The Puffer Forum

LilGreenPuffer wrote:

Bogwoodbruce wrote:

LilGreenPuffer wrote:Bruce, I think you're the only one here who doesn't dechlorinate your tap water. Also, there's nothing wrong with a 90% w/c, as only 10% of the nitrifying bacteria lives in the water, while 90% is in the substrate and clinging to the decor. Puffertt77 has removed about 8-9% of his biological filter, and an established tank has about 2x the bacteria that it *needs* to get by.

And does lying on his side and not moving for two days sound like an "off day" to you?

Not just the fact of clorine but tempreture, dont forget about temp shock, that can kill fish on its own!

Well, if you match the temperature, it's not a problem. As for the rest, never mind. Peace?

Yepp cool Just what ive grown up doing and it works for me and lot of people

Bogwoodbruce wrote:

LilGreenPuffer wrote:Bruce, I think you're the only one here who doesn't dechlorinate your tap water. Also, there's nothing wrong with a 90% w/c, as only 10% of the nitrifying bacteria lives in the water, while 90% is in the substrate and clinging to the decor. Puffertt77 has removed about 8-9% of his biological filter, and an established tank has about 2x the bacteria that it *needs* to get by.

And does lying on his side and not moving for two days sound like an "off day" to you?

Not just the fact of clorine but tempreture, dont forget about temp shock, that can kill fish on its own! I would never do a 90% or recommend it, i wouldnt want to do more than a 50% at once. Its better to do it over a period of a few days. I mean dont forget nitrates lock themselves into decor, substrate, ornaments everything, so doing a large waterchange will help yes but it will still just leech back out better to do say 3x25% over 3 days somthing like that. And just becuase i dont decloinate doesnt make me a bad fishkeeper, ive never done it although i did use a declorinator unit similar to R.O. We dont at work, my college who went to sparsholt and came out with the highest grade and my boss whos been doing it for 40yrs and a arge portion of our customer base doesnt either doesnt make me a bad fishkeeper.

Although like i said if i do over 50% i declorinate then but using the shower head feature in your hosepipe helps as it agiates the water and helps get rid of clorine as its a gas

Hey Bogwoodbruce, thanks for replying

To be honest I've never known anyone not to add something to their water to de-clorinate it when putting freshwater into their tank, I've always done it since I was a kid. But if it's worked for you and you've lost no fish I guess it'syour choice but I think I'll continue adding Tetra Aqua Safe. As LilGreenPuffer mentioned I always get the water I'm adding to the same temp as the tank water before adding it.

I don't think his having a bad couple of days as he would never let me pick him up and move him around plus it's totally out of charactor for him to be this way.

He doesn't really seem better at all, at times he'll be just sitting there with his fins folded over his back, and then at other times he'll look a little better and have more eye movement and his side fins will be flapping. I was going to feed him but thought it's better not to as that may create ammoinia/nitrate in such a small container if he doesn't eat it.

Thanks for reminding me to change the water Dadof4, I'll be honest that had totally slipped my mind. I would've hated to wake up tomorrow and that to have finished him off!

I guess he's gona just have to ride it out, I'll keep changing his water and keep an eye on him and let you know how he's doing

Again thanks for everyones suggestions

It won't hurt to get some vitamins in him if you can. As far as doing water changes, there is nothing wrong with changing a large percentage as long as you can match the waters temperature and add whatever necessary additives you have to. I do it with several of my tanks here and have never come across a problem. Several discus breeders change 90% weekly religiously.

