One of my puffers is sick! :(

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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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.
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Eldonko
Puffer Fry
Posts: 32
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2005 1:40 am
Location: Calgary, AB

One of my puffers is sick! :(

Post by Eldonko »

Just got home from work and one of my puffers is sitting motionless at bottom of the tank. I have them living a small (5.5g) QT tank temporarily until I get my 33g totally cycled. It is only the 2 puffers in there, and the water is at 1.003SG. Details:

1) Your water parameters - PH 8.0, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, and Nitrates .5.

2) Feeding and water change schedule.
Feed daily, 50% PWC weekly.

3) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so.
None

4) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it?
Been running a few years, its my QT tank, the fish that used to live in there are in a bigger tank now.

He is breathing but will not swim or even look at food. He is just sitting there, I thought he was dead at first. I dipped in the net to see if he would react and move but he moved like and inch and thats it. In the last week I noticed the puffer was not very active, usually light colored hanging out by the heater most of the day.

The other puffer looks great, very active, good color, eats like there is no tomorrow.

How do I diagnose Zizi? He looks like he about to die anytime :( What should I do?
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laxratnd
Puffer Fry
Posts: 42
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2005 11:03 pm

Post by laxratnd »

what is you temperature of the tank. 2 puffers should be in a bigger thank then that. is it set up for breakish or freshwater. the tank might not be cycled engough for them. do you feed them everyday and how many times a day.


stephen
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Eldonko
Puffer Fry
Posts: 32
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2005 1:40 am
Location: Calgary, AB

Post by Eldonko »

Temp is at about 77F. The puffers were just in there temporaily until the 33G was totally ammonia free. The water is brackish, 1.003SG. I feed them once per day. The sick one was eating but not much. He just takes bites out of stuff while Sammy wolfs everything down as fast as he can. Zizi doesn't look too good, he is leaning over on his side now =(
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Pufferpunk
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Post by Pufferpunk »

What kind of puffers? You can instantly cycle a tank w/Bio-Spira.
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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Eldonko
Puffer Fry
Posts: 32
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2005 1:40 am
Location: Calgary, AB

Post by Eldonko »

F8 puffers. I have some bio spira in the mail right now, I got the email that it was shipped today.

The tank they are in is cycled though and I tested it today, it's free of ammonia. He has been looking kindof sick since I got him, it's weird because the other in the same tank is fine.

Both gills are moving ok and he doesnt look like there is any ick or anything on him. Just is faded in color.
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Eldonko
Puffer Fry
Posts: 32
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2005 1:40 am
Location: Calgary, AB

Post by Eldonko »

There was a dead F8 in the tank I got the puffs from, it's possible he has whetever sickness that dead one had.
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laxratnd
Puffer Fry
Posts: 42
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2005 11:03 pm

Post by laxratnd »

When he eats does he look really skinny and during the day does his belly look like it is caving inwards. bring the temp to about 80-82.

stephen
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Eldonko
Puffer Fry
Posts: 32
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2005 1:40 am
Location: Calgary, AB

Post by Eldonko »

He always looks pretty skinny, I think because he doesn't eat much. I will raise the temp, thanks.
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laxratnd
Puffer Fry
Posts: 42
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2005 11:03 pm

Post by laxratnd »

he might have a case of internal parasites
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laxratnd
Puffer Fry
Posts: 42
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2005 11:03 pm

Post by laxratnd »

you can also try diffrent foods and do a water change. Does he have a darkish gray color to him and around his belly.

stephen
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Eldonko
Puffer Fry
Posts: 32
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2005 1:40 am
Location: Calgary, AB

Post by Eldonko »

I did a PWC last night. Both of the puffers bellies turn dark periodically, maybe they both have some sort of parasites but only 1 is sick so far. What should I get to treat parasites that will be avail in a LFS? I have to go get some more salt tonight anyway. I will likely lose the sick puffer, he really looks bad, doesn't move at all. But if its parasites I still want to treat them both just incase Sammy has the same thing.
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laxratnd
Puffer Fry
Posts: 42
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2005 11:03 pm

Post by laxratnd »

i would just go to your lfs and see what they have for internal parasties. Try to get something that is good for both fresh and salt water. There are a few kinds out there but i have had trouble finding them in my lfs. Your going to have to ask someone in your lfs or just read the lables of some parasite medicine make sure it is internal though. This same thing happened to my two puffers. One got sick and really dark and then the other did and then they both died.

stephen
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