Fahaka breathing from one gill & distressed

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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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Brondo
Puffer Fry
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:45 pm
My Puffers: 4.5 year 16ish “ Fahaka puffer
Location (country): USA

Fahaka breathing from one gill & distressed

Post by Brondo »

Hi.

He is 4.5 years old 125g tank.
Ammonia-0
Nitrites-0
Nitrates-10-20 (its always hard to tell)
Ph 7.2
80F

I change 40% weekly.

Yesterday he seemed a bit moody. Stayed buried. No begging for food. Came out after lights out but I didn’t get a good look at him. Today the same. Not much swimming. Tried to eat, spat out. Noticed right gill tightly closed and fin tight to body whilst buried, top fin down. Swam up breathing hard doing some sort of coughing, ish both fins working but not that gil. Shut. After some flailing and coughing I saