I got 3 figure 8 puffers on Friday morning, they settled in really well and were eating. This morning I noticed 1 of them had white poo, so was going to treat for ip's, my lfs has given me the wrong meds so as its Sunday I'll have to wait till tomorrow.
I went to feed them some snails earlier and noticed 1 was near the gravel and when he did come up to eat he completely ignored the snail. Now it looks like something is wrong with his mouth, it looks pinched (almost like something's tied around it) and it looks like he's lost flesh from near his eyes!!!!
My water has tested fine
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5ish
They are the only ones in the tank, and they are still in freshwater at the moment, tank was set up with an established filter. Here's a pic
http://i1069.photobucket.com/albums/u47 ... oto-22.jpg
Hope you guys and gals can help
Here's another photo, sorry they aren't the best
http://i1069.photobucket.com/albums/u47 ... oto-23.jpg
Sick figure eight puffer, please 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.
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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Donna_G
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 139
- Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2012 7:00 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 Dwarf puffers
- Location (country): Bridgend,South Wales,UK
Re: Sick figure eight puffer, please help!!!
Oh god, I don't think he's going to make it
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Nuclear_Glitter
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 971
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 1:03 am
- Gender: Female
- Location (country): North Carolina, USA
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Re: Sick figure eight puffer, please help!!!
Do you have a QT tank? he may be being bullied by the others because he may be the weakest of them all if he's sick. if you have a QT, move him/her over to it. Begin treatment with melafix and primafix, and possibly even a salt treatment. The IPs may be very severe, but I don't think they're causing all of those things.
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." -- Henry Ford
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puffykid
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 537
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2011 3:16 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): Madison, WI
Re: Sick figure eight puffer, please help!!!
Agree with what was said above, did you use any of that copper based medication for the tank? If so I would suggest a Carbon filter to get rid of it I don't think it's what is causing the major issue but I don't think it could be good for them either.
I agree with nuclear large water change btw.
I agree with nuclear large water change btw.
Last edited by puffykid on Sun May 06, 2012 3:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
1 M. Turgidus - 29 gallon
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Nuclear_Glitter
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 971
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 1:03 am
- Gender: Female
- Location (country): North Carolina, USA
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Re: Sick figure eight puffer, please help!!!
If you used any copper based meds do a very large water change, and yes use some carbon immediately.
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." -- Henry Ford
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Donna_G
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 139
- Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2012 7:00 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 Dwarf puffers
- Location (country): Bridgend,South Wales,UK
Re: Sick figure eight puffer, please help!!!
Thanks for replying so quick, I have just set up a qt tank and added melafix but don't have any primafix at the mo 
No, I didn't use any of the copper based ip treatment, waited for you guys to say yes or no.
I don't understand why this came about so quick, I mean seeing some white poo this morning does not equal my puffer nearly dead by evening. He was swimming around fine earlier, otherwise I could have got the primafix while I was out. Then this afternoon he's at the bottom of the tank looking a bit off colour and this evening looking like the above pic. Am now worried about the other 2, who at the moment are fine but whatever it is it's quick
No, I didn't use any of the copper based ip treatment, waited for you guys to say yes or no.
I don't understand why this came about so quick, I mean seeing some white poo this morning does not equal my puffer nearly dead by evening. He was swimming around fine earlier, otherwise I could have got the primafix while I was out. Then this afternoon he's at the bottom of the tank looking a bit off colour and this evening looking like the above pic. Am now worried about the other 2, who at the moment are fine but whatever it is it's quick
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Nuclear_Glitter
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 971
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 1:03 am
- Gender: Female
- Location (country): North Carolina, USA
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Re: Sick figure eight puffer, please help!!!
Yes, it doesn't exactly make sense (although I am sure there's some explanation). I am thinking the flesh missing near his eye is a sign of someone picking at him, or some super mysterious flesh eating disease (though I doubt this). Just keep an eye on him, offer a hiding spot in the QT tank if you can, and keep the lights off. You may need to do a large water change in your regular tank, in case it is passable. Do you live close to a walmart? Often time they have Jungle parasite fizz tabs there. If you do, see if you can purchase some of those and get him on a treatment ASAP.
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." -- Henry Ford
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puffykid
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 537
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2011 3:16 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): Madison, WI
Re: Sick figure eight puffer, please help!!!
Since we aren't exactly sure what this is I suggest adding in what PP suggested last time for that weird fungus.
"table salt - 1 tbsp/10g."
and an airstone to help with gas exchange never hurt either.
Garlic Guard is can help get the fish to get down the medicated food and also DADof4 believes that it helps boost the immune system.
Also here are the active ingredients for jungle fizzy tabs so you can look for something with the same meds
Nitrofurazone, Furazolidone, Potassium Dichromate
"table salt - 1 tbsp/10g."
and an airstone to help with gas exchange never hurt either.
Garlic Guard is can help get the fish to get down the medicated food and also DADof4 believes that it helps boost the immune system.
Also here are the active ingredients for jungle fizzy tabs so you can look for something with the same meds
Nitrofurazone, Furazolidone, Potassium Dichromate
Last edited by puffykid on Sun May 06, 2012 5:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.
1 M. Turgidus - 29 gallon
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Sick figure eight puffer, please help!!!
That's for FW, for BW fish: 1 tbsp/5g.
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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Nuclear_Glitter
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 971
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 1:03 am
- Gender: Female
- Location (country): North Carolina, USA
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Re: Sick figure eight puffer, please help!!!
You'd need to treat both tanks with this, as well.
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." -- Henry Ford
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Donna_G
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 139
- Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2012 7:00 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 Dwarf puffers
- Location (country): Bridgend,South Wales,UK
Re: Sick figure eight puffer, please help!!!
He's gone....I don't know what it was but surely if he was being picked on I would have seen some signs of it in the 2 and a bit days I had him, there were no other marks on his body, these were the first puffers I'd actually picked out myself from the lfs and the first time I've lost a puffer.
Bye bye little friend
Bye bye little friend
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Donna_G
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 139
- Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2012 7:00 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 Dwarf puffers
- Location (country): Bridgend,South Wales,UK
Re: Sick figure eight puffer, please help!!!
I'll start that treatment on my tank ASAP. Thanks everyone
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puffykid
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 537
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2011 3:16 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): Madison, WI
Re: Sick figure eight puffer, please help!!!
sorry about your loss best of luck with the two remaining ones.
Last edited by puffykid on Sun May 06, 2012 10:03 pm, edited 2 times in total.
1 M. Turgidus - 29 gallon
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kcartwright856
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Re: Sick figure eight puffer, please help!!!
I'm sorry, Donna... I know exactly what you are going through right now.
I hope that the other two will be alright!
I hope that the other two will be alright!