This fig8 that I picked up a while back has been 'in recovery' for waaay too long. The ick was cleared very fast but he hit a crazy case of pop-eye/opaque white over that eye. That eye is no longer white or popped but has a little black on part of it but at least I can see the moving parts of the eye underneath (pupil/iris/whatever).
The real issue is that it just hasn't eaten for a long time in front of me. I tried using some garlic extract in a tiny glass bottle soaking bloodworms. He goes after the smaller bits and they go in-out-in-out of his mouth and then he gives up. More often he just doesn't even try to eat. But when he does try (like what prompted me to write this, watching him 5 mins ago), it's as described.
I named him Rolly-Poley after how chubby he looked at the LFS (why I got him despite the ick), and he still looks chubbyish despite not eating for a while. It's totally weird-looking tho. His belly is chubby but then there's a 'pinch' before his head. His teeth look kind of odd, but I don't think they are overgrown.
EDIT: my crappy digital camera is now in the garbage- wouldn't even turn on today.
I was thinking about going Epsom Salt and then worry about some type of internal parisite action?
-Pyratt Pete
sorry.. ideas for fig8 that is Trying to eat
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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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Boxermom
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If he still looks chubbyish, he's probably eating when you aren't around. Does the food seem like its disappearing at all?
Tina
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
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lisalisa
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Pyratt
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yeh definitely pinched" towards the head.
well.. my dad says he can get Metronidazole for me no problem and probably the Levamisole (he's a MD).
I figure I'll get some sort of pointless syringe from my dad and clove oil the fish as per dentistry sticky, check out his teeth in under 10 seconds, then squirt some meds in him.
-Pete
well.. my dad says he can get Metronidazole for me no problem and probably the Levamisole (he's a MD).
I figure I'll get some sort of pointless syringe from my dad and clove oil the fish as per dentistry sticky, check out his teeth in under 10 seconds, then squirt some meds in him.
-Pete
Look into prazi-pro if you cant get those other meds. Prazi pro is a dream!
<80 gal> 2 GSPs & a Ceylon!
<75 gal> 3 Figure 8s & 1 Butterlfy Goby
<75 gal> *Empty*
<55 gal> 3 Gymnothorax polyuranodon (FW eel)
<30 long> Pair of Lorteti's & Irrubesco's, 1 DP, Endlers Livebearers, Clown Pleco, Royal Pleco, 2 Bumblebee Cats
<20 long> 4 Flounders
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~Tihsho~
<75 gal> 3 Figure 8s & 1 Butterlfy Goby
<75 gal> *Empty*
<55 gal> 3 Gymnothorax polyuranodon (FW eel)
<30 long> Pair of Lorteti's & Irrubesco's, 1 DP, Endlers Livebearers, Clown Pleco, Royal Pleco, 2 Bumblebee Cats
<20 long> 4 Flounders
<4 gal> 2 Sparkling Gouramis & 3 ottos heavily planted
~Tihsho~
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Pyratt
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 66
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- Location: Madison WI
well I think I accidentally killed Rolly-Poley.
Sigh.
The three drops of clove oil must have been too much for him.
His teeth Were totally messed up though and when they are so small like this I dont know how people would even go about trimming the teeth. Poor guy, he was such a mess but hanging on for so long. I finally had his eye 90% cleared up too (had suffered from popeye and stuff).
I'm leaving him in his QT tank overnight just to be sure.
So bummed. I'm learning and this kind of experience is important as I plan to be a doctor... its life and death were not without value. None the less I am very disappointed.
I think the biggest lesson seems to be that with wild-caught fish, it's important to treat them for IP's and stuff when you first get them and have them QT'd. Just keeping clean water and melafix and stuff was not enough to cure this fish. It just made it hang on for a month or so before me finally accidentally killing it...
Hopefully clove oil isn't a bad way to go out for them =\
-Pete
EDIT: I guess I'll order a bottle of Prazi Pro online just so I have it for the next wild fish I get. It totally sucks that LFS and these chain petshops and stuff don't stock the medications that work. I ended up going with the metronidazole just because it was what I could get in short notice. The catheter-injection failed miserably as I could not get it actually into the mouth (partly b/c the fish was small and also because its teeth were funky).
Sigh.
The three drops of clove oil must have been too much for him.
His teeth Were totally messed up though and when they are so small like this I dont know how people would even go about trimming the teeth. Poor guy, he was such a mess but hanging on for so long. I finally had his eye 90% cleared up too (had suffered from popeye and stuff).
I'm leaving him in his QT tank overnight just to be sure.
So bummed. I'm learning and this kind of experience is important as I plan to be a doctor... its life and death were not without value. None the less I am very disappointed.
I think the biggest lesson seems to be that with wild-caught fish, it's important to treat them for IP's and stuff when you first get them and have them QT'd. Just keeping clean water and melafix and stuff was not enough to cure this fish. It just made it hang on for a month or so before me finally accidentally killing it...
Hopefully clove oil isn't a bad way to go out for them =\
-Pete
EDIT: I guess I'll order a bottle of Prazi Pro online just so I have it for the next wild fish I get. It totally sucks that LFS and these chain petshops and stuff don't stock the medications that work. I ended up going with the metronidazole just because it was what I could get in short notice. The catheter-injection failed miserably as I could not get it actually into the mouth (partly b/c the fish was small and also because its teeth were funky).
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Pufferpunk
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Are you sure it was dead? They really appear so when tranqed with that stuff. I suggest against using it on weak 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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Boxermom
- Former Staff Member
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I'm sorry to hear that. 
But yes, clove oil is the preferred method of humane euthanasia. I've used it several times myself.
But yes, clove oil is the preferred method of humane euthanasia. I've used it several times myself.Tina
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1