We have had Puff (a Fahaka puffer) for almost a year now. He is alone in a somewhat small tank (55 gal), but we are planning on moving him into a 125 gal. He has not been eating, has been lethargic, and has this white stuff that looks like it's coming out of his pores (see attached photos). We have been doing 50% water changes every 3 days for the past week and a half. but we also do regular water changes weekly. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
ph 7.5
nitrite 0
nitrates 20
Please help--Sick Fahaka
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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Burke
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 7:47 pm
- My Puffers: Fahaka Puffer
- Location (country): US, Arizona, Tucson
Please help--Sick Fahaka
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sgtmyers88
- Moderator
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Re: Please help--Sick Fahaka
Hi and welcome.
Looks like Ich! Please bump up your temp to 80-85 and add a generous portion of table salt to the tank. Begin doing this immediately as Ich can be fatal, especially for scaleless fish such as puffers.
Check out this detailed article: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=28113
Some also opt for using Vitamin C or Jungle Ich Clear Fizz tablets. But the above is the cheapest and most effective.
Looks like Ich! Please bump up your temp to 80-85 and add a generous portion of table salt to the tank. Begin doing this immediately as Ich can be fatal, especially for scaleless fish such as puffers.
Check out this detailed article: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=28113
Some also opt for using Vitamin C or Jungle Ich Clear Fizz tablets. But the above is the cheapest and most effective.
WARNING: Puffers are mischievous little blimps with enchanting powers. You may not be content with having just one.
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purplecandle
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 2019
- Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 2:18 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Currently
2 Adult Green Spotted Puffers
1 Fangs Puffer
1 Baby Green Spotted Puffer - Location (country): USA (NC)
Re: Please help--Sick Fahaka
His face looks a little long, perhaps he also has overgrown teeth? What do you feed him? Can you see his teeth?
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Burke
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 7:47 pm
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- Location (country): US, Arizona, Tucson
Re: Please help--Sick Fahaka
Don't think it's ich. I've had a lot of fish & have been dealing with fish for a long time 10+ years. I have over 1000 gallons of tanks. I've had my fair share of ich--salt method is what I use. Reasons for it not being ich: I don't feed him live foods, nor have I purchased any fish in at least 4 months, maybe longer. I am very cautious when it comes to cleaning tanks. Each tank has its own separate nets, siphons, etc. I don't mix anything. Another reason I say it's not ich is it's only on his back and sides, not on fins or gills. It also changes, like its a secretion from his pores. One day its coming out of some pores and not others. Guess I should clarify when i say pores- there are little pen pricks all over his body. Almost like a spike going inward. Looks very similar to pores on human skin. The white stuff is only coming out of these. Not just sitting on the skin, gills or fins. We have had him over a year and have added nothing live or new to this tank since.
I do believe that he needs his teeth trimmed. If this is the case, will it make him act this way? I can barely see his teeth when he's relaxed. I also can see he can open his teeth roughly about half an inch. We mainly feed him jumbo shrimp with shell on from super market, earthworms rarely--just as treats. With this being said, do you thinks his teeth need to be trimmed? And if so then what's up with this white stringy stuff coming out of him?
I do believe that he needs his teeth trimmed. If this is the case, will it make him act this way? I can barely see his teeth when he's relaxed. I also can see he can open his teeth roughly about half an inch. We mainly feed him jumbo shrimp with shell on from super market, earthworms rarely--just as treats. With this being said, do you thinks his teeth need to be trimmed? And if so then what's up with this white stringy stuff coming out of him?
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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: Please help--Sick Fahaka
Puffer ich can look a little different. It generally starts on their body instead of fins. Even if it's not ich, the salt treatment could help. Salt is used for a wide variety of things such as fungus.
Also, you're saying it can't be ich because you haven't added anything to his tank, but ich can happen at about any time. When your fish gets stressed, it can get ich. Since your fahaka is in a very small tank for him, and for so long, chances are at some point the water quality went bad and he got stressed and got ich. Puffers produce A LOT of waste, like you wouldn't even believe.
Pimafix and melafix could also help you, if you really don't think it's ich.
Also, you're saying it can't be ich because you haven't added anything to his tank, but ich can happen at about any time. When your fish gets stressed, it can get ich. Since your fahaka is in a very small tank for him, and for so long, chances are at some point the water quality went bad and he got stressed and got ich. Puffers produce A LOT of waste, like you wouldn't even believe.
Pimafix and melafix could also help you, if you really don't think it's ich.
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." -- Henry Ford
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Please help--Sick Fahaka
Those "pores" are actually where his spines grow out of. The "pricks" are his spines. I have never seen a puffer leaking anything from there. I'd start by trying Melafix to help sooth his skin. Please upgrade him ASAP.
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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defool89
- Fahaka Puffer
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Re: Please help--Sick Fahaka
Pufferpunk wrote:Those "pores" are actually where his spines grow out of. The "pricks" are his spines. I have never seen a puffer leaking anything from there. I'd start by trying Melafix to help sooth his skin. Please upgrade him ASAP.
+1 IME
stress can do wonders to a person. it probably relates to anything that can feel stress. If you provide better housing, you may also find out it does wonders to your puffs health
You have the right to bear Puffers.
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purplecandle
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 2019
- Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 2:18 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Currently
2 Adult Green Spotted Puffers
1 Fangs Puffer
1 Baby Green Spotted Puffer - Location (country): USA (NC)
Re: Please help--Sick Fahaka
He definitely needs a more varied diet, much more nutrition and crunch.Burke wrote: I do believe that he needs his teeth trimmed. If this is the case, will it make him act this way? I can barely see his teeth when he's relaxed. I also can see he can open his teeth roughly about half an inch. We mainly feed him jumbo shrimp with shell on from super market, earthworms rarely--just as treats. With this being said, do you thinks his teeth need to be trimmed? And if so then what's up with this white stringy stuff coming out of him?
here is a feeding article
library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/
It is possible for overgrown teeth to prevent a puffer from eating, if you feel that his teeth are too long, you can consider teeth trimming.
here is a tooth trimming article
library/hospital/dentistry/