Hi all, I just returned on a 4 day holiday. I left on Friday 2.2.07 and feed my fish before I left. I returned on the 5.2.07 and feed them when I got back. I read that fish can survive a while without food so I thought it would be OK to leave them for only really 2 days without feeding (as I fed them on Fri & Mon so the only days they didn't get food was Sat & Sun). All my fish seem alright but one of my puffers (the fatter one) looks like a Zombie!
He sooo pale, he swims around listlessly and doesn't have an appetite, he just looks so sick. I don't know what to do. The water quality seems fine and all the other fish (even the other puffer) seems perfectly happy and healthy. What can this be?
Any help would be much appreciated, I cannot bare to lose another puffer!
I will try to get pics tonight.
Zombie looking fish :(
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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Boxermom
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 2182
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What do you mean the water quality "seems" fine. Have you tested the water? What kind of puffers? Fish can survive quite well for a week or two without eating if they are healthy and there's nothing wrong with the water, so I doubt its due to lack of food.
Tina
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
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Pufferpunk
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T miurus
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T biocellatus
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C papuan
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suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
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"Have you tested the water? What kind of puffers?"
Yes I tested the water, the usual readings: Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 20, Ph 7.3ish. There hasn't been definite confirmation regarding the species of the puffer, but the same puffer on my avatar is the one that is now sick.
Hmm Manutius, it sorta looks like that, like he is turning almost black (but not his under belly). I'm not sure about the big white patches, he has some but not that big yet. He isn't using his back fin, he just sort of floats about with his other fin but doesn't respond to much. I am really worried! Should I take him out of the tank as not to spread whatever it is? I do have a hospital tank with similar water conditions (but I have baby mollies in there atm) so I don't know!
I tried getting pics but it didn't turn out well....
Yes I tested the water, the usual readings: Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 20, Ph 7.3ish. There hasn't been definite confirmation regarding the species of the puffer, but the same puffer on my avatar is the one that is now sick.
Hmm Manutius, it sorta looks like that, like he is turning almost black (but not his under belly). I'm not sure about the big white patches, he has some but not that big yet. He isn't using his back fin, he just sort of floats about with his other fin but doesn't respond to much. I am really worried! Should I take him out of the tank as not to spread whatever it is? I do have a hospital tank with similar water conditions (but I have baby mollies in there atm) so I don't know!
I tried getting pics but it didn't turn out well....
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manutius
- Former Staff Member
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- My Puffers: RIP Clooney the Mbu :(
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- Contact:
Your water chemistry seems fine for a freshwater tank. I think the problem may be the identity of the puffer and therefore trying to determine correct water conditions for it. I can't remember what type it is though sorry, but I'm sure someone will know.
This fish I showed you was my Mbu a while back and it was very hard to get a diagnosois. Eventually it was decided that food poisoning was highly likely. I think that you should look into this as a potential cause and in the mean time I would run some carbon in your filter in case there is something that is in the water affecting him.
On a positive note my puffer pulled through after showing those symptoms, water qulity needs to be kept pristine though.
This fish I showed you was my Mbu a while back and it was very hard to get a diagnosois. Eventually it was decided that food poisoning was highly likely. I think that you should look into this as a potential cause and in the mean time I would run some carbon in your filter in case there is something that is in the water affecting him.
On a positive note my puffer pulled through after showing those symptoms, water qulity needs to be kept pristine though.