Please help!!! I have a 30g planted tank, with 4 bolivian rams, 5 neon tetras, and a bristle nose pleco. Two days (9/13/13) ago I picked up a Figure eight puffer from my LFS form a batch that they had just got in stock the day before. Now, I dont usually do this I like see that the fish are ok and not sick after shipping but the last time they sold out very fast and this one looked in good shape.
I added the puffer to my tank and have been treating the tank with Melafix just in case he had something. yesterday I saw a crusty looking white patch on his nose, and now today I saw one white spot on his back and the thing on his nose is worse. I think the spot on his back maybe Ich but the thing on his nose I dont know. he is still eating and swimming fine. Both me and my LFS tested my water its all good: ph 7.6, ammonia 0ppm, n02- 0ppm, n03- 20ppm.
I have used the Melafix for three days. I have started adding aquarium salt (the SG is 1.005 right now) and am raising the temp to 85'F. The LFS said that the spot on his back maybe Ich and the thing on his nose maybe cotton mouth. I dont know. they sold me two different meds, they said adding salt and raising the temp wont help with both. "Voogle" (ultimate Immune Booster) and "Ich-x" and the two meds.
I dont know is what im doing is right. I dont what to add to many meds to the tank if I dont have to. should I keep with the salt and temp? or should I use these meds? if you need pics let me know. please, please, please let me know what you guys think. thanks
New puffer may have cotton mouth! 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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Pufferpunk
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Re: New puffer may have cotton mouth! Please help!
![[welcome]](./images/smilies/welcome.gif "welcome")
Pimafix is better for fungus. also, you're fish's immune system is probably being compromised, not being kept in BW.
library/puffers-in-focus/fig8/
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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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32987
- 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:
Re: New puffer may have cotton mouth! Please help!
Pimafix is better for fungus. also, you're fish's immune system is probably being compromised, not being kept in BW.
library/puffers-in-focus/fig8/
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!"
Re: New puffer may have cotton mouth! Please help!
Ok thanks, I thought the figure eight puffer didnt need to be converted to BW till they are older and bigger, my puffer is about 1" right now. Should I start switching him to BW now? I did a lot of research on the F8's before I decided to get one but there are so many conflicting facts its hard to get the right idea. I checked on him when I got home form work and the white spot on his back is gone so thats good, but the thing on his nose is still there. I was thinking I should do a good water change and start with the anti fungal meds the LFS sold me. what do you think?
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bertie 83
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Re: New puffer may have cotton mouth! Please help!
You need to get the puffer into his own tank ASAP, he will munch on your other fish for a start. Water quality will be an issue due to being so overstocked also. Then there are the different water chemistries needed.
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly