The Puffer Forum

Sorry, I missed the part about adding salt. Should teach me not to post from work.

ok, so did 50% water change last night...

mixed the salt in a small jug of very warm water until dissolved. (1 teaspoon per 10 litres- as advised by a marine specialist shop near me (?)) then added that to the bucket of conditioned water before adding all that to the tank.

unfortunately can see no sign of improvement in his colour or behaviour...

he still eats well (this surprises me) and his eye has cleared up, so he must be better than he was a week ago...

but he's still very dark grey..he also still swims up and down the corner of the tank relentlessly.

i will go home and do the process again tonight..




but is there a medication for internal parasites that anyone can recommend for the UK?

Do i follow the instructions or halve it as he's scaleless?

Should i soak his food in it, to get the medication into him... ?


If i keep doing the water changes, and do an internal parasite medication then i'm covering all angles.


sorry for continued questions... i hope you understand.

Pm Paul Fox on here, he supplies FLubenol which is good stuff for getting rid of internal parastites. Get enough for 4 weekly doses and if he has any parasites that should eradicate them all.

ok, will do.

i googled 'FLubenol' and after some searching found an ebay site that sells it...


and it's paul's site!

so thats good as i wasnt sure how to find him on here...

anyways, ordered 100 gallons worth.. so will maintain 50% daily water changes until i receive the medicine.. then follow instructions.

let's see if that helps!

I can't believe a marine specialist shop would advise you to mix the water like that. That's pretty irresponsible, IMO. You need a refractometer or hydrometer to measure the salinity. Guessing like that isn't good.

i know it's not great, but ive already spent so much money this last week trying to rectify a problem of being sold a figure 8 puffer as a freshwater community fish that i just have no more til the 28th.

I've bought him a tank of his own, bought melafix, bought loads of java fern, bought RO water + the salt... to try and help him get back to health. Ive just ordered the anti parasite meds and a master test kit so i can do ammonia levels...

I know i need a hydrometer, but i just don't have any more money til i get paid so i'm doing what i can in the mean time...


I was told one heaped teaspoon would give me absolutely fine brackish water around 1.005 until i could afford a hydrometer.

If you know this to be drastically wrong then could you help me by telling me a more appropriate measure... in teaspoons please, or grams....i dont know how much a cup is..


then come the 28th i'll go straight out and buy a hydrometer, promise!

A cup is 240 ml and a teaspoon is 5 ml, which means there are 48 teaspoons in a cup, if I've done my math correctly. Approximatey 1 cup of salt in 5 gallons of water makes 1.005. One gallon of water is about 3.8 liters. I can't do math any further than that, someone else is going to have to.

The problem is that these are approximate measurements and other things come in to play which can vary the measurements, such as the moisture content of the salt. Salt absorbs moisture from the air.

I'm not coming down on you for not having the proper information or materials, I'm coming down on the store for telling you that. What they should have told you, IMO, is if you can't afford to buy the test kits and hydrometer/refractometer now, bring them a sample of your water and they'll test it for you. Every store I've ever heard of will test the water for free, I've never heard of anyone saying no. Just tell them you need exact numbers, not that the water is "fine" or "good," etc.

Boxermom wrote: Approximatey 1 cup of salt in 5 gallons of water makes 1.005.

Mmmmm - I dunno about that - 1 cup of Instant Ocean in my ~ 12 gallon tub for water changes gives me ~ 1.005.

i know your not coming down on me, and i really appreciate all the help..

i'm just frustrated with the whole thing...
(i have been keeping oscars, turtes and other tropicals for years very successfully)

I'd never knowingly buy a wild fish as i don't like the idea.


Now ive got one by mistake im desperate to make it work so his life doesn't get cut short by human interference....

so i'm just trying to correct all the human mistakes/lies under which i was sold him..


and that's expensive. (sigh)


will get hydrometer and put it on credit card...

I just hope he makes it, else i've wasted over £100.....


big lesson learnt about trusting unfamiliar aquatics shops.


will let you all know how it's going, i'm off to do another water change. Yipee!


x

CoreyK wrote:

Boxermom wrote: Approximatey 1 cup of salt in 5 gallons of water makes 1.005.

Mmmmm - I dunno about that - 1 cup of Instant Ocean in my ~ 12 gallon tub for water changes gives me ~ 1.005.

Like I said, it can vary, sometimes quite a bit. That's why relying on an x per x measurement without a way of actually measuring the SG isn't a good idea. Even the same bucket size, same salt and same water can vary, as once the salt is exposed to air, it starts absorbing moisture, which can change the measurements. It should always be tested, imo.

All I know is I keep my 29g (with CC & decor) at 1.005, by adding 1 3/4 cups of salt to a 1/2 WC.

t1gerbee , You do not need RO water. Tap water is fine.

wow!

now i'm lost.


ok, need a hydrometer... can't get one til friday, or get the current water tested either (not allowed to leave work during the day and work long hours...)

i'll leave it as it is, as messing with the salt levels will surely do him more harm than good... and under doing the salt is got to be better than over doing it!

water change done for tonight, now for dinner and tv!

ok, did water change...


still no drastic change...

not getting worse though, doesn't sit on the floor, eats well...

still dark grey, and still paces.


walked into the room after dark, and istead of switching the overhead kitchen light on, i flicked a small side light on...


and what do you know, he was hanging round the front of the tank with a white belly!

as soon as i switched the normal kitchen light on, he scooted back to his pacing corner and went dark again... then began pacing...


i don't know what, if anything, this means.

will do 50% water change again tonight.. and keep the salt as i've been doing it, as I can't work out everyone's measurements.

It could be he's nocturnal.. does most of his hunting at night?

Right now you are doing the right thing, just keep mixing the salt the same to keep it stable and keep his water clean. Once you can get those test results, we'll know for sure if there's something wrong with the water.

A hydrometer is extremely cheap, just make sure you get one that reads all the way down to freshwater 1.000.