Ok, so we have Qt'd him from the QT...by himself now. He seems very stressed about the tank size. I hope treatment does not take too long. I am using Nitrofurazone in the form of API Furan-2. Not sure how good this stuff is but its all I could find from your list.
His tail had actually cleared up quite a lot in the first few hours I moved him into his QT. Maybe the new water? Anyways, thanks for all your help PufferQueen, you have been great!
Hopefully this will all go well...
Sick Puffer-Tail turning black???
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.
Re: Sick Puffer-Tail turning black???
Oh and he is still in hypo as well...My boyfriend and I were just thinking that maybe he should have been put back in full marine conditions before treatment though. Is both hypo and the Furan-2 too harsh on him. So far he seems ok. He just can't swim around very much in the tiny tank.
Re: Sick Puffer-Tail turning black???
Well he is almost through 2 full days of treatment now and seems to be doing ok. The black on his tail has almost all gone. I think he is very stressed about the small tank though. He only swims when I come to the tank to see him. Otherwise, he just lays around...its pretty sad.
The medication says its a 4 day treatment. I am thinking I should treat a bit longer though. It does say its safe to repeat if necessary.
What should I be doing before he goes back into the bigger QT with the other fish? I assumed a huge water change on that tank but anything else?
The medication says its a 4 day treatment. I am thinking I should treat a bit longer though. It does say its safe to repeat if necessary.
What should I be doing before he goes back into the bigger QT with the other fish? I assumed a huge water change on that tank but anything else?
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Re: Sick Puffer-Tail turning black???
Have you started rasing the SG on QT?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
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Re: Sick Puffer-Tail turning black???
What size tank is he in and what are you using for filtration?TriniGirl wrote:Well he is almost through 2 full days of treatment now and seems to be doing ok. The black on his tail has almost all gone. I think he is very stressed about the small tank though. He only swims when I come to the tank to see him. Otherwise, he just lays around...its pretty sad.
Antibiotic therapy should be for at least 7 - 10 days in order to eradicate the bacteria and prevent drug resistant strains.The medication says its a 4 day treatment. I am thinking I should treat a bit longer though. It does say its safe to repeat if necessary.
How long have the other fish been in QT? If you add the puffer back to the other QT, the quarantine period starts over....everytime something new is added, all fish start over at day one of quarantine.What should I be doing before he goes back into the bigger QT with the other fish? I assumed a huge water change on that tank but anything else?
Kelly
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Re: Sick Puffer-Tail turning black???
What is your current salinity?TriniGirl wrote:Oh and he is still in hypo as well...My boyfriend and I were just thinking that maybe he should have been put back in full marine conditions before treatment though. Is both hypo and the Furan-2 too harsh on him. So far he seems ok. He just can't swim around very much in the tiny tank.
Kelly
Re: Sick Puffer-Tail turning black???
He was in a 90G QT with the other fish for a mild case of ich. Salinity was dropped to 1.009 using a refractometer. He had a little bit of this black stuff on his tail before hyposalinity but it got worse as you know, so I separated him from the others and began treating him. He went into the new Qt tank at the same salinity. So he is at 1.009. We thought that maybe it should have been raised before treating him with antibiotics but were not sure, so we left it alone.
The new QT tank is filtered with a HOB filter with a sponge from the main tank...I do not think it will do much though because of the lower salinity, so I have been watching the ammonia, nitrites, nitrates close. I have also used amquel a few times to be safe. The meds say to do a water change every two days, so I just did one. I was hoping to do water changes everyday but I guess it removes too much medication?
He still has a few spots of ich. I think he will have to go back into the 90G QT and start all over again after this.
The new QT tank is filtered with a HOB filter with a sponge from the main tank...I do not think it will do much though because of the lower salinity, so I have been watching the ammonia, nitrites, nitrates close. I have also used amquel a few times to be safe. The meds say to do a water change every two days, so I just did one. I was hoping to do water changes everyday but I guess it removes too much medication?
He still has a few spots of ich. I think he will have to go back into the 90G QT and start all over again after this.
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Puffer Queen
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Re: Sick Puffer-Tail turning black???
