The Puffer Forum

got f8 today, been swimming a little funny but I thought he was just stressed out. looked in tank half an hr ago and he wasn't moving his tail at all, just going with the current pretty much, looked closer and his tail is very very swollen and red. then he completely blew up and then deflated himself. I scooped him out with a jar and put him in a bucket( only thing I have) with an air stone and treated water with prime and added melafix. now he is just laying on the bottom not moving, and barely breathing. is there anyway that I can help him? I don't want him to die but I had to take him out of the main tank because the other 2 are perfectly fine. amm-0, nitrite-0, nitrate-between 10 and 20.

I'm afraid you probably stressed him worse by moving him. Both those products are fine to use in your main tank. As a atter of fact, it should help with the fin damage on the other 2. I'd get the SG up to 1.002, also. Keep a very close eye on the parameters, testing often, throughout the day & keep searching for Safestart. You can order it online & have it shipped overnight.

I found safestart today after I begged the employees at petsmart to look through boxes in the back for it. took a lot of convincing though. The other puffers kept following him around the tank, he was mainly just floating with the current, and pestering him. Do I have to take the carbon out of the filter?

sorry about that, the grey spot is not on the dying puffer its on one of the ones that is acting fine.

If you're using Mela/Pimafix, then yes, remove the carbon. Really isn't necessary for your tank at all. You added the Safestart to the filter? When?

The grey spot may just be a pufferbite.

at 11 am. that stuff seriously works.

but back to the dying puffer, what do you think it could be? very swollen and red tail, completely unable to move it. honestly, he seems pretty inflamed all over. So my guess is bacterial, as well as parasitic. I'm going to consult my parasitology book( I am a registered veterinary technician, so I'm great with pretty much everything except fish which we never really discussed) for treatments for worms as well as protozoal parasites.

Sounds like severe bacterial infection due to poor shipping. Is the fish in QT? I'd get salt in there, Melafix & Maracyn or Tetracycline.

He didn't make it unfortunately. thanks for your help though!

So sorry.... Kinda figured, as bad as he was. I'd get your $$$ back for him. At least you now have 2 healthy ones. Your tank couldn't support 3 anyway.

Yeah I knew he was going to die too. and I was thinking the same thing, I only ordered 2 and never planned on having more puffers than that. still sucks that he died though. Since I have 2 f8's, do you think I could get a few bb gobies? its 30 gallons

You could but they never lasted with my F8s. Others have had success.

But if I want to try it then I pretty much have to put them in now right? the puffs are still really small, although they have been arguing with eachother today. but its really only when I come up to the tank. but there is a better likelihood of it working if I introduce them asap?

Yes, probably... Is there plenty of decor breaking up lines of sight? Post a FTS, if you can. Load it to www.photobucket.com & link to here.