I don't know if this is normal or not, but my weather loach has a brown mark on his back and another one on his head in between his eyes. I think he's having trouble breathing because he keeps huffing and puffing quickly and over and over.
Don't know if this if off topic or not, but I seriously need help. I've had this fish for a year, my longest fish ever, and I feel attatched to it.
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.
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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Zaffimitsu
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sat Sep 30, 2006 9:18 am
- My Puffers: 2 Dwarf Puffers
- Location: Atlanta, GA
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32976
- 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:
-
Zaffimitsu
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sat Sep 30, 2006 9:18 am
- My Puffers: 2 Dwarf Puffers
- Location: Atlanta, GA
Sorry.
How long has the tank been set up? About five months.
Did you cycle the tank? How? I just put the water and all the chemicals it came with in and left it for a day.
How long have you had the fish? A year
How big is the tank? 35 gallons
How big is the fish? 4 inches
Any tankmates? - This appeared when he had one other weather loach, now he has two puffers, two plecos, and two pacus with him aswell.
Are you doing weekly water changes? How much? No.
What are the water parameters: Not sure.
Ammonia? (should be 0 at all times) Not sure.
NitrItes? (should be 0 at all times) Not sure.
NitrAtes? (should be <20, or even better, <10) Not sure.
pH? Not sure.
How long have you been keeping fish? About a year.
If you're <20--how old are you? 13.
How long has the tank been set up? About five months.
Did you cycle the tank? How? I just put the water and all the chemicals it came with in and left it for a day.
How long have you had the fish? A year
How big is the tank? 35 gallons
How big is the fish? 4 inches
Any tankmates? - This appeared when he had one other weather loach, now he has two puffers, two plecos, and two pacus with him aswell.
Are you doing weekly water changes? How much? No.
What are the water parameters: Not sure.
Ammonia? (should be 0 at all times) Not sure.
NitrItes? (should be 0 at all times) Not sure.
NitrAtes? (should be <20, or even better, <10) Not sure.
pH? Not sure.
How long have you been keeping fish? About a year.
If you're <20--how old are you? 13.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32976
- 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:
Looks like you have some water testing to do & get back to us.
Last edited by Pufferpunk on Tue Oct 03, 2006 6:29 pm, 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: 32976
- 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:
OK, just went back to look over you other posts. I'd find homes for those pacus, asap. I'd bet your water parameters are off.
I give you a lot of credit keeping fish at 13 & finding this website!
I give you a lot of credit keeping fish at 13 & finding this website!
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!"
-
Zaffimitsu
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sat Sep 30, 2006 9:18 am
- My Puffers: 2 Dwarf Puffers
- Location: Atlanta, GA
Thanks. At school, I'm doing all the pet work for each grade because the teachers here have no idea. I recently helped my gifted science teacher set up a perfect leapard gecko exhibit. Today, as a matter of fact.
Yes, I realize I need to get rid of the pacus. I have a local fish store that only sells saltwater fish, but I have a feeling they'll approve of taking them in. I do not feel like taking care of a 30+ inch fish.
Another thing. I never do water changes, I didn't think it really matered...? How do I check all of those things I said "unsure" to and fix them? By the way, I'm moving my puffer fish out into a ten gallon, and giving them the smaller pleco as a roommate.
Yes, I realize I need to get rid of the pacus. I have a local fish store that only sells saltwater fish, but I have a feeling they'll approve of taking them in. I do not feel like taking care of a 30+ inch fish.
Another thing. I never do water changes, I didn't think it really matered...? How do I check all of those things I said "unsure" to and fix them? By the way, I'm moving my puffer fish out into a ten gallon, and giving them the smaller pleco as a roommate.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32976
- 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:
Hmmm... no water changes huh? Read my signature. Start doing 25% water changes every day for the next 4 days & then you can move the puffers to their tank. Be sure to use the gravel from your established tank, for their new tank. After that, start doing 50% weekly water changes. If you want a real education, start reading all the articles in our Library!
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!"