Labored Breathing
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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T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Re: Labored Breathing
You can generally get away with a 50% WC without dechlor. When you go to the store tomorrow, get Prime. Then you can do away with all those 1g containers around your house! If that Cycle bottle is unopened, see if you can return it, it's junk--dead bacteria in a bottle--more waste you don't need in your water.
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!"
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xrayjeeper83
- Mbu Puffer
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GSP named Bacon - Location (country): USA
- Location: Orange Park, FL
Re: Labored Breathing
If they have Prime, get it. It is the only thing you need to put in your tank after a water change
RTR wrote:Fahakas do not have tank mates, they may have swimming food reserves.
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signnet
- Figure 8 Puffer
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Re: Labored Breathing
I have a bottle of PRIME (White bottle red label) 2 drops for each gallon, so change 75% of the water, refill then add 20 drops and see if it helps?? The Prime doesn't work with the current water? Won't the change stress her out?
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signnet
- Figure 8 Puffer
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1 Orange Saddleback Fucca - Location (country): USA
- Location: Coral Springs, FL
Re: Labored Breathing
So, change 75% of water.....then add 20 drops of this Prime. Do I keep both airstones or just one or none
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Srkoe
- Fahaka Puffer
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1 mystery puffer (turgidus?)"Manson" - Location (country): United States
Re: Labored Breathing
You should get some Prime declorinator to put in the water when you do changes. When you add prime to water you can use the water immediately without have to store the water. Your fish are going to get big. 10 gallons is way to small. Definitely get LIQUID test kits, not dip test kits. Even with 50% partials per week your water parameters will probably be no good in a tank so small...puffers create A LOT of waste. You should try checking out craigslist fir a good used tank (or 2) get it cycled properly and get them moved over. With puffers you also need to over filter the tank...no such thing as toouch filtration with Puffers. I would also try to stay away from that store...they have been giving you poor advice. When it cones to puffers I have found fish stores give poor advice more often than good. Puffers have much different care requirements than other fish. Once you get use to it their care is simple. Puffers IMO are the greatest fish ever! Hope you will take the advice on here...most of these folks really know their stuff. Good luck, I'm glad you found us 
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
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Re: Labored Breathing
Airstones are never bad. If you did a 50% WC the other day, a 75% shouldn't hurt today. Add the Prime directly to the tank, before refilling with tap water. Try to match the temp as close as you can to the temp of the tank (just feel).
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!"
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Srkoe
- Fahaka Puffer
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2 Congo "P-Nut"&"Bevo"
1 mystery puffer (turgidus?)"Manson" - Location (country): United States
Re: Labored Breathing
I should quit writing novels...lol!
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signnet
- Figure 8 Puffer
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1 Orange Saddleback Fucca - Location (country): USA
- Location: Coral Springs, FL
Re: Labored Breathing
So don't use the water I have in the gallon jugs????? Also what about Aquarium salt, will I need to put some in again
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Srkoe
- Fahaka Puffer
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1 Honeycomb Toby "Ashera"
2 Congo "P-Nut"&"Bevo"
1 mystery puffer (turgidus?)"Manson" - Location (country): United States
Re: Labored Breathing
Aquarium salt is no good. You need marine salt to make brackish water.
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Srkoe
- Fahaka Puffer
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2 GSP "Wally"&"Marty"
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2 Figure 8 "Fugu"&"Gizzard"
1 Honeycomb Toby "Ashera"
2 Congo "P-Nut"&"Bevo"
1 mystery puffer (turgidus?)"Manson" - Location (country): United States
Re: Labored Breathing
I'd say right now just change the water with Prime.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32980
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
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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: Labored Breathing
The water in the jugs are OK but probably not the right temp & totally unnecessary, if you're using Prime. Aquarium salt is the wrong kind of salt & useless in the case of brackish fish.
After that WC, start reading ALL those links I gave you!
After that WC, start reading ALL those links I gave you!
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!"
-
signnet
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 159
- Joined: Sun May 22, 2011 11:35 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 GSP's
1 Orange Saddleback Fucca - Location (country): USA
- Location: Coral Springs, FL
Re: Labored Breathing
Ok, so I got this right, change the water 75%, airstones ok, change the filter that is in there now, add PRIME that I have here, 20 drops before adding water, water in jugs is warm like waer in tank. Tomorrow get test kit and Marine salt from Fish store, not pet store. How much marine salt and what is it put in or just sprinkle on rocks?
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32980
- 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: Labored Breathing
Add a hydrometer to that list.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19348
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19348
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!"
-
Srkoe
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 770
- Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2011 2:46 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 1 Fahaka "Ares"
2 GSP "Wally"&"Marty"
6 Dwarfs "the peas"
2 Figure 8 "Fugu"&"Gizzard"
1 Honeycomb Toby "Ashera"
2 Congo "P-Nut"&"Bevo"
1 mystery puffer (turgidus?)"Manson" - Location (country): United States
Re: Labored Breathing
You will need buckets, a powerhead and a hydrometer to measure salinity. You'll have to mix water to .002 sg to begin with only raising salinity .002 per week as to not kill the beneficial bacteria.
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Srkoe
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 770
- Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2011 2:46 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 1 Fahaka "Ares"
2 GSP "Wally"&"Marty"
6 Dwarfs "the peas"
2 Figure 8 "Fugu"&"Gizzard"
1 Honeycomb Toby "Ashera"
2 Congo "P-Nut"&"Bevo"
1 mystery puffer (turgidus?)"Manson" - Location (country): United States
Re: Labored Breathing
Salt and water should be mixed in bucket overnight with the powerhead to be sure the salt is fully dissolved. If it is not all dissolved the hydrometer will not measure right.