F8 Demeanor Change
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.
Re: F8 Demeanor Change
Nothing ever sprayed around the tank, I clean the front occasionally with vinegar on a paper towel but that's it. Hard to find live worms around here but I will see what I can do, I would have thought that the ghost shrimp I added would have revved up his appetite. I will just have to continue to monitor and keep my fingers crossed. Thanks.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: F8 Demeanor Change
Look for worms at Walmart, near the fish pole section. There should be 2 sizes available.
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!"
Re: F8 Demeanor Change
Oh earthworms, really!? would have never thought of that, there are a number of bait shops around that sell red worms as bait. I will look into it. What vitamins do you soak your puffer food in? Thanks again!
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Pufferpunk
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Re: F8 Demeanor Change
Vita-Chem
Probably wouldn't work for worms, though.
Probably wouldn't work for worms, though.
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!"
Re: F8 Demeanor Change
Poor guy seems like he's taking a turn for the worse, barely swimming and when he does he shakes and flips around pretty violently. Put a worm right in front of him and he swims away from it, unfortunately I've run out of things I can do for him and succum to letting nature take its course.
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RTR
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Re: F8 Demeanor Change
Huge+1 to Pufferpunk's comments above.
Unfortunately, the pH test tells you very little about alkalinity/carbonate hardness. I would never attempt to run a low-end BW tank without the test for carbonate hardness. That is every bit as important as the salinity IME, and may be more important. IME, low BW tanks w/puffers tend to be unstable and the fish are definitely harmed by that instability. All of my low BW density tanks have used aragonite sand to assist in support of the needed alkalinity. For me to get full lifespan out of these fish, stable alkalinity is every bit as important as the salinity and possibly more so. These are not short-lived fish in stable carbonate hardness, but normal nitrification eats carbonate hardness - that material is used up as part of normal nitrification. In FW and light BW, we must replenish that material routinely. High bioload fish will never be stable without alkalinity support. That can be done with the right substrate or by high-volume water partials (50% or more weekly) and/or supplement added to the make-up water or by soluble substrate, or both. When supplementing make-up water, you must be careful not to osmotically shock the fish as well. Unstable tank conditions are not good for captive fish.
Unfortunately, the pH test tells you very little about alkalinity/carbonate hardness. I would never attempt to run a low-end BW tank without the test for carbonate hardness. That is every bit as important as the salinity IME, and may be more important. IME, low BW tanks w/puffers tend to be unstable and the fish are definitely harmed by that instability. All of my low BW density tanks have used aragonite sand to assist in support of the needed alkalinity. For me to get full lifespan out of these fish, stable alkalinity is every bit as important as the salinity and possibly more so. These are not short-lived fish in stable carbonate hardness, but normal nitrification eats carbonate hardness - that material is used up as part of normal nitrification. In FW and light BW, we must replenish that material routinely. High bioload fish will never be stable without alkalinity support. That can be done with the right substrate or by high-volume water partials (50% or more weekly) and/or supplement added to the make-up water or by soluble substrate, or both. When supplementing make-up water, you must be careful not to osmotically shock the fish as well. Unstable tank conditions are not good for captive fish.
Where's the fish? - Neptune
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Pufferpunk
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Re: F8 Demeanor Change
Anyone have any ideas on how to help this poor puffer? Did he perk up at all after your last WC?
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!"
Re: F8 Demeanor Change
No he did not and thank you for asking Pufferpunk, he is slowly getting worse and RTR's alkalinity sermons are not helping, not lashing out but again not of any help at this point. I understood after the first reply. Thanks all and take care
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Pufferpunk
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Re: F8 Demeanor Change
I'm so sorry... How long have you had him? I'm sure you feel totally helpless right now.
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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bertie 83
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Re: F8 Demeanor Change
Are there any air fresheners in the room? No deodorants used etc? Try a couple more large water changes you would be amazed what they can do for a poorly fish, even if everything seems good it can help sometimes. Don't give up, rack your brain on household activities etc, small things can sometimes cause aquatic problems. For example if you have been gardening using fertilisers/ pesticides
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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Pufferpunk
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T miurus
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DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Re: F8 Demeanor Change
Unless there's something toxic in your source water?
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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Iliveinazoo
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Re: F8 Demeanor Change
I was going to suggest live brine shrimp to get him eating when you said that he was lethargic but don't know what would be causing him to shake and flip-out. If there is an unknown water problem it might be worth sticking some activated carbon in the filter to see if it removes the contaminant?
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bertie 83
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Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
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Re: F8 Demeanor Change
That sounds like a great idea, gotta be worth a shot for the op. Give it a whirl it certainly won't hurt
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly