Fahaka Puffer with Pop Eye?

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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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Systine
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Re: Fahaka Puffer with Pop Eye?

Post by Systine »

He is about 3.5 in. And yes I shoke it vigorously for 1 minute as the directions instructed. I followed the instructions to the letter. I have done a 50% water change every day since Saturday and today was the first day he has eaten since Friday.
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Re: Fahaka Puffer with Pop Eye?

Post by Systine »

bertie 83 wrote:Snails, crab etc are crunchy grub
Does it matter what kind of snails? Other then wild one :P I do give him frozen crab but he really isn't that interested in it.
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Re: Fahaka Puffer with Pop Eye?

Post by purplecandle »

Ramshorn or pond pest snails

library/feeding/basic-snail-breeding/
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Re: Fahaka Puffer with Pop Eye?

Post by Pufferpunk »

Be sure to defrost all frozen foods. Try mussels, oysters, clams, from the grocery store. Crack them open--he'll scrape his teeth on the shell to get the meat out.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

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Re: Fahaka Puffer with Pop Eye?

Post by Systine »

purplecandle wrote:Ramshorn or pond pest snails

library/feeding/basic-snail-breeding/
Of course these are not readily available anywhere around me, the only thing I can find is something called a Mystery snail.
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Re: Fahaka Puffer with Pop Eye?

Post by Pufferpunk »

Mystery snails are fine for a fahaka but just go with my above suggestions.
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!"
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Re: Fahaka Puffer with Pop Eye?

Post by Systine »

Two days ago he looks as healthy as he could be happily eating and swimming around the tank again, but yesterday he appeared to half a relapse. Floating at the surface hardly moving, not even food could get his attention. I notice the spots on his body, fins, and eyes had returned. Through the day I could see it getting worse and worse. The Melaflex + salt and heat where still in use so I am not sure why it seemed to come back with more of a vengeance. Sadly this morning when I awoke he had passed.

I was like probably the majority of people and saw a cute little puffer and thought wouldn't that be great pet. With little to no research I bought him and brought him home following only the guidelines given but the shop keeper and what I knew from keeping other fish. Unfortunately, a puffer really isn't like other fish and the short time I had with him was awesome as these guys are spectacular. I know now that I have a lot to learn. I will get to know this fish much better and learn how to property care for them before I will bring another one home into the family.

Thanks for all your assistance. I will remain on these forums and read as much as I possibly can.
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Re: Fahaka Puffer with Pop Eye?

Post by purplecandle »

Systine wrote:Two days ago he looks as healthy as he could be happily eating and swimming around the tank again, but yesterday he appeared to half a relapse. Floating at the surface hardly moving, not even food could get his attention. I notice the spots on his body, fins, and eyes had returned. Through the day I could see it getting worse and worse. The Melaflex + salt and heat where still in use so I am not sure why it seemed to come back with more of a vengeance. Sadly this morning when I awoke he had passed.

I was like probably the majority of people and saw a cute little puffer and thought wouldn't that be great pet. With little to no research I bought him and brought him home following only the guidelines given but the shop keeper and what I knew from keeping other fish. Unfortunately, a puffer really isn't like other fish and the short time I had with him was awesome as these guys are spectacular. I know now that I have a lot to learn. I will get to know this fish much better and learn how to property care for them before I will bring another one home into the family.

Thanks for all your assistance. I will remain on these forums and read as much as I possibly can.
:sorry: Sorry for your loss!
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Re: Fahaka Puffer with Pop Eye?

Post by Pufferpunk »

Just so you know, when treating for ich, you must do 80% WC, while cleaning the substrate thoroughly every other day, replenishing the Melafix/salt, to remove the free-swimming cysts, before they can attach to the fish.
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!"
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Re: Fahaka Puffer with Pop Eye?

Post by Systine »

Pufferpunk wrote:Just so you know, when treating for ich, you must do 80% WC, while cleaning the substrate thoroughly every other day, replenishing the Melafix/salt, to remove the free-swimming cysts, before they can attach to the fish.
I was doing 50% WC as stated in the article, but doing it everyday. As well, I was replenishing the Melafix and salt. Everything did look good up until yesterday.
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Re: Fahaka Puffer with Pop Eye?

Post by LRU »

Pufferpunk wrote:Just so you know, when treating for ich, you must do 80% WC, while cleaning the substrate thoroughly every other day, replenishing the Melafix/salt, to remove the free-swimming cysts, before they can attach to the fish.
This is interesting to me, as for the past year and a half I've treated ich simply by turning up the heat to 84-85 for up to two weeks, and doing slightly larger than normal WCs once a week as usual, no meds. This has always solved the problem for me. Do you feel the extra WC plus meds keeps ich from popping up again down the line? Is this specific to puffers?
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Re: Fahaka Puffer with Pop Eye?

Post by Pufferpunk »

Since the lifecycle involves the rotation of laying eggs, hatching, attaching to the fish,k & laying eggs into the water again, scooping out as many as possible as they swim free from their hose, will help the fish a great deal.
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!"
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Re: Fahaka Puffer with Pop Eye?

Post by Puffalot »

Systine wrote:
purplecandle wrote:Ramshorn or pond pest snails

Of course these are not readily available anywhere around me, the only thing I can find is something called a Mystery snail.

You can go to pets mart and ask for snails if they have some they are usually free (small ones)
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