I'm sure my puffer is dieing
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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Pufferpunk
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burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Re: I'm sure my puffer is dieing
We'll talk more about the condition of your water tomorrow. 1st thing, go get test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate & a hydrometer that starts at 1.000. Also if you can find Bio-spira, get it. Do not let them sell you any other product. Also get Prime to dechlorinate & neutrilize toxins in the water. All the above are musts to keeping a healthy puffer.
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!"
Re: I'm sure my puffer is dieing
HE MADE IT THRU THE NIGHT! yay! I have to work today, but my boyfriend will be here and he is going to go out and get the stuff needed. We noticed a ring on his belly, its black. He likes to bounce right now up and down, so I don't know how long he is going to make it. He will be able to tell anything that is needed. Thank you for your help.
Jenni
Jenni
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
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T miurus
A modestus
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C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: I'm sure my puffer is dieing
Do another 50% water change now. Then get the Bio-Spira & add it directly to the filter. DO NOT LET THE SHOP TALK YOU INTO ANYTHING ELSE! If you can't find it there, look around for a shop that carries it or buy nothing. Be sure to get those test kits.
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!"
Re: I'm sure my puffer is dieing
Sounds like ammonia/nitrite poisoning due to an uncycled tank.
Pufferpunk's taking good care of you.
Definitely get a hold of some Bio-Spira - until then all you can do is frequent water changes to lower the toxicity of the water until the bacteria establishes itself.
Adding Prime in sufficient doses is also great advice.
I'm sure she will talk to you about getting a larger tank for Dragon once you get the water conditions under control.
Good luck!
Pufferpunk's taking good care of you.
Definitely get a hold of some Bio-Spira - until then all you can do is frequent water changes to lower the toxicity of the water until the bacteria establishes itself.
Adding Prime in sufficient doses is also great advice.
I'm sure she will talk to you about getting a larger tank for Dragon once you get the water conditions under control.
Good luck!
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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:
Re: I'm sure my puffer is dieing
You read my mind!I'm sure she will talk to you about getting a larger tank for Dragon once you get the water conditions under control.
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!"
Re: I'm sure my puffer is dieing
Hey, I couldn't find any bio-spira, the store that I knew sold it was out and most other places around here don't sell it. I found out about other fish stores in my area and am going to check them out. Also, I couldn't find the prime dechlorinator, but I did get something called DeCHLOR. Will that work? I've got a hydrometer, and ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite tester. Their results are as followed:
Ammonia~ .25 mg/L (safe)
Nitrite~ 3.0 mg/L (stress)
Nitrate~ 20 mg/L (ok)
hydrometer~ 1.009 Specific gravity, 13 ppt salinity (both below recomended amount on package)
Also, I was wondering if another water change would help considering that we changed all of the water and hot rinsed the tank last night to sterilize it.
Ammonia~ .25 mg/L (safe)
Nitrite~ 3.0 mg/L (stress)
Nitrate~ 20 mg/L (ok)
hydrometer~ 1.009 Specific gravity, 13 ppt salinity (both below recomended amount on package)
Also, I was wondering if another water change would help considering that we changed all of the water and hot rinsed the tank last night to sterilize 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:
Re: I'm sure my puffer is dieing
NO amount of ammonia is safe for a puffer. Dechlor will only dechlorinate the water. Does not detoxify ammonia/nitrites, which must be kept 0 at all times. Keep looking for Prime & Bio-Spira. Forget about salt for now. Do an 80% WC.
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!"
Re: I'm sure my puffer is dieing
I looked all over for prime and bio-spira and couldn't find either. Even though you said Bio-spira or nothing, I purchased a product called cycle. It has the bacteria in it to help take out nitrites and nitrates. Should I try it since no one seems to have Bio-spira around here. I'm getting more and more worried about dragon.
Re: I'm sure my puffer is dieing
What type of water is best to do the water change with: distilled, purified, or tap? Just to make the water change most effective...
Also, the cycle stuff decreases ammonia levels too.
Also, the cycle stuff decreases ammonia levels too.
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Boxermom
- Former Staff Member
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Re: I'm sure my puffer is dieing
Cycle doesn't do anything but add dead bacteria, adding to the current bioload and making things worse. Do NOT use it. Tap water is best, with a declorinator.
Where are you located?
Where are you located?
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
Re: I'm sure my puffer is dieing
Mt. Pleasant, MI
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Boxermom
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 2182
- Joined: Sun Mar 12, 2006 8:34 pm
- Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: I'm sure my puffer is dieing
If you cannot find them locally, you can order both Biospira and Prime from http://www.drsfostersmith.com for overnight delivery.
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
Re: I'm sure my puffer is dieing
Water change complete. What temperature should the water be?
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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:
Re: I'm sure my puffer is dieing
78-80.
I told ya not to use anything else.
Please trust me on this--I've been doing this a long time (30 years). Cycle just contains dead bacteria, so in your tank, with no means of disposing of the fish's waste (uncycled tank), you'd just add more waste to the already taxed system.
Until you can add the B-S, your best bet is water changes--lots of big ones, to remove the toxic waste from the water.
How's the fish responding after the water changes?
I told ya not to use anything else.
Please trust me on this--I've been doing this a long time (30 years). Cycle just contains dead bacteria, so in your tank, with no means of disposing of the fish's waste (uncycled tank), you'd just add more waste to the already taxed system. Until you can add the B-S, your best bet is water changes--lots of big ones, to remove the toxic waste from the water.
How's the fish responding after the water changes?
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!"
Re: I'm sure my puffer is dieing
His condition hasn't changed. He will swim around for a couple seconds when adding new water, but then he nose dives for the floor and stays there with his face in the pebbles till he decides to move again. Don't worry, I didn't add the other stuff.