itchy figure eight

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can 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.
subby
Puffer Fry
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:15 pm
Location: California

Post by subby »

Thanks for the info - I'll order it today! Again thanks for all of you help. I will continue water changes and monitoring their tank. I'll keep everyone posted. :)
Thanks so much!
Candy Short
User avatar
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:

Post by Pufferpunk »

Call around to every petshop within your driving distance. Make sure they keep it refrigerated. Otherwise, you can order it here: http://fishstoretn.com/bio_spira.html

Keep testing your water & doing large water changes, until you get some.
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!"
subby
Puffer Fry
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:15 pm
Location: California

Happy fugure 8

Post by subby »

I just wanted to update everyone on my puffers tank. Everyone is doing AWSOME! No itching at all!! I have been doing large water changes as I wait for the bio-spira to get here. Also, I noticed that when I turn on the Protien Skimmer, my little F8 starts rubbing herself on the plants and such - once I turn it off and the bubbles are out of the water, she immediately stops. The fine bubbles must make her gills feel funny. So, back to the store the system will go. What do you suggest for a filter system? I was going to get the Emperior 280 from Marineland. (I can't get a canaster just yet). Also, what do you suggest to use to take out chlorine instead of stress coat?
Thanks sooooo much for your help!
Thanks so much!
Candy Short
laxratnd
Puffer Fry
Posts: 42
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2005 11:03 pm

Post by laxratnd »

thats a good filter i have the marineland 150b for my 10 gallon tank and i love it. Great filter.

stephen
subby
Puffer Fry
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:15 pm
Location: California

Post by subby »

Oh, good , I'm glad to know you are happy with yours. :) I'll pick it up tomorrow and between that and the Bio-spira that I should be recieving this week, my little puffs will be so happy with their clean, chemical free environment, they won't know what hit them! :)
Thanks so much!
Candy Short
User avatar
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:

Post by Pufferpunk »

Be sure to add the B-S directly to your filter.
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!"
subby
Puffer Fry
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:15 pm
Location: California

Post by subby »

I'm glad you told me, I probably would have overlooked it. I ordered 3oz instead of 1 just incase I do something wrong. Should I keep the filter carbon and floss out while adding it, or after adding it, or should I just dump it in the back of the filter?
Thanks so much!
Candy Short
Pamela
Green Spotted Puffer
Posts: 456
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 8:50 am
Location: Oxford, UK

Post by Pamela »

The bugs'll colonise on the floss, so deffo keep that in.
Pami.
subby
Puffer Fry
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:15 pm
Location: California

Post by subby »

great, will do. I'll update as things progress. Your all great!
Thanks so much!
Candy Short
Pamela
Green Spotted Puffer
Posts: 456
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 8:50 am
Location: Oxford, UK

Post by Pamela »

Glad things are getting sorted, you'll be a great puffer parent.
Pami.
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