[quote="Dadof4"]Can you get a close up of the line? Does it look like it's a parasite, a string coming from him?quote]
Sorry I forgot to answer this before

These are the best pix I can get at the moment

There's no string, fluff, furr etc and I cannot see a parasite. It's actuall gone down a bit and it's now hard to see

I just changed his water and I noticed that he's already very skinny and it makes his hwad look quite big for his body he's that skinny! A couple of weeks back he had what I thought was internal parasites as he was very skinny and was constantly on the hunt for food and looked frantic/desperate to get food (he was going for fish that got in his way, which is not like him). He sppent a weeek in the hospital tank and I treated him with a dewormer that's actually for Discus. After that week he was putting on weight and keeping it on, not just on his little fat round belly but his whole body. He was looking so well before he had this funny turn

The only other thing I've added to his tank are river shrimp and I've had them for a week and they've all looked fine (although they all died last night as I gave their air stone to Bollo). There's a couple that have managed not to be eaten in the main tank

I just had a look at Bollo and he turned his eye to look back at me, he seems to be breathing ok since I just changed his water

Is it possible that whatever's hurting Bollo killed the shrimp, not the lack of the airstone?

LilGreenPuffer wrote:Is it possible that whatever's hurting Bollo killed the shrimp, not the lack of the airstone?

I don't think so, they were alive and well when I when I fed a few to my frogfish. It was only after I took the airstone out that they died

Bollo is still breathing but also still just laying there, is it possible for IP to eat all the puffer's food inside them to the point that they starve?

I wonder if he's weak from starvation

saying that though they can go for weeks without feeding can't they

I think that's possible. The worst part is when they eat the intestinal walls... then there's no coming back. But I doubt that that's happened already.

Hey guys, if it was something in the water, his mbu would be affected as well.

Well, I'm stumped.

LilGreenPuffer wrote:The worst part is when they eat the intestinal walls... then there's no coming back. But I doubt that that's happened already.

You say that but he is getting skinnier!

his stomach has actually started sinking inward like an upside down U, I think this maybe what it is

Maybe I should've carried on treating him for IP long after he was looking better/fatter, the thing is I over treated the tank he was in, it said on the packet that one treatment to the water would last for 7 days. I treated the water every day and soaked his food in it. He's been fine for about a week though that's the thing

I just treid to feed him some blood worm and they all fell down ontop of him and he never bothered getting out of the way of it or eat it. I then syphoned it all out and replaced his water again. I've put his container back into the main tank so that it stays the same temp, I've also turned the lights off for the night so hopefully I will wake up to a happy Bollo.

Again he started swimming against the side of the container again for a bit

Try contacting edlmfc1 about force-feeding. She did this for Annabelle's IPs, and it worked! Also, try epsom salts, to help him pass the worms - you say you haven't seen the worms coming out? I think the dose is 1tsp/10g, but double-check that.

I'm going for the IPs. It may be too late for him.
You said he was sick earlier in the month. Did you do the full course of treatment? Now you may have to treat your whole tank.

Christemo wrote:I'm going for the IPs. It may be too late for him.
You said he was sick earlier in the month. Did you do the full course of treatment? Now you may have to treat your whole tank.

Yeah as I said above I over treated his tank for a week, it was suppose to have one dose for the full 7 day treatment but I treated the tank every day for 7 days. I also treated the main tank at the time

I also think it's IP and I think he's at the stage where he won't accept food

I just put some bloodworm in there for him and he's more intrested in getting out of the container, I'm not going to let him out though as I want to be able to keep an eye on him. He's just swimming against the side of the container again. He's a lot more lively than he was which is a plus

As for force feeding him I have a plastic suringe but I think it's to big for his mouth as he's only 1.5/2inches max. I'll look into that salt you mentioned LGP

LittleGreenPuffer Can you buy epsom salts at the chemidst/pharmacy?

Do I treat the container and leave him in it or do I have to keep changing the water after I've done it, The reason i ask is because I've only found instructions on putting it in ther bath?!

I don't know that I'd use any Epsom salts at this point, as he'll probably expel the worms fine without it and it would be added stress to the already hurting fish. If you do decide to treat him with the salts, the dose is normally 1 tablespoon for each 5 gallons - or at least, that's what I've used effectively in the past. And yes, you can get it at any pharmacy or at Walmart. You would let him stay in the salt-treated water for a day to two days, then do a water change.

Not eating for a few days after deworming is normal.

Don't panic yet, puffertt77. Just give it another day or two.