Red-Spot Puffer... advice please
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.
-
Lil' Swimz$
- Mbu Puffer
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please
Where gloves. Those rubber ones the dentists use. But wash the dust off, first.
Ha ha, he he! DAncE whEn yoU're HAPpppy! He he he! DAnce, danCE, DANCe!
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please
I had a red miurus (in my avatar) who would attack & bite me. I would always be sure she was at the opposite end of part of the tank I was working in.
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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Pandora114
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please
Pufferpunk wrote:I had a red miurus (in my avatar) who would attack & bite me. I would always be sure she was at the opposite end of part of the tank I was working in.
Those weren't malicious. Those were love bites! *hugs you*
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please
Hmmm... bloody love bites, huh?
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!"
-
diverchic
- Green Spotted Puffer
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No puffers since moving to work on a boat but looking to get some again now I am back on land. - Location (country): London, UK
Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please
LOL - I think I'm going to have to go with the avoidance method this evening... bf's too scared of being bitten so I get to try LOL... fingers crossed I've still got all my fingers when I'm done 
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please
Has he actually tried to bite? Not all of them are that aggressive.
Speaking of biting, my JRT attacked a huge Pit Bull yesterday. He was hanging off it's face. Reminds me of Filbert the fahaka with a crab hanging off of his. Kalvin is like a puffer of the dog world!
Speaking of biting, my JRT attacked a huge Pit Bull yesterday. He was hanging off it's face. Reminds me of Filbert the fahaka with a crab hanging off of his. Kalvin is like a puffer of the dog world!
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!"
-
Lil' Swimz$
- Mbu Puffer
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please
I thought Kalvin passed away?
Ha ha, he he! DAncE whEn yoU're HAPpppy! He he he! DAnce, danCE, DANCe!
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please
Lulu the Wonderdog died over 5 years ago. Kalvin is the "new" dog. He's 5.
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!"
-
diverchic
- Green Spotted Puffer
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No puffers since moving to work on a boat but looking to get some again now I am back on land. - Location (country): London, UK
Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please
The guys in the LFS were afraid he'd bite when they were moving the plants they'd stored in it's tank out of the way to catch it and it tries to bite fingers through the glass so I'd say the odds of me finding out what a bite feels like by the end of the evening are pretty high LOL.
I just got odd looks from colleagues due to suddenly laughing at the mental image of Kalvin and the PB combined with Filbert and crab (downside to open-plan offices) but thank you for the laugh - badly needed!
I just got odd looks from colleagues due to suddenly laughing at the mental image of Kalvin and the PB combined with Filbert and crab (downside to open-plan offices) but thank you for the laugh - badly needed!
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diverchic
- Green Spotted Puffer
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No puffers since moving to work on a boat but looking to get some again now I am back on land. - Location (country): London, UK
Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please
Sorry to hear about Lulu... it's hard whenever you 'lose' a pet (even if it was a long time ago).
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Pufferpunk
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A modestus
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suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please
Yes, I was devistated. She was a wonderful traveling companion.
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!"
-
diverchic
- Green Spotted Puffer
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No puffers since moving to work on a boat but looking to get some again now I am back on land. - Location (country): London, UK
Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please
Fantastic companion! I love the goggles 
bf got plants and ammonia test today - apparently George (finally named it) didn't go for his hands at all when he put the plants in. George likes the plants but is spending loads of time in the bubbles now and I'm worried he may swallow some air and need 'burping' but we won't know... he looks like he's attacking them (or headbutting his reflection behind them) or he'll just lie there with his tail in the bubbles.
Oh, the ammonia test came back 0 so that is good
bf got plants and ammonia test today - apparently George (finally named it) didn't go for his hands at all when he put the plants in. George likes the plants but is spending loads of time in the bubbles now and I'm worried he may swallow some air and need 'burping' but we won't know... he looks like he's attacking them (or headbutting his reflection behind them) or he'll just lie there with his tail in the bubbles.
Oh, the ammonia test came back 0 so that is good
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Lil' Swimz$
- Mbu Puffer
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please
That shows how much I know..
Ha ha, he he! DAncE whEn yoU're HAPpppy! He he he! DAnce, danCE, DANCe!
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diverchic
- Green Spotted Puffer
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No puffers since moving to work on a boat but looking to get some again now I am back on land. - Location (country): London, UK
Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please
Just to let you all know...
George has now settled in and is a happy little puffer. He spends most of his time lurking amonst the plants but will come forward and say hi most of the time. He spends most of his time colour-coordinated to the plants and plant background we've got on the tank and the LFS were amazed at his colours when I showed them a picture. They figure he was stressed while there and is now much happier.
Still working on training him to hand feed but he is happier coming up for food than he was and appears to be getting the hang of it... even though he prefers having his food 'spiked' (put the food on the spike end of the tank scraper) and delivered to the bottom for him LOL
He's hunted down the conical snails that the LFS gave us for him (around 15 of them) and so I'll go and get more next week for him (I figure about every two weeks combined with the prawns in shells will keep his teeth down enough)
He's also survived his first power outage (idiot with combine harvester forgot that there were overhead powerlines and took them out at 23.00 one night - power back up at 03.00 - I was a nervous wreck the whole time and didn't sleep a bit until I was sure he was okay after the power was returned).
So, thank you all for your advice and help and comments. I am very glad I found this forum and will now make like George and lurk. (other than POTM entries... If I enter enough I've got to win some time... at least going by the law of averages LOL)
George has now settled in and is a happy little puffer. He spends most of his time lurking amonst the plants but will come forward and say hi most of the time. He spends most of his time colour-coordinated to the plants and plant background we've got on the tank and the LFS were amazed at his colours when I showed them a picture. They figure he was stressed while there and is now much happier.
Still working on training him to hand feed but he is happier coming up for food than he was and appears to be getting the hang of it... even though he prefers having his food 'spiked' (put the food on the spike end of the tank scraper) and delivered to the bottom for him LOL
He's hunted down the conical snails that the LFS gave us for him (around 15 of them) and so I'll go and get more next week for him (I figure about every two weeks combined with the prawns in shells will keep his teeth down enough)
He's also survived his first power outage (idiot with combine harvester forgot that there were overhead powerlines and took them out at 23.00 one night - power back up at 03.00 - I was a nervous wreck the whole time and didn't sleep a bit until I was sure he was okay after the power was returned).
So, thank you all for your advice and help and comments. I am very glad I found this forum and will now make like George and lurk. (other than POTM entries... If I enter enough I've got to win some time... at least going by the law of averages LOL)
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LilGreenPuffer
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Re: Red-Spot Puffer... advice please
Lots of puffers enjoy playing in bubbles.redspotowner wrote:Fantastic companion! I love the goggles
bf got plants and ammonia test today - apparently George (finally named it) didn't go for his hands at all when he put the plants in. George likes the plants but is spending loads of time in the bubbles now and I'm worried he may swallow some air and need 'burping' but we won't know... he looks like he's attacking them (or headbutting his reflection behind them) or he'll just lie there with his tail in the bubbles.
Oh, the ammonia test came back 0 so that is good
It sounds like everything is going great! Woot!
Do quarantine the snails from the LFS. They could be carrying parasites. Just stick them in a Tupperware for a week or two. If they're still alive, they're good to go!
"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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NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!