I ve had this Fahaka for 9 years, recently he's been not eating - Ive been thru a week of him refusing food, but he eats but it's just a little compared to before, I noticed that his beak on the top is like 2 teeth instead of 1 - I swear it was 1?
Anyways, I ve been doing water changes every 2-3 days and this seems have to brought alittle life into him,but his eating is still subpar, I just noticed that he has white stringy feces-parasites? the other week he puffed up which is kinda odd seeing as I ve only really seem him puff up less then 5 times since I've owned him,he did not get really round, He's about 11 inches with tail in a 30 gallon - yes I know it's small he has a 75 gal waiting till the construction is done at my house.
any help would be greatly appreciated.
SICK FAHAKA !!!!
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.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- 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:
Please answer all the Qs from the post at the top of this forum. I can guarantee you, your puffer is drastically stunted. His organs are growing inside a stunted body. I moved my fahaka from a 55g to a 125g, at 10". It is never too late to move a puffer into larger quarters but I'm afraid it is probably too late for this fish to have a normal lifespan.
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!"
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- 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:
-
lisalisa
I agree with PP here. Fahakas grow at an alarming rate, and yours should be 17 by now. I'm sorry to say that the 75 isn't much better. I had my fahaka in a 125 from purchase, then moved to a 210 at 17". A 125 should do the trick, but I fear all the damage cannot be undone. Larger quarters asap is the best thing you could do for your puffer right now. Lack of feeding IMO is due, at least in part, to his severe stunting.
-
lisalisa
-
Rusty
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 274
- Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 11:31 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: A modestus
x2 C travancoricus - Location (country): USA
- Location: Cleveland, O-H-I-O
- Contact:
Hey , yeah i doubt it is a parasite but could be i know people who deworm every year , they claim it is their success secret. But most probably bacteria, and stress, as he is most probably stunted. must be a load of stress on him. I know i wouldn't be in great shape if kept in a 3 foot box. don't take any of this the wrong way , but maybe you should look into getting him a home that can house him. 
Old fishermen never die, they just smell that way.
Rusty
Rusty
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- 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:
I asked you to answer the info in the top thread of this forum, so we can help further.
Last edited by Pufferpunk on Fri Jun 30, 2006 1:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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!"
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- 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:
Well, a 30g tank is better but you know how I feel about rescuing a fish you aren't prepared to house properly. Just postponing the inevitable torture.
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!"
you are correct.
I got him for a dollar at the local fish swap meet
The guy had him for 2 years in a 5 gallon and a 2 1/2 gallon tank
when I got him into a 10 gallon he went -that lasted about 3 months
he was 2 1/2 inches when I got him,he went to 6 inches in the 10 and he's at where he is at now in the 30 gallon.
I do not test water quality like everyone else,I've raised discus and just about everything else.
I do weekly water changes, he gets, a local made frozen beefheart diet, and loves it,once in while he gets snails,and crayfish.
I've never heard of a fishes organs out growing their body? nor have I seen it.
He seems to be doing better after a batch of water changes.
Some may hate me and argue and so forth,but if you cant prove to me that a "fish's organs can out grow their body" then I have to just take that with a grain of salt
I know he's in a tank that is considered to small, and he will go into the biggest tank I can afford the space for.
Every fish store around here that I know of have never seen a Fahaka of mine's-"monstro's" size, I have also had 5 inch + spotted puffers that I raised from 1- inch so I think I know how to manage taking care of my fish,but am always willing to learn more.
I got him for a dollar at the local fish swap meet
The guy had him for 2 years in a 5 gallon and a 2 1/2 gallon tank
when I got him into a 10 gallon he went -that lasted about 3 months
he was 2 1/2 inches when I got him,he went to 6 inches in the 10 and he's at where he is at now in the 30 gallon.
I do not test water quality like everyone else,I've raised discus and just about everything else.
I do weekly water changes, he gets, a local made frozen beefheart diet, and loves it,once in while he gets snails,and crayfish.
I've never heard of a fishes organs out growing their body? nor have I seen it.
He seems to be doing better after a batch of water changes.
Some may hate me and argue and so forth,but if you cant prove to me that a "fish's organs can out grow their body" then I have to just take that with a grain of salt
I know he's in a tank that is considered to small, and he will go into the biggest tank I can afford the space for.
Every fish store around here that I know of have never seen a Fahaka of mine's-"monstro's" size, I have also had 5 inch + spotted puffers that I raised from 1- inch so I think I know how to manage taking care of my fish,but am always willing to learn more.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- 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:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/vie ... t=stunting
A puffer that size, in that sized tank, should need 80% water changes, 2x/week. For the sake of that puffer, I'd definately start testing your parameters. Beefheart is not a natural diet for a puffer. Read the article on the homepage about feeding your puffer.
A puffer that size, in that sized tank, should need 80% water changes, 2x/week. For the sake of that puffer, I'd definately start testing your parameters. Beefheart is not a natural diet for a puffer. Read the article on the homepage about feeding your puffer.
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!"
It's not straight beefheart, includes,carrots,shrimp,crab,lobster,lobster roe,garlic and a bunch of other stuff,he's been on it for 8 + years,so I think it must be ok
Like I said I am not a noob on caring for puffers, just curious as this is the first time I've every seen him like this in 9 years
When I first started really getting to puffers, no one knew crap about maintaining puffers,and when I talked to the local aquarium,they knew alot but made it over complicated,I took what the told me,my experience's and others and made my own that worked for me.
Just need to know what would be a good treatment other then a "bigger tank"
Like I said I am not a noob on caring for puffers, just curious as this is the first time I've every seen him like this in 9 years
When I first started really getting to puffers, no one knew crap about maintaining puffers,and when I talked to the local aquarium,they knew alot but made it over complicated,I took what the told me,my experience's and others and made my own that worked for me.
Just need to know what would be a good treatment other then a "bigger tank"
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- 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: