Sick Mbu ! Please help

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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.
Post Reply
boomer
Dwarf Puffer
Posts: 74
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2005 11:44 am
Location: Sunny Newcastle, UK

Sick Mbu ! Please help

Post by boomer »

Please help.

Boomer our Mbu has gotten ill. He was fine 3hrs ago swimming up and down the glass etc ready for breakfast, he had a small mussel and a human prawn, which he ate happily.

Now he is sitting on the bottom, with no fin movement and gone a really strange colour. I can't describe the colour very well but it's very light grey with his normal yellow bits still yellow (please see attached pics)
Image
Image
Image

He is about 5ins long in a planted 120g tank with 2xRena XP3 external filters, a U.V steriliser and an airstone. Cycled for 8 wks, 4 fishless and 4 with fish, he has been in for about 3 wks
Currently running following parameters of.....

Temp 27c/80.5f
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate <10ppm
PH 8

We have had problems keeping the temp stable the last few days as it has been so hot (varying between 26.8c + 28.3c) it's not a great deal of difference but could it be something to do with this ?

Thanks
Top
Pamela
Green Spotted Puffer
Posts: 456
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 8:50 am
Location: Oxford, UK

Post by Pamela »

When you say a human prawn, where did you get the prawn from? Could it have some preservatives in..or, say MSG or something?
It seems to be related to the food. Is your thermometer a stick-on-glass one or a floating one?
If it's a stick-on one, then the fluctuations will be mainly due to air temp, and not the water.
I hope he gets over this, as he's a great fish.
Pami.
Top
boomer
Dwarf Puffer
Posts: 74
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2005 11:44 am
Location: Sunny Newcastle, UK

Post by boomer »

yeah he is a great fish, thanks for that.

The prawns we give are frozen ones from the local supermarket, they just contain water, prawns and salt according to the nutritional info on the pack. They are pre cooked and then frozen.

He's been having these for about a week with no ill effects.

The thermometer is a digital one made by Marina with a sensor that sits 3/4s down the tank

He has a nice round belly and doesn't seem to be breathing fast, but even his dorsal fin is drooped over to the side.

I'm 99% sure that the params are not the cause and he hasn't overfed today, what about IP's ? He always has a nice rounded belly even before eating but other than the round factor, i'm not too sure what else I should look for to rule out IP's.

Thanks
Top
Pamela
Green Spotted Puffer
Posts: 456
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 8:50 am
Location: Oxford, UK

Post by Pamela »

I can't see IP's causing a sudden change like that, it's gradual.
How soon after his breakfast did he get like this? How long did it take from normal to this state?
Where was the mussel from? I'm fairly certain it's food-related.
Pami.
Top
boomer
Dwarf Puffer
Posts: 74
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2005 11:44 am
Location: Sunny Newcastle, UK

Post by boomer »

The mussels came from the same LFS as he did, he has been eating them for about 3 weeks now.

He was fine when he ate....he sank down to the bottom of the tank pretty much straight away which is fairly unusual for him to be honest, he normally pleads for more!

It must have been about 15mins or so later that his colouring changed.

we have also noticed what seems like 2 small scratches on his back almost in the shape of a fingernail. They are only surface scratches approx 4-5mm long.
He shares a tank with 1 pim pictus, 1 pim blocchi and 2 bristlenose plecs. All of whom seem to give him a wide birth.
Probably not relevant, but i thought i would mention it.

If it is the food, how do you cure a mbu that has a tummy ache?

thanks
Top
Pamela
Green Spotted Puffer
Posts: 456
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 8:50 am
Location: Oxford, UK

Post by Pamela »

What does he do with the shells? Does he crush and swallow them? I wonder if he's eaten a sharp bit of shell. I believe that they surround sharp bits with mucus as it passes through. Keep a close eye on him...what does he look like now.
Pami.
Top
boomer
Dwarf Puffer
Posts: 74
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2005 11:44 am
Location: Sunny Newcastle, UK

Post by boomer »

Unfortunately i've had to go to work. Hopefully the wife will get away early today. We are both a little anxious as you can image.

