bertie,
thanks for your help, i will get some at petco today. pufferpunk had some thoughts on my water temp, any ideas how to fix this as well? thanks again you folks really are a blessing!
stars and stripes puffer acting lethargic and sick
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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bertie 83
- Moderator
- Posts: 5298
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:28 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: lineatus R.I.P, South American puffer. Valentini puffer, porcupine puffer.
Non puffer
Danios, Tetras, Redtail Rasporas,
Harlequins, CAE's, Yoyo
Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
- Location: brighton , england
Re: stars and stripes puffer acting lethargic and sick
If room temperature is pushing up the tanks temp a chiller would solve the problem, they are not very expensive
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32987
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
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T lineatus
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suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: stars and stripes puffer acting lethargic and sick
No, I meant PROTEIN skimmer. Is there a sump? If yes, place a large protein skimmer in there. Also, get a 6" clip on fan & blow air across the sump.
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!"
-
theginger
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 7:49 pm
- Location (country): United States
- Location: Beaumont, TX
Re: stars and stripes puffer acting lethargic and sick
i have a large protein skimmer, its a vertex 180 protein skimmer. I will try the fan, i have a personal fan i can put in the sump, ill let you know how it affects the temp. thanks
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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: stars and stripes puffer acting lethargic and sick
It will help a lot!
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!"
-
theginger
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 7:49 pm
- Location (country): United States
- Location: Beaumont, TX
Re: stars and stripes puffer acting lethargic and sick
So, ever since last weekend my stars and stripes puffer stays dark green/black most of the time. I finally figured out what was wrong i think. I had a diamond goby that went missing, and he finally showed up today...dead and basically decomposing in my tank. i immediately removed it from my tank and checked my water parameters and they were:
pH-8.2ppm
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 160ppm!!!!! holy cow!!! major spike from 20ppm just a week and a half ago...
salinity - 1.020
So my nitrates have gone through the roof!!! What do i do? I really don't wanna lose my S&S puffer! i immediately did a 20% water change in hopes that would start to bring the nitrates down, but what else should i do? thanks for your help i have never had my nitrates shoot up so fast.
Zach
pH-8.2ppm
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 160ppm!!!!! holy cow!!! major spike from 20ppm just a week and a half ago...
salinity - 1.020
So my nitrates have gone through the roof!!! What do i do? I really don't wanna lose my S&S puffer! i immediately did a 20% water change in hopes that would start to bring the nitrates down, but what else should i do? thanks for your help i have never had my nitrates shoot up so fast.
Zach
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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: stars and stripes puffer acting lethargic and sick
I'm locking this thread, please no double posting.
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!"