPs in the tank. I'd also like to catch a few of my non-breeding otocinclus to move to the plant holding tank, but who knows how that will go!