The Puffer Forum

ya id say that if your fish is 4 years old and only 6-7 inchs that the water quality was bad and cause stunting and who knows what else.

Hope he makes it through

In the video it looks as if the eyes have started to cloud over.

If he is in the main 120 tank, you might want to start doing smaller multi partials daily. Say about 15~20% once in the morning and once in the evening. That would just be a precaution.

I am just wondering what caused you to have "Nitrate - 0"? Did you or someone forget the prime once?

Yeah, the 0 nitrate is a bit difficult to believe, but maybe he just did a WC & it is a 6" fish in a 120g.

Thanks for serving our country though! Sorry the puffer has to suffer for it.

I tested the Nitrate using the test kit? The guidelines above my topic say to provide these. I don't think I've ever knowingly forgot applying Prime. When I noticed him not eating, I applied more Prime just as a precaution.

I will do a small water change tomorrow in the main tank.

I almost just want to euthanize him to put him out of his misery, but I want to give him a chance to live as well. I don't know if he is suffering. It doesn't appear he is, but it is hard to tell with fish.

hello, I just nearly felt sick when I saw that video! Why have you put in a quarantine tank that is so small and uncycled?. I had a Fahaka for a year and grew him from 2" to 9 " without him being sick once!, this was down good water quality. You cant just a put a fish in a tank that uncycled. Your fish will DIE in that 2.5Gallon / 10 Gallon Tank.

Put him back in his main tank straight away, do you have test kits for Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate? If you do what are the readings if not, when you put him in the main tank do a 50% water change right away.

Judging from the youtube video I would say he is on his way out! is he still swimming like that now
(on his side)?

After you put him back in the main tank, make a new video of him and post it here for me to see!

If you dont action all of the above your fish will die very soon (Going by what I have seen in the video).

Maybe you could give us some more HONEST details about your main tank: Like equipment and stuff???

BW, the puffer is back in the main tank, and this is an unfortunate situation, but he has been honest...

Parameters posted above.

What kind of test kits are you using? Did you just do a WC before testing?

Thats a beautiful Fahaka. I really hope he pulls through. Start getting him on a proper diet and a regular WC schedule and that will help his recovery.

The way he was swimming in that video suggests to me he has been poisoned some how ?

But what about the lump in his belly? Can't be food...

hmmm I'd be more worried about the the way he was swimming, lump could be something sinister too tho...?

He's swimming crooked, because there's air in the lump.

I can try burping him again tonite. I did a water change in the tank about 3-4 days ago.

Tank is a 120 gallon - 4x2x2

Wet/Dry setup with an overflow box on top. Mag Drive pump.

Gravel covering entire bottom. Some rocks setup to give him security.

His natural position at this point is upside down. After attempting to burp him last night, His stomach got bigger. I thought that was rather strange. I really don't know how hard to push his stomach... I am wearing gloves.

He has not eaten in 2 weeks or more at this point.

My gut instinct tells me this batch of clams had something in it that has wreaked havoc. Please keep in mind that I had a Turgidus puffer kick the bucket 2 weeks ago. I believe they are linked, and not in water quality either. Nothing new was added to either.

When you burp him make sure his mouth is pointing upwards to allow the air to escape, but what I dont get is if it was air why would the bump get bigger? It is ok to touch your fahaka with your bare hands I used to stroke mine all the time on his belly . You could try treating him with Melafix for any possible bacterial infection.

In that video it looks like his eye is puffy? It could be a Swim Bladder Infection which would explain his inability to stay up right or stop him self from floating upwards, As His Buoyancy looks all over the place .....?

p.s. how did your Turgidus die, in the same way?

I was doing as your guys' guide indicated. It was kind of difficult because he kept trying to surface when I'd finally get him in the right position. His head needs to be underwater for this to work correctly, right? How tough should I fight trying to get the air bubble out?

So I tried this for about 5 minutes last night, it didn't appear like it was getting better. So I let him out of the net. He went to the bottom..Laying on his back. His stomach inflated a bit..actual puffing? Unsure. This morning it was back to the usual small lump. Still laying on his back.

His buoyancy is definitely jacked up -- it was the first sign that it was going from food strike to bad. He began wobbling, then it went to laying on back.

My plan tonight is to change about 1/4 of the water and go for a Melafix dosing on the main tank. If he had a swim bladder disorder/infection, I should not be pushing on that "air bubble" -- should I?