The Puffer Forum

Hello,
I have a big problem with my fahaka.
Ive had him for 1 year. He was treated for IP when I first got him. He's been etaing and growing well. Then one day he became lethargic and wouldnt really eat. He would take the food in but spit it out. He would try to crush snails but they would just fall out. It seemed painful for him to eat.
At first I thought he was constipated as he had swollowed part of a crayfish a few days before. I treated him with epsom salt. That didnt help.
Then he had a bit of white poop and thinking it was IP's I tried to get him to eat food with prazi pro. He would swallow the food but then throw it up again. Then he completely stopped eating. He hasnt eaten for almost 2 months now. Ive treated the tank with flubendazole and now jbl gyrodol, thinking it might be gil flukes - his gills werent red but one of them was not being used. He seems less lethargic but still not eating and not greeting us as normal.
Ive tried frozen as well as live foods. Shrimps, crayfisk, snails, bloodworms, earthworms. Nothing.
Now thinking maybe its his teeth? He does sometimes try to take it in but then makes a funny face and refuses! Almost like he wants to, but cant. Also i think his gums look a bit red?
Also the other day he had a weird see-through, yellowish gel-like poop.but maybe thats because he hasnt been eating?
Please see pictures for teeth and poop.

1) ammonia 0, nitrat 0, nitrit 0, ph 8 (see picture)
2) 530 liters. Only the fahaka.
3) shrimps, snails, crayfish, earthworms, crab, mussel. Usually 50% WC every week. Last few weeks its been twice a week, since I was worried about infection or/and parasites.
4) no changes
5) bern running just over a year.

Thanks.

Oh, the pics didnt get attached. Too big. I will try again.

here are some pictures

more pictures. I can take more if you need me to.

My boyfriend managed to force feed him a shrimp. His belly looks a bit lumpy after that, but maybe just because he is skinnier than usual?
It seems he has some white spots on his fins. Any idea what that could be? No spots on the rest of him.
Hope someone can help.

Thanks.

My fahaka gets white blobs on his fins sometimes, I thing that's just normal. His teeth do look a bit ragged. He actually looks pretty good for not eating in 2 months. How big is he? I don't really understand why a fish of that mass would not produce enough waste to produce at least some nitrate. Are you sure you shook the hell out of the test chemicals, as per instructions? Have you tried soaking his food in garlic?

Thanks for your reply,

Could it be because he hasnt really pooped for a long time plus extra water changes? I did the test the day after a big WC and he didnt eat or poop in between. Will do another tomorrow.

Ive tried garlic but he doesnt want to go near it. I am running out of ideas which is why my boyfriend forced a shrimp in him yesterday. His belly had a big lump and not rounded like normally.

He does seem more happy after medicin in the tank. Before he was just lying in the corner, now he is swimming around.
I am worried about his teeth getting too long when he wont eat.

He did swim right into the glass with high speed the day before this hunger-strike started. Maybe it is his mouth afterall. If so, do you know what I should do? His gums or teeth are quite red, but hard to get a proper picture of it. Will try again later.
Oh and he is about 15 cm long, so he has grown a lot since i got him.

Thanks.

Adding medicine to his tank for IPs is a waste of meds. It must go in his food & if he's not eating...
How did you apply garlic to his food? How did you treat with Epson salt?

Hesch wrote:Thanks for your reply,

Could it be because he hasnt really pooped for a long time plus extra water changes? I did the test the day after a big WC and he didnt eat or poop in between. Will do another tomorrow.

Ive tried garlic but he doesnt want to go near it. I am running out of ideas which is why my boyfriend forced a shrimp in him yesterday. His belly had a big lump and not rounded like normally.

He does seem more happy after medicin in the tank. Before he was just lying in the corner, now he is swimming around.
I am worried about his teeth getting too long when he wont eat.

He did swim right into the glass with high speed the day before this hunger-strike started. Maybe it is his mouth afterall. If so, do you know what I should do? His gums or teeth are quite red, but hard to get a proper picture of it. Will try again later.
Oh and he is about 15 cm long, so he has grown a lot since i got him.

Thanks.

this behavior, to me, seems like it may be water toxin related
erratic behavior often is
as PP asked, are you sure you shook the test chemicals per the instructions?
especially the nitrate test, as it won't register accurate results unless you do
I also can't imagine the nitrate level being zero
the test result of zero nitrates sounds like either an uncycled tank, incorrect test procedures, or expired test kit

Uncycled tank after running with no problems for over a year? I didnt think that was possible?
Yes, I followed the instructions. As I said Ive been doing a lot of wc, there has been no food or poop in the tank, so maybe that could be it? Thats why I want to wait until tomorrow, so its been at least two days since a wc.

I didnt treat for IPs but gill-flukes. I read that could be done in the tank water? I did get him to eat a bit of food with prazi pro but he threw it up, so not sure that would have worked?
Also I read in here that it could be a mouth infection and if so he wouldnt have to eat the meds but just swim in it? His gums/teeth are red and he does this weird face where he pulls his lip back.

To be honest, I am desperate. Trying anything and everything. I just dont no what to do. It doesnt make it any easier that you cant buy meds here.

I followed your direction on the epson salt, which I found in another thread in here. I treated him 3 times with the salt.
I soak his food in a bit of tankwater with garlic in it.
Temp is 27.

Ive read all the old threads on similar problems and ive tried every advice given to them. I guess theres nothing to do but keep trying and wait and see.

Do you think the ph is too high?
I will test again tomorrow and let you know what it says.

Hesch wrote:Do you think the ph is too high?
I will test again tomorrow and let you know what it says.

the pH is quite high, but probably not too high
pH stability is more important than pH level, that is, it shouldn't vary or be modified or adjusted
have you tried checking your source water, from the tap, with the same test kits?

No, I never tried that. Should it be the same levels? I will do that tomorrow as well and let you know.
I do have a problem with cyano at the moment, do you think that could be a problem for the fish?
I will post you a picture of his mouth where you can see the red im talking about.

Thank you.

Hesch wrote:No, I never tried that. Should it be the same levels? I will do that tomorrow as well and let you know.
I do have a problem with cyano at the moment, do you think that could be a problem for the fish?
I will post you a picture of his mouth where you can see the red im talking about.

Thank you.

cyano may also be an indicator of a water chemistry problem
I don't think it is harmful to the fish, but if there is a chemistry problem causing or contributing to it, THAT may be a problem for the fish
do you have a test kit for phosphates?

No I haven't got a test kit for phosphates. Does that create cyano? I just thought it was because the sun has comes back and I haven't got blinds yet. Its been dark in Denmark for a long time All shops are closed here until tuesday. I will try get a phosphate testing kit then or order it from amazon. I have another fish tank. I use the same tap water in that and there is no problems with that one. But it is placed in shade all day. Anyway, I will get the kit and I will test tap water as well.

When he hit the glass it seemed he was scared. My boyfriend walked up to the fish tank and the fish sort of got frightened, it seemed. Thats when the hunger strike started. I thought maybe he broke his teeth? Its been almost 2 months and still looks red, so I don't know if it could me an infection? I don't know if thats even the problem!

Sorry, I can't give you anymore useful details. Thank you for helping anyway.

Here are some pictures of his mouth.