hi
ive got a fahaka puffer hes 12" and i ve had him 2 months. the tank is cycled water parameters:
nirite+nitrate 0
ph 7.1
ammonia 0
water changes are now once a week unless tank gets messy,
tank size.. 4ftx2x2
lots of plants for him to hide and he has a always had an appetite.
well until this week when i was away! my boyfriend was looking after him and said that he was cleaning out another tank when something scared Bruce (puffer). he tore up all his plants and started jumping to the tank lid trying to get out....
when i got back the next day he had cut his top+bottom lip which now looks like a small blister so im treating with melafix.
hes eating only one cockle a day and will only half pop his head out to see to me, hes not happy and gone dark,
what do you think scared him and what shall i do, ...i ve turned off his lights...
will he eventually calm down??
im so worried about him!
sad fahaka...help please!!
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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danni pearce
- Puffer Fry
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Boxermom
- Former Staff Member
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- Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
There's no way for us to know what scared him unfortunately. Whatever it was scared him pretty badly though. Best thing IMO is to treat his wound and leave him alone for a few days other than required care such as feeding. Stay away from the tank as much as possible to let him calm down.
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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danni pearce
- Puffer Fry
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Boxermom
- Former Staff Member
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In My Opinion.
I'd venture a guess that your boyfriend did something that scared him then if he's reacting in that way to him. Probably not intentional.
When I came home two days ago from work, my fahaka was acting very skittish and scared. Usually he comes to the front glass to see me and beg for food, and follows me as I walk the length of his tank to get to the bedroom and back. Thursday though, he fled whenever anyone came near the tank. The only one home was my older son. I have no idea what he did that scared Linus so badly but he must have done something. Yesterday, Linus was better, especially after I brought him a bunch of snails to eat, and today he's back to normal. But for a bit there, all he did was hide whenever anyone came by.
I'd venture a guess that your boyfriend did something that scared him then if he's reacting in that way to him. Probably not intentional.
When I came home two days ago from work, my fahaka was acting very skittish and scared. Usually he comes to the front glass to see me and beg for food, and follows me as I walk the length of his tank to get to the bedroom and back. Thursday though, he fled whenever anyone came near the tank. The only one home was my older son. I have no idea what he did that scared Linus so badly but he must have done something. Yesterday, Linus was better, especially after I brought him a bunch of snails to eat, and today he's back to normal. But for a bit there, all he did was hide whenever anyone came by.
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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burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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My husband was watching my fish for me recently & reached into a puffer's tank to fix a filter. I have done this counless times. As soon as his hand went in there, the puffer rushed over & bit him. I'd say, your boyfriend's presence scared him. Maybe let your BF feed him for a while.
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!"
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OraLacerta
- Former Staff Member
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- Location: USA
They are very intelligent fish so I suppose it shouldn't surprise me how well they can tell two people apart.
Definitely do what PP said; if you plan on having your boyfriend around to take care of the tanks when you are gone, you need to get the puffer to associate seeing him with positive things. Maybe have your boyfriend, whenever he comes over, feed the fahaka his favorite treat. If the puff is too terrified to come out and eat when your b/f is there, maybe start out with feeding the puffer when your boyfriend is sitting somewhere in the room, and each time have him sit closer to the tank until the puff is comfortable enough to be fed by him.
Hopefully your boyfriend likes fish, otherwise he might think all this puffer psychology is a bit loopy.
Definitely do what PP said; if you plan on having your boyfriend around to take care of the tanks when you are gone, you need to get the puffer to associate seeing him with positive things. Maybe have your boyfriend, whenever he comes over, feed the fahaka his favorite treat. If the puff is too terrified to come out and eat when your b/f is there, maybe start out with feeding the puffer when your boyfriend is sitting somewhere in the room, and each time have him sit closer to the tank until the puff is comfortable enough to be fed by him.
Hopefully your boyfriend likes fish, otherwise he might think all this puffer psychology is a bit loopy.
-Michelle
Prevent unnecessary deaths due to disease- quarantine ALL new additions at least 4 weeks in a separate tank before adding to your main display tank!
Puffers: Hindenburg the Figure Eight, 75gallon Brackish
Prevent unnecessary deaths due to disease- quarantine ALL new additions at least 4 weeks in a separate tank before adding to your main display tank!
Puffers: Hindenburg the Figure Eight, 75gallon Brackish
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danni pearce
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