Red-Spot Puffer... advice please

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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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diverchic
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please

Post by diverchic »

the LFS said that the kit I got covered everything so I figured ammonia would show under cl2... chemistry is not my strong suit. Will get a test for ammonia asap

use BacterLife and water conditioners whenever adding water or doing changes... also added some BacterLife the day before the puffer went in the tank.

Am not a happy bunny about this as I had previously read the cycling article so I'd be able to have the tank ready :(

I'll be putting pics in gallery tonight as well.
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LilGreenPuffer
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please

Post by LilGreenPuffer »

BacterLife is supposed to have live bacteria, right? That's not going to help you at all. Only Tetra SafeStart and BioSpira have live bacteria. If you see Dr. Tim's, that works too, but it got bought out and is now Tetra SafeStart. (BioSpira is SW, so don't use that. :) ) BacterLife will be full of dead bacteria, which is rotting and therefore producing ammonia.

You don't need to add live bacteria with each water change, though. Once your tank is cycled properly, a water change won't have any effect at all. The bacteria actually lives in the filter and substrate and on the decorations, not in the water. This is why big water changes don't hurt fish, contrary to popular opinion.

Get ahold of some Tetra SafeStart when you go for the ammonia test. It just might save your fish's life.

We look forward to pictures. :)
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."

Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi

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diverchic
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please

Post by diverchic »

hmmmm... bacterlife says specifically that it does not contribute to ammonia load, etc. Grrr!

Okay, Safe Start is on list to get as well.

I normally add as have been using the juwel filters that need changing every week (the white ones) and want to make sure they're rebacterialising okay so add a bit with the treated water.

Feeling very stupid now... :-(

Hopefully it'll be better tomorrow after Afe Start has been added.
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LilGreenPuffer
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please

Post by LilGreenPuffer »

redspotowner wrote: Feeling very stupid now... :-(
That's okay. You're not stupid; you're a newbie. There's a big difference. We were all new at this once.
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."

Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi

Image

Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!

I AM A DUDETTE!

NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
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diverchic
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please

Post by diverchic »

THANK YOU... I'm just hoping that the puffer doesn't pay the price for our ignorance :(

Here are the pics of the puffer...
Day it arrived
Image

Day it arrived
Image

Tonight
Image

Tonight (showing it's little post mussel pooch)
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LilGreenPuffer
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RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond.
Location (country): United States
Location: Kentucky

Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please

Post by LilGreenPuffer »

Awww! He's smiling!
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."

Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi

Image

Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!

I AM A DUDETTE!

NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
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recombinantrider
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please

Post by recombinantrider »

What a great-looking puffer! I think you should enter him/her to the puffer of the month competition!
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LilGreenPuffer
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Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:26 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Dwarf puffer - Thumbelina (only mine in my heart now; she lives in CT with my friend)

RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond.
Location (country): United States
Location: Kentucky

Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please

Post by LilGreenPuffer »

Yes, the second one! They still need pictures.
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."

Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi

Image

Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!

I AM A DUDETTE!

NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
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Lil' Swimz$
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please

Post by Lil' Swimz$ »

Definately the 2nd from the top. Redspotowner, I'm still learning the ropes hear. I've already made a fool of myself giving wrong advice!!
Ha ha, he he! DAncE whEn yoU're HAPpppy! He he he! DAnce, danCE, DANCe!
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please

Post by Pufferpunk »

Ah, did some research and it goes ammonia - nitrites- nitrates
Actually, nitrite & nitrate are not plural words. It would be the same as saying ammonias. Common mistake.
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!"
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please

Post by diverchic »

LOL... it seemed a bit perkier this morning... following (attacking) my finger when I moved it along the tank and ate some prawn... still not really happy to leave that corner though so I'm starting to think it's being a bit scared and hiding away as that's the darkest and most covered area right now. Will be getting plants for the tank this week (will see if bf can get them and an ammonia test today) so it will have more cover and hopefully feel more secure.

Feeling bad that I've started off wrong but hopeful that all will be okay and it will be a happy and healthy puffer!

Thanks again for your advice and assistance (and patience with a noob!)
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please

Post by Pufferpunk »

Yes, they love lots of cover. Get tall plants that drape over the top of your tank. It may be a little dark in there but he likes that.
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!"
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diverchic
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please

Post by diverchic »

Planning on getting quite a few tall silk plants mixing them with different height ones so that there are swim-throughs and places to hide so that it's not just looking like a wall of silk plants LOL

Hopefully all is okay until the weekend when I can get them as bf can't go during the week and I'm stuck in the office and can't leave.
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please

Post by Lil' Swimz$ »

Good idea. I rearrange all my decor when I do a water change to give them something to explore.
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diverchic
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please

Post by diverchic »

So... what do you do to stop from getting nipped while moving things (ie planting the real plants the bf is now going to get tomorrow)? LOL
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