Newbie with a poorly puffer

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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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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abbiebrown
Puffer Fry
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2012 9:01 am
Location (country): UK

Newbie with a poorly puffer

Post by abbiebrown »

Hi, I'm a newbie with a problem!

I had 4 pygmy puffers living very happily in my 48ltr tank, I changed my filter to a Fluval U2, I have since lost 3 of my puffers :( I've been told it because the flow rate of the new filter was too high and was throwing the fish around too much.

I've now put an Aqua Flow 200 in, turned the flow rate down as far was it will go and have turned the top nozzel to the side of the tank to try and deflect some of the output flow.

My remaining puffer is still not happy, he is now at the front of the tank but will not feed. I've done a 50% water change and tested the water which is all fine, what else can I do? Should I try and get another filter if so which one? The original filter that came with the tank was an Interpet, but it didn't seem to cope with the amount of mess the puffers create which is why I changed it, I fell terrible now as it was my mistake that killed them!

Any advise at all would be hugely appreciated :)
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scpion
Fahaka Puffer
Posts: 672
Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2010 10:57 am
My Puffers: 23in Mbu, donated to SEA Aquarium
4in Fahaka 150g
Location (country): singapore

Re: Newbie with a poorly puffer

Post by scpion »

Do post all the parameters in numbers. Not everything is "Fine".

Hang on with the filters switchings. It should not be the main cause.

This should be in the Hospital Thread. While u are there, follow the the instructions and answer as much as u can.
I am not a Troll, I am just pissed..!
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Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32984
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
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Re: Newbie with a poorly puffer

Post by Pufferpunk »

Please answer all the Qs above, in red.
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!"
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bertie 83
Moderator
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Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:28 pm
Gender: Male
My Puffers: lineatus R.I.P, South American puffer. Valentini puffer, porcupine puffer.
Non puffer
Danios, Tetras, Redtail Rasporas,
Harlequins, CAE's, Yoyo
Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis
Location (country): Brighton, England
Location: brighton , england

Re: Newbie with a poorly puffer

Post by bertie 83 »

Yes please answer all the red questions, 48l is far too small for 4 dps. Only 2 or at a push 3 can be kept in that size tank. Welcome to the forum,
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32984
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

Re: Newbie with a poorly puffer

Post by Pufferpunk »

Survival of the fittest: In less than perfect conditions, sometimes the weaker of the species are weeded 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!"
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