My suvatti has been breathing hard all day. Mouth open and heaving. He ate yesterday, two thawed cocktail shrimps and was acting normally. Today he won't even chase my finger around the glass.
I performed a 50% water change and there has been no effect (changed about 15 minutes ago). The ammonia before the change as 0ppm. Nitrites are at 0 as well (I can't find my nitrate kit).
The heat is at 77 or so and there is an airstone.
I'm pretty worried about him and would appreciate any advice. I love this guy and would hate to lose him to something negligent on my part.
Thanks
T. suvatti Breathing VERY hard - Gasping!
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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cunniculus
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Pufferpunk
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burrfish
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cunniculus
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cunniculus
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Some call it a product of a mis-spent youth, I call it Rock n Roll ! 
When my puffer overeats, she tends to sit at the bottom of the tank, heaving. Until her tummy deflates in size, she usually is like this. I always hope that would teach her a lesson not to overeat, and leave food for the male puffer but oh well... guess she hasn't learnt yet.
I'd rather be a puffer than a snail. Yes I would, if I could, I surely would...
Proud owner of: Beetroot: Fahaka, Hammie: Hairy Puffer, Fishball: Congo Puffer
RIP: Wasabi: Male irrubesco, Hamachi: Female irrubesco, Popcorn: SA puffer
Proud owner of: Beetroot: Fahaka, Hammie: Hairy Puffer, Fishball: Congo Puffer
RIP: Wasabi: Male irrubesco, Hamachi: Female irrubesco, Popcorn: SA puffer
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cunniculus
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He's about 5" or so. He seems to be a lot better this morning. No heaving. He won't chase my finger though. He usually stares me down and tries to eat me through the glass.
I hope you guys are right about the eating thing. I've never seen this before with this guy. Of course, I've never fed him this much either. I wonder if it's the food thing or the water change. I guess I won't know for sure, but the water was fine before I changed it.
He had a rough night though. Sitting around and heaving. Thrashing a second later. Sitting some more. I thought he was a goner.
I hope you guys are right about the eating thing. I've never seen this before with this guy. Of course, I've never fed him this much either. I wonder if it's the food thing or the water change. I guess I won't know for sure, but the water was fine before I changed it.
He had a rough night though. Sitting around and heaving. Thrashing a second later. Sitting some more. I thought he was a goner.
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cunniculus
- Puffer Fry
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cunniculus
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 3:01 pm
- Location: Ann Arbor, MI
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cunniculus
- Puffer Fry
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Pufferpunk
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suvattii
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cunniculus
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Everyone is so indirect! 
I stir it up occassionally. I don't think I do it every week, no. That's an interesting theory, though. What are the symptoms of anaerobic bacterial infection?
I just necropsied him and there as a large air pocket in his mid-chest. Not knowing puffer anatomy well, I can't say for sure, but I have a feeling he had trapped air.
I stir it up occassionally. I don't think I do it every week, no. That's an interesting theory, though. What are the symptoms of anaerobic bacterial infection?
I just necropsied him and there as a large air pocket in his mid-chest. Not knowing puffer anatomy well, I can't say for sure, but I have a feeling he had trapped air.
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Bred
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More importantly, have you noticed a hydrogen sulfide smell while doing water changes?
Hydrogen sulfide poisoning is a bit of a longshot, I think.
How long has the tank been set up?
Did you treat the change water for chlorine? (Duh. sorry, obvious question)
I'm really sorry about the loss of your puffer.
Hydrogen sulfide poisoning is a bit of a longshot, I think.
How long has the tank been set up?
Did you treat the change water for chlorine? (Duh. sorry, obvious question)
I'm really sorry about the loss of your puffer.