sick arrow head
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.
sick arrow head
so my puffer has stopped eating about a week ago ( he will only eat fiddler crabs and once a week i give him a feeder as a treat ) a few days ago i noticed he wasn't acting like himself he was breathing heavy and acting erratic. today i found him laying on his back on the bottom of the tank twice i flipped him over and he started swimming again. he seems to get burst of energy off and on threw out the day. today i decided to put in 2 fiddler crabs and 2 gold fish to see if they would have any symptoms. both crabs have died and so did one gold fish the other gold fish is swimming in circles and has white spots all over him. i have know idea how to treat this because i have know idea what is causing it. although i am pretty sure it started with the feeders i put in last week due to the fact my roommate's snapping turtle ate from the same batch and sense then will not eat fish and is biting himself and also has white fungus growing on him. any ideas would be greatly appreciate i really don't wanna loose this guy. thanks
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kass
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 473
- Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2006 5:14 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): Canada
- Location: Guelph, Canada
Well.. I would start by doing a large water change.
What are your water parameters?
I would not put any more feeders in his tank, unless they have been quarentined for some time, same goes with the crabs. Feeders are usually not kept in the best conditions and often carry disease.
The white spots on the goldfish is most likely ich. Do a search here how to treat for it, because your puffer probably caught it from the feeders. Basically you need to raise the temp and add 1 tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons. Theres a sticky in the hospital section on this.
As for the fungus, a picture might help identifying it. But pimafix might help with it.
What are your water parameters?
I would not put any more feeders in his tank, unless they have been quarentined for some time, same goes with the crabs. Feeders are usually not kept in the best conditions and often carry disease.
The white spots on the goldfish is most likely ich. Do a search here how to treat for it, because your puffer probably caught it from the feeders. Basically you need to raise the temp and add 1 tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons. Theres a sticky in the hospital section on this.
As for the fungus, a picture might help identifying it. But pimafix might help with it.
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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:
the pH is at 6.5 0 nitrate 0 ammonia. i have had him for about 2 month's and i cycled the tank for 3 weeks ahead of time with gold fish in it. i did a 50% water change last night raised the temp and started with the salt. i still cant get him to eat i have been trying to get him to eat frozen shrimp all day. i tied it to a string and bounced in front of him and he wont budge. any ideas on how to get him to eat ? he hasn't taking food in over a week now and I'm concerned he is gonna starve himself. also i know i do the salt water treatment for a month but how often do i add the salt ? is it daily or every other day or ????
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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:
What's the salt for? It will take a while for your fish to recognize that the shrimp is food--be patient. What are the nitrites? When's the last time you did a water change (other than last night)?
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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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:
Probably caought the ich from the goldfish. A tank can't cycle in 3 weeks. I am wondering why there are no nitrates, if the tank is cycled. Your pH is extremly acidic. What is the pH of your tap water?
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!"