Hi
We have a young 4" mbu in a large tank with external filtration and for the last few days the puffer has dug himself into the substrate until just his eyes are visible. He doesn't have any appetite and his eyes have gone all cloudy.
We have taken the water to our LFS for them to check all the parameters and they all seem to be fine, so am at a loss what to do. The LFS said it may be a bacterial infection but I want to check with you guys before I start dosing him with anything.
Please help!
Mbu digger!
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.
Firstly welcome and don't panic.
Burying in sand is very normal for puffers especially younger ones.
Have you got the actual readings from the LFS?
First tip is to buy a decent water test kit.
Can you give us any more info - like how long have you had him, what are you feeding, how long and how did you cycle the tank.Are there any other fish in the tank.How big is the tank?
Burying in sand is very normal for puffers especially younger ones.
Have you got the actual readings from the LFS?
First tip is to buy a decent water test kit.
Can you give us any more info - like how long have you had him, what are you feeding, how long and how did you cycle the tank.Are there any other fish in the tank.How big is the tank?
Some call it a product of a mis-spent youth, I call it Rock n Roll ! 
-
jilly watkins
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2005 5:44 am
Hi Rocker,
we have had him approximately a week now. the ammonia is zero,
No3 very close to zero, NO2 is zero, GH is 10, KH is 5, PH is 7.2.
they said this is a good reading. We cycled the tank for about 12 months
using other fish, the tank being 4 ft. We have fed him cockles in shell and a few without shells for the first few days he had a great appetite but noe ignores the food and buries himself. His eyes are cloudy which they were not when we bought him. Don't know what else to put. Any help gratefully received
we have had him approximately a week now. the ammonia is zero,
No3 very close to zero, NO2 is zero, GH is 10, KH is 5, PH is 7.2.
they said this is a good reading. We cycled the tank for about 12 months
using other fish, the tank being 4 ft. We have fed him cockles in shell and a few without shells for the first few days he had a great appetite but noe ignores the food and buries himself. His eyes are cloudy which they were not when we bought him. Don't know what else to put. Any help gratefully received
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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:
-
jilly watkins
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2005 5:44 am
Hi
We got the LFS to check the water before we put puff in the tank. I have got a test kit and have checked the water today. All OK as before. I remove all the food after 5-10 mins so that it doesn't foul the water.
My LFS has told me to use Myxazin but if Melafix is better I'll get some of that. Does Myxazin do the same as melafix?
Thanks
We got the LFS to check the water before we put puff in the tank. I have got a test kit and have checked the water today. All OK as before. I remove all the food after 5-10 mins so that it doesn't foul the water.
My LFS has told me to use Myxazin but if Melafix is better I'll get some of that. Does Myxazin do the same as melafix?
Thanks
-
Feathers&Fins
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 201
- Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 5:42 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Pufferless since Nova passed; had 2 red T.miuris, 4 T.biocellatus for many years.
- Location (country): KY (USA)
- Location: (US) Kentucky
Its always better to stick to more 'natural' remedies. Mealfix and another product called Pimafix are natural (ish) and puffer safe!!
<80 gal> 2 GSPs & a Ceylon!
<75 gal> 3 Figure 8s & 1 Butterlfy Goby
<75 gal> *Empty*
<55 gal> 3 Gymnothorax polyuranodon (FW eel)
<30 long> Pair of Lorteti's & Irrubesco's, 1 DP, Endlers Livebearers, Clown Pleco, Royal Pleco, 2 Bumblebee Cats
<20 long> 4 Flounders
<4 gal> 2 Sparkling Gouramis & 3 ottos heavily planted
~Tihsho~
<75 gal> 3 Figure 8s & 1 Butterlfy Goby
<75 gal> *Empty*
<55 gal> 3 Gymnothorax polyuranodon (FW eel)
<30 long> Pair of Lorteti's & Irrubesco's, 1 DP, Endlers Livebearers, Clown Pleco, Royal Pleco, 2 Bumblebee Cats
<20 long> 4 Flounders
<4 gal> 2 Sparkling Gouramis & 3 ottos heavily planted
~Tihsho~