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.
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East
Puffer Fry
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2010 3:05 pm
My Puffers: Green Spotted Puffer (Bob)
Location (country): Ohio, United States

HELP

Post by East »

My GSP bob is acting sick, his stomach is sunkin in and he won't eat. What should I test for in his water parameters and how will I know if he suddenly got a bad parasite? his mout is always open, and the last time I saw him eat it looked like he was having trouble or it was lodged in his mouth and he couldn't consume it (a shrimp). He seems to be breathing heavy as well. I did a 50 percent water change yesterday and added salt to try to help, but nothing is helping. The water is mid brackish and he seems upset. I haven't seen him pooping either. This is really upsetting me :[ I feel bad for him. Please helppp.
piscem natare doces
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purplecandle
Mbu Puffer
Posts: 2019
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 2:18 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Currently
2 Adult Green Spotted Puffers
1 Fangs Puffer
1 Baby Green Spotted Puffer
Location (country): USA (NC)

Re: HELP

Post by purplecandle »

Please answer these questions...

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.
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LilGreenPuffer
Former Staff Member
Posts: 5301
Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:26 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Dwarf puffer - Thumbelina (only mine in my heart now; she lives in CT with my friend)

RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond.
Location (country): United States
Location: Kentucky

Re: HELP

Post by LilGreenPuffer »

Moved topic to Hospital.
"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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purplecandle
Mbu Puffer
Posts: 2019
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 2:18 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Currently
2 Adult Green Spotted Puffers
1 Fangs Puffer
1 Baby Green Spotted Puffer
Location (country): USA (NC)

Re: HELP

Post by purplecandle »

Thanks Lilgreenpuffer!

To the OP, please hurry and answer..puffs go down quickly!!
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East
Puffer Fry
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2010 3:05 pm
My Puffers: Green Spotted Puffer (Bob)
Location (country): Ohio, United States

Re: HELP

Post by East »

Thanks for all your help. everyone. I to go to a fathers day event this afternoon and when I returned home Bob had passed away. I bought the test strips on the way home, set me back 20 bucks, but that doesn't matter. I miss him RIP bob. I don't think I'll consider buying another puffer until I can get a biocube or something.

Honestly, I did think of all the things I did before he got sick, and one I can think of is using my scrub brush with a handle to remove some algae while doing tank maintainence. I just got off the phone with my mother (moved out recently) and I guess she mistook it for something to clean toilets with, so she used it with some pretty heavy chemicals to clean the toilet. What a horrifying way to die. I feel so bad, but I am glad I moved out. At least this way, no one is going to touch my stuff and do negligent things that lead to things like this.

RIP Bob, he was by far the most inquisitive and intelligent creature I've ever owned with fins.
piscem natare doces
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