Upset about the Loss Of My Porc. Puffer
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.
Upset about the Loss Of My Porc. Puffer
Hi I'm upset right now and could use a few comments. I got a very small 2"porcupine puffer back in April, have had puffers for the last six years so I pretty well know what I am doing. Did a water change yesterday and for the first time felt comfortable giving the tank a new look. Usually change things around pretty regularly but wanted to give the little girl a chance to settle in. Water change done the right way (I do aquarium maintains with the boyfriend). Up until that point Betty the porc was doing great growing, eating active just a happy little girl. After the water change she was just swimming around the top of the tank with heavy breathing. Figured she was upset about the change and would settle down. Adjusted the air flow to give more oxygen to the tank. Got up today and she had passed and I cannot figure this out. Water parameters all within range Ammonia 0, Nitrate .25 ect. the only thing off a bit is the tank temperature is a little high 80 F yesterday 82 F today. Any thoughts on what could of went wrong would be appreciated any thought at all. Thanks
Last edited by trekenk on Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
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OraLacerta
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 573
- Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:51 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Tetraodon biocellatus.
RIP: C. travancoricus, Chilomycterus schoepfi. Canthigaster jactator. - Location (country): USA
- Location: USA
Were those water params you mentioned taken before or after the waterchange? She may have been suffering from ammonia poisoning, though it was so sudden that doesn't seem to make sense.
I really don't think the temp would have done it. My tanks hover at 80F during the summer and none of my fish have suffered.
Do you think something might have gotten into the tank? Sounds like something toxic could have been introduced to her tank either right before or during the WC. Otherwise I can't really think of the cause.
What size tank is it?
How long has it been set up?
What is your WC schedule?
What were you feeding her?
Those questions will help us try to figure out what happened. Sorry for your loss. I hope you'll stick around here and not be discouraged by Betty's death.
-Michelle
I really don't think the temp would have done it. My tanks hover at 80F during the summer and none of my fish have suffered.
Do you think something might have gotten into the tank? Sounds like something toxic could have been introduced to her tank either right before or during the WC. Otherwise I can't really think of the cause.
What size tank is it?
How long has it been set up?
What is your WC schedule?
What were you feeding her?
Those questions will help us try to figure out what happened. Sorry for your loss. I hope you'll stick around here and not be discouraged by Betty's death.
-Michelle
Thanks for the reply. Ok, tank has been set up for about 2 1/2 yrs. 90 gl. I'm very careful not to contaminate anything when working in or around tanks I do about 10 - 15 of them a week. This is really got me as there was no sign what so ever of disease or problems. It is just so upsetting as you all know how attached we can get to our puffers. Will keep trying to figure this out, any other ideas or comment welcome.
Sorry for your loss. I hope you'll stick around here and not be discouraged by Betty's death.
-Michelle[/quote]
I might not post much but I am always around , that is my beautiful Star in the logo. Discourage yes, but I have a few salt tanks and of coarse we loose fish on occasions. It's just those puffer are like part of the family no other fish can come close. Well I think you know what I mean.
Water changes every two to three weeks. Was feeding her brine shrimp, smelt, pea's (treat) shrimp pelts, hard shell seafood melody, all food handle with the utmost care.
-Michelle[/quote]
I might not post much but I am always around , that is my beautiful Star in the logo. Discourage yes, but I have a few salt tanks and of coarse we loose fish on occasions. It's just those puffer are like part of the family no other fish can come close. Well I think you know what I mean.
Water changes every two to three weeks. Was feeding her brine shrimp, smelt, pea's (treat) shrimp pelts, hard shell seafood melody, all food handle with the utmost care.
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puffergeek
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 179
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 11:41 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 7 Carinotetraodon travancoricus
1 Carinotetraodon irrubesco
1 Dichotomyctere nigroviridis - Location (country): US
- Location: Greater Seattle Area
I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I've lost fish with any perceptible reason, and without a full lab to do an autopsy you may never know what happened. I always like to think that it might have been one of those bizzare things like a heart attack or something... very sad but natural.
Hang in there! Puffers are like family, as are any beloved pet.
(P.S.- Star is very cute!)
Hang in there! Puffers are like family, as are any beloved pet.
(P.S.- Star is very cute!)
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YBeNormal
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 506
- Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 1:19 am
- Location: Northern Virginia
- Contact:
Unless you are on well water, you might want to check with the city to see if they made any changes to the water treatment process. Some locals reserve the right to switch from chlorine to chloramine w/o notice. Our city will often add chemicals to battle turbidity or other issues. I raised a batch of angel fry for several weeks until they were nickle sized, doing water changes every day with no abnormal losses. I then did my normal water change one day and all of them died within 15 minutes.
--Bob