The Puffer Forum

Ammo 0
No2 0
No3 <1
Ph 8.1

Fishless cycled. 3 f8's, 1 new pleco, ghost shrimp, assassin snails. All live plants. Sg 1.004.
Instant ocean salt mix, 46gal.

Ok I've got one f8 that is just not right. Had an earlier post on its gill. Thought it had a tear/injury. Few days later after starting to flash his gill against things, I thought gill flukes. Then puff # 2 starts flashing. I bought parasite guard. Did first dose. Then 48 hours later (which was today) did 25% water change and second dose. Puff 1 was acting better. Swimming around more and not skimming top of water, exploring more. Now tonight he is sulking again and skimming top. He never eats as much as the other 2. They look preggo after they eat but puff 1's belly just gets a little rounded. It never looks sunken in or lumpy. Poop is normal. Oh and puff # 3 just flashed! Good freakin grief..why would he be flashing when Im going on day 3 of parasite guard?!?!?! Uuuugggggg

Pleas, please, please get that pleco out of the brackish water. They are100% freshwater no matter what you've been told.

Did you treat the food or the tank water with Parasite Guard?

No I didn't treat food...well actually I just tried soaking fd krill in garlic water but they wouldnt touch it.

I did a lot of research on the pleco and found many people who kept them succsessfully in low brackish for years. I get reallyconfused on what to do sometimes on various things because you read a lot of stuff that says one thing then a bunch that says another....

Oh I treated the water.

I just saw him poop and it was s clear/white color......please keep help coming

HeatherRW wrote:I just saw him poop and it was s clear/white color......please keep help coming

Also yesterday and day before I fed live brine shrimp. Just throwing everything out there. Could that be the cause of the whitish poo?

i am going through a similar situation. question, did the white poo look like a smooth/ straight string , or did it have what looked to be knots/balls in it?

boosted23 wrote:i am going through a similar situation. question, did the white poo look like a smooth/ straight string , or did it have what looked to be knots/balls in it?

For lack of better terms; it was a long thicker whitish turd, then a little thin very short string and another turd. They were not round but long like a normal poo. But I've never seen it this color. It always ranged from kind of pink (like the freeze dried shrimp and krill I feed) Or brown. However I did feed live brine shrimp past 2 days and they are white. I've had it up to my eye balls with problems :/ I put so much effort and research and money into this aquarium and I've had one problem after another....it's so disheartening...If you find out anything will you tell me? And I will do the same

i understand your frustration. i have invested a couple grand and aboit three months of non stop research to make sure everything was in order that way he would live a good, healthy life. i have now spent more money and frustration trying to keep him alive. it is disheartening but if you love the species, it will all work out.

After treatments of melafix, pimafix, metrodinazole, praziquantel, prazipro, the endless search for parasite guard, then general cure to the now levimasole hcl, i think i found the cure for my little guy. white stringy feces can be caused by a protozoa infestation and needs to be treated with flubendazole. check him regularly to see if he is still pooping white after a couple days and to see if his activity and hunger subside considerably. if he does then this should be your cure. hope this helps.

Plecos are FW fish. They also are very poor tankmates for puffers in any case as they too are extremely high-waste fish. Co-housing them with puffer is IMHO and IME a very poor aquarium practice. They may also try to slime-suck the puffers - which is bad for both fish. If you want the f-8s to do well, get rid of the pleco. That is very basic fish-keeping.

Ok I've got one f8 that is just not right. Had an earlier post on its gill. Thought it had a tear/injury. Few days later after starting to flash his gill against things, I thought gill flukes. Then puff # 2 starts flashing. I bought parasite guard. Did first dose. Then 48 hours later (which was today) did 25% water change and second dose. Puff 1 was acting better. Swimming around more and not skimming top of water, exploring more. Now tonight he is sulking again and skimming top. He never eats as much as the other 2. They look preggo after they eat but puff 1's belly just gets a little rounded. It never looks sunken in or lumpy. Poop is normal. Oh and puff # 3 just flashed! Good freakin grief..why would he be flashing when Im going on day 3 of parasite guard?!?!?! Uuuugggggg

Hi HeatherRW, every experiment you are doing well here. Still have a question. Do you change the water of the tank within any period?