Stunted Fahaka?

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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.
Post Reply
MattGroulx
Puffer Fry
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:03 pm
Location (country): United States

Stunted Fahaka?

Post by MattGroulx »

Age: 7 months
Diet: krill, bloodworms, squid, beefheart
Size: 4”
Tank size: 75g

Parameters:
PH - 7.6
Ammonia - 0
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates - 0

I got him as a fry, he was about an inch long. He’s been in a 75 gallon ( have a 180 cycling) his entire life with tons of stuff to explore, etc. feed him twice a day and each meal is a different food. Currently treating him for external parasites with prazipro due to a red spot on his pectoral fin. His eyes seem proportionate, and his back seems not very curved.

Could I’d be parasites? I treated him when brought home from the lfs.

He seems happy, and stomach is not sunken in, doesn’t seem stressed either.

Any ideas? Just curious as to why he hasn’t grown too much?

Or could it be the tank size?
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32755
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Stunted Fahaka?

Post by Pufferpunk »

Hard to believe there is no nitrate. What test kits are you using?
I have a fahaka that is 4 years old & only about 7". Got him at the same size as yours (1" is not a fry, it is considered a juvenile) & he was living in a 120g. Since he stopped growing, I moved him into a much smaller tank. He's very happy in there.

I do not believe the red spot is a parasite. Please post pics, I'd like to see that & also his back.
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!"
MattGroulx
Puffer Fry
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:03 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Stunted Fahaka?

Post by MattGroulx »

Below 5.0ppm sounds better, haha.

I’ve been treating him with prazipro, the red spot has almost gone away in the last few days.

I’ll to get some decent pics for you.
MattGroulx
Puffer Fry
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:03 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Stunted Fahaka?

Post by MattGroulx »

Here’s some pics
https://imgur.com/a/FSHd9bp
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32755
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Stunted Fahaka?

Post by Pufferpunk »

I'm interested in seeing the bent spine.
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!"
MattGroulx
Puffer Fry
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:03 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Stunted Fahaka?

Post by MattGroulx »

Click the Imgur link above…..
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32755
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Stunted Fahaka?

Post by Pufferpunk »

I did
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!"
MattGroulx
Puffer Fry
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:03 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Stunted Fahaka?

Post by MattGroulx »

Oh, ok. Then I guess his spine isn’t arched then if you didn’t notice. Any foods that are good to promote growth?
MattGroulx
Puffer Fry
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:03 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Stunted Fahaka?

Post by MattGroulx »

Ok, So he passed some white stringy poop, best thing to treat and best way to dose for internal parasites safely?
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32755
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Stunted Fahaka?

Post by Pufferpunk »

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!"
MattGroulx
Puffer Fry
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:03 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Stunted Fahaka?

Post by MattGroulx »

I got some metroplex, was wondering if this was acceptable without focus or some kind of binder?
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32755
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Stunted Fahaka?

Post by Pufferpunk »

That is antibacterial, not parasite.
viewtopic.php?t=7
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!"
MattGroulx
Puffer Fry
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:03 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Stunted Fahaka?

Post by MattGroulx »

Weird, I poked around a little bit and some say it’s a good/safe treatment for internal parasites.
MattGroulx
Puffer Fry
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:03 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Stunted Fahaka?

Post by MattGroulx »

An update: he passed a huge tapeworm about 3” long
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32755
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Stunted Fahaka?

Post by Pufferpunk »

I gave you links about the best meds to use.
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!"
Post Reply