Badly constipated fahaka

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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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Homer
Green Spotted Puffer
Posts: 297
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:43 am
My Puffers: 200G - 1X Fahaka Puffer
60G - Planted Tank (Panda Loaches / Celestial Pearl Danios / Clown Killi / CRS / Needle Nose Pike)
50G - Planted Tank (CRS only tank)
Location (country): Hong Kong

Badly constipated fahaka

Post by Homer »

Hi all,

Been a while since i've been on these boards, but im stuck and looking for some advise...

I have a 5yr old fahaka who is really constipated / having trouble passing what i can only guess is clam shells from 2 days ago.

Shes never had this problem before, always cracking clams open and eating parts of the shell, but this time for the last 48 hrs, she seems to be having problems passing the last bit out... Showing no signs of wanting food and extremely stressed out color...

I added 10 tbl spoons of epson salt to the 200G tank this morning, in hopes it will help her pass the rest out, but how long should i wait till i really need to worry? And is there anything i can do, other than take her to a vet since no vets here to take care of fish...
Sleep is the cousin of Death...
User avatar
Homer
Green Spotted Puffer
Posts: 297
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:43 am
My Puffers: 200G - 1X Fahaka Puffer
60G - Planted Tank (Panda Loaches / Celestial Pearl Danios / Clown Killi / CRS / Needle Nose Pike)
50G - Planted Tank (CRS only tank)
Location (country): Hong Kong

Re: Badly constipated fahaka

Post by Homer »

Well, sadly i just witnessed my baby girl pass away, watched her stuggling in the tank squeezing through tight spaces of driftwood presumeably hoping to get out whatever was stuck, but by doing this, im also guessing she may have cut herself internally on the blockage / shells?

The tanks never going to be the same without her in it, growing her out from 1" to just over 14" in just under 6 years...
Sleep is the cousin of Death...
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Badly constipated fahaka

Post by Pufferpunk »

OMG, I'm sooooooo sorry, I'd be devastated if that was Filbert! RIP Tiny. :sorry: :rip: :pout: :crying:
It's 1 tbsp/10g BTW.
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!"
User avatar
Homer
Green Spotted Puffer
Posts: 297
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:43 am
My Puffers: 200G - 1X Fahaka Puffer
60G - Planted Tank (Panda Loaches / Celestial Pearl Danios / Clown Killi / CRS / Needle Nose Pike)
50G - Planted Tank (CRS only tank)
Location (country): Hong Kong

Re: Badly constipated fahaka

Post by Homer »

Seriously devestated i lost Tiny... Grew her up from a mere 1" to 14"

What makes it worst is as much as i love puffers and fahakas i dont think i could own another fahaka for a while, she was just a gentle giant that was always ready to greet me when i arrived home from work...

Definitely going to miss hearing the sloshing sound of water as she rushes to the door each morning and evening when i leave and come home from work...
Sleep is the cousin of Death...
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