The mussel we feed him dont have the shell on them. They are frozen and defrosted in vitamin water. We have been feeding him live shrimp though. He struggles to catch them, when he does he just about eats them whole.
Top
boomer
Dwarf Puffer
Posts: 74
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2005 11:44 am
Location: Sunny Newcastle, UK

Post by boomer »

This is the wife :)

Is it a case of wait and see with a tummy ache or shall I visit my local LFS on the way home from work to buy any necessary medicines.
Top
Pamela
Green Spotted Puffer
Posts: 456
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 8:50 am
Location: Oxford, UK

Post by Pamela »

You shouldn't use any meds till you know what the prob is, so for now, and until someone with more experience than I comes along, I'm afraid it's wait and see.
How does he look now?
Pami.
Top
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32979
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:
Contact Pufferpunk

Post by Pufferpunk »

I'm not sure, but his belly looks pretty full. Maybe he just ate too much & is resting to digest? Puffers color mottle like that, there is no worry. They also rest a lot, especially after eating. You'd be best to not feed cooked foods thoug--alot of the nutricion has been cooked out.
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!"
Top
User avatar
mandycat
Dwarf Puffer
Posts: 64
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2005 11:50 pm

Post by mandycat »

I also think he is just full, resting and changing color. Unless there is someone clearly picking on him, (that would also make him change color)He probably just has a full tummy. I too, also feel like resting and blending into my sheets when I have eaten too much.
Top
boomer
Dwarf Puffer
Posts: 74
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2005 11:44 am
Location: Sunny Newcastle, UK

Post by boomer »

I just got home from work and he is hiding behind the bogwood. This is actually where he goes to sleep. I cant really make out his markings because he is hidden, but he still looks very pale.

Thanks for the advice. It could be that he is full but i never fed him any more than usual this morning. Its actually rare for him to sit and rest, he is always on the prowl for more food.

It may sound silly but in the 3 weeks that we have had him he seems to have a little routine. He gets fed first thing in the morning, he continues to look adorable for the next half hour (in the hope of more food). He then goes off to play on the other side of the tank with the bogwood.
When i get home from work he is normally there to greet me, he gets another mussel and then goes off to bed (behind bogwood)

For the past few days, he has actually been in bed when i got home and hasnt had an evening meal. I put this down to the temperature as he has always been his usual self in the morning.

We have had the fan on the tank all day and have managed to keep the temperature stable and he has still gone to bed early.

Shall I try tempt him out with some food, or shall i leave him alone?
Top
Pamela
Green Spotted Puffer
Posts: 456
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 8:50 am
Location: Oxford, UK

Post by Pamela »

Have you seen a change as sudden and extreme as that before? It seems as well, that he's not done this before. Let's hope he's just feeling very full and very guilty for being such a piggy :wink:
Pami.
Top
boomer
Dwarf Puffer
Posts: 74
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2005 11:44 am
Location: Sunny Newcastle, UK

Post by boomer »

I have seen him a little paler than normal, but no, never this extreme and never this sudden.

Do you think I should hold back on feeding him tomorrow?
There are actually 4 shrimp in the tank at the moment. Unfortunately he has been unable to catch them (much to his annoyance). They have been in there for so long now i'm actually thinking about naming them :roll: Maybe he will try a little harder to catch these.
Top
Feathers&Fins
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 201
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 5:42 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Pufferless since Nova passed; had 2 red T.miuris, 4 T.biocellatus for many years.
Location (country): KY (USA)
Location: (US) Kentucky

Post by Feathers&Fins »

My experience with Pictus has been that they are hyperactive opportunistic bullies. Our 4" Pictus pestered the h*ll out of our 12" Pleco and ate one of our Neon Tetras. I mention this just in case the stress is from tankmates rather than, or in addition to, a large dinner.
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Hospital”