When medicating a tank at a lower salinity - depending on the medication - may have to decrease the saltwater dose or increase the freshwater dose - in other words - give the dose between the two.TriniGirl wrote:He was in a 90G QT with the other fish for a mild case of ich. Salinity was dropped to 1.009 using a refractometer. He had a little bit of this black stuff on his tail before hyposalinity but it got worse as you know, so I separated him from the others and began treating him. He went into the new Qt tank at the same salinity. So he is at 1.009. We thought that maybe it should have been raised before treating him with antibiotics but were not sure, so we left it alone.
Was the filter fully cycled?The new QT tank is filtered with a HOB filter with a sponge from the main tank...
This can affect results from certain test kits/brands.I do not think it will do much though because of the lower salinity, so I have been watching the ammonia, nitrites, nitrates close. I have also used amquel a few times to be safe.
So you are not checking water parameters daily? Are you dosing the medications daily? Most antibiotics are pretty much "useless" after a couple hours in saltwater. Antibiotics quickly degrade when exposed to air, light, elevated temperatures and certain pH. This is the reason I prefer to treat with baths versus treating the whole tank - saves the biological filter as well is cheaper to medicate via a bath versus a tank.The meds say to do a water change every two days, so I just did one. I was hoping to do water changes everyday but I guess it removes too much medication?
Can you post a pic of the spots in question? Have the spots been in the same spot all the time? How long have you been treating with hyposalinity.He still has a few spots of ich. I think he will have to go back into the 90G QT and start all over again after this.
Kelly
Re: Sick Puffer-Tail turning black???
The spots have been there for about two weeks now. Fell off already and a few have returned. I have dealt with ich once before and this looks just like it. The hypo has been for 7 days now. The ich I believe infected them when we moved homes and they were stressed. I am not so sure I can get a picture of the spots because I only have a camera phone. I will try though.
How do you do the medication baths? Would it be too late to get him back into the other QT and then do the baths instead. He seems to be getting pretty stressed and is very cramped.
We have been testing water params a few times a day so far.
Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it!
How do you do the medication baths? Would it be too late to get him back into the other QT and then do the baths instead. He seems to be getting pretty stressed and is very cramped.
We have been testing water params a few times a day so far.
Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it!
Re: Sick Puffer-Tail turning black???
Oh and yes, filter was fully cycled. It was lowered slowly with the fish in hypo but I thought the bacteria may have died off in the salinity change.
Re: Sick Puffer-Tail turning black???
Anyone have any advice on how to do the baths? How many are usually needed? Ect.
Thanks!
Thanks!
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Puffer Queen
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Re: Sick Puffer-Tail turning black???
Daily baths for 7 - 10 days.
Add whatever dose is for 10 gallons to 1 gallon.....if the directions say 1 capsule to 10 gallons, add 1 capsule to one gallon.....so for 2 gallons, add 2 and so on......
Place the fish/puffer in the bath - make sure there is good aeration. Leave for 1 hour and return to good water quality in a QT.
Add whatever dose is for 10 gallons to 1 gallon.....if the directions say 1 capsule to 10 gallons, add 1 capsule to one gallon.....so for 2 gallons, add 2 and so on......
Place the fish/puffer in the bath - make sure there is good aeration. Leave for 1 hour and return to good water quality in a QT.
Kelly
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Puffer Queen
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Re: Sick Puffer-Tail turning black???
What was lowered slowly ? - the salinity ?TriniGirl wrote:Oh and yes, filter was fully cycled. It was lowered slowly with the fish in hypo but I thought the bacteria may have died off in the salinity change.
When you refer to bacteria - are you referring to the nitrifying bacteria?
Kelly
Re: Sick Puffer-Tail turning black???
Yes salinity was lowered for Hypo and I assumed that most of the nitrifying bacteria would have died off the sponge from the main tank.
Re: Sick Puffer-Tail turning black???
I have been doing twice daily water changes on the sick puffers QT tank because I was getting a little bit of ammonia. He is still very stressed in the little 33G and I think I should move him back to the 90G QT and do baths instead. Only problem then, is catching him everyday, he really freaks out when I put any containers in the tank to catch him with. Still might be less stressful for him in the long run though.