Flutter...Still not recovering
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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That's why whenever I need something I don't shop around. I go sraight to BA's. The only reason I've gone to Drs F&S is for their salt deals. Then I buy other stuff to go along w/the shipping. They also sell my grooming supplies.
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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The Fisherman
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Well, the warranty info I read you is from the instructiosn that came with the heater. I think i'll try e-mailing pet solutions and see what happens, but I won't hold my breath.
yeah, the 10$ is for shipping. kinda dumb...since the heater itself I bought for 20$. (it was on sale, nomrally its 25$ i think)
i'll probably order a Hydor. I have always been impressed with their heaters.
yeah, the 10$ is for shipping. kinda dumb...since the heater itself I bought for 20$. (it was on sale, nomrally its 25$ i think)
i'll probably order a Hydor. I have always been impressed with their heaters.
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Pufferpunk
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The Fisherman
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I think it was called Via-Aqua.Pufferpunk wrote:Who makes the heater?
I'll try emailing them Myaj.
On another note, I do beleive I have solved the Flutter Saga. ( I ought to right an article/story about this lol)
Today I recieved my "trial issue" of TFH, which happend to be July 2005. Kinda old, but I read it almost cover-to-cover none the less. There also happend to be this article on Cichlid diseases. One part explained internal parasites.
I am 99% sure Flutter has all along had spironucleus (I forget the last part). I was reading through the symptoms, and it fit PERFECTLY. It said apetite changes, and they cant digest food. Feces look white and jellylike, which im not sure about. The biggest one was: The small pores along the lateral line will swell up into white pustules, and it is common for white stringy discharge to occur.
I was like "BAM!" That fit so perfectly about the pores. and I mean PERFECTLY. and I mean so perfectly my mouth was hanging open after I read it.
The thing that made me think a bit was that the treatment was Metronidazole, or detranidazol. I have already treated with Metro. Obviously it didnt solve the problem.
I may try a second dose of metro, possibly at stronger conecntrations.
I'm getting B12 as well.
The only other possibility is Hexamita, which is often confused with the spironucleus, and is treated by a metronidazole "bath". I think I may try the bath as well...
I am crossing my fingers and praying I can save Flutter. Either way this has been a real experience and I have been/am learning a lot. I will be heartbroken if Flutter doesnt make it
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The Fisherman
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I treated it in the water, raising the temp to almost 90 degrees F , like Chewal said.
I wonder if a Metro "dip" or "Bath" would be an effective way to combat the parasite. I am not made of money though lol. I am getting a job at my LFS hopefully soon, so thatl give me some cash.
Good news!
Flutter had not been eating at all.
I decided to try the garlic since I didn't have any B12 on hand.
I crushed up the garlic until there was a bit of juice, and sloshed a thawed mussel around in it until it was "stained" with a garlicy smell.
I put it in and Flutter began voraciously attacking it!!! He ate about 5-6 bites. After that he would tear it off, chew on it, and spit it out. I'm just happy he ate anything at all!
Even my DP who only ate blackworms started eating this stuff. (dont worry they are not in the same tank)
I wonder if a Metro "dip" or "Bath" would be an effective way to combat the parasite. I am not made of money though lol. I am getting a job at my LFS hopefully soon, so thatl give me some cash.
Good news!
Flutter had not been eating at all.
I decided to try the garlic since I didn't have any B12 on hand.
I crushed up the garlic until there was a bit of juice, and sloshed a thawed mussel around in it until it was "stained" with a garlicy smell.
I put it in and Flutter began voraciously attacking it!!! He ate about 5-6 bites. After that he would tear it off, chew on it, and spit it out. I'm just happy he ate anything at all!
Even my DP who only ate blackworms started eating this stuff. (dont worry they are not in the same tank)
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Puffer Queen
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John,
I didn't forget.....just really busy trying to tie up loose ends on my MACNA prentations and two articles that have a deadline at the end of this month - YIKES!!!
The Aquarium Fish magazine is August 2006 (seahorse on the cover) - it is in the Salt Q& A by Scott Michael pg 94.
Hope things are starting to look up for your puffer.
Best of luck.
I didn't forget.....just really busy trying to tie up loose ends on my MACNA prentations and two articles that have a deadline at the end of this month - YIKES!!!
The Aquarium Fish magazine is August 2006 (seahorse on the cover) - it is in the Salt Q& A by Scott Michael pg 94.
Hope things are starting to look up for your puffer.
Best of luck.
Kelly
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The Fisherman
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Ah no worries PQ, thanks for finding the article though! I'll go read it in a minute, although the garlic has seemingly taken care of my problem.
Flutter is eating, just not much. I have a feeling that his stomach is REALLY shrunken after going through all that losing so much weight and not eating.
Still has smaller white pustules with dischagre. I may have to go metro again.
Flutter is eating, just not much. I have a feeling that his stomach is REALLY shrunken after going through all that losing so much weight and not eating.
Still has smaller white pustules with dischagre. I may have to go metro again.
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Pufferpunk
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The Fisherman
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Good news 
Flutter is recovering nicely and is back to his energetic and begging for food self today
I'm very proud of Flutter and myself--I didn't know if either of us had it in us to come through.
I will probably treat with metro one more time, since he still has minor symptoms, although I think his immune system is kicking in, and helping.
I've climbed up one more ladder step to becoming a puffer expert
Flutter is recovering nicely and is back to his energetic and begging for food self today
I'm very proud of Flutter and myself--I didn't know if either of us had it in us to come through.
I will probably treat with metro one more time, since he still has minor symptoms, although I think his immune system is kicking in, and helping.
I've climbed up one more ladder step to becoming a puffer expert
I think you should write an article 'How to diagnose & treat an unknown fish ailment' or something like that. Maybe should use the word Ichthyology instead of fish . But seriously, the steps to take to find out the fish is sick, what it's sick from, and how to fix it, may be a good idea.
. But seriously, the steps to take to find out the fish is sick, what it's sick from, and how to fix it, may be a good idea.At high tide fish eat ants; at low tide ants eat fish. Thai Proverb.
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The Fisherman
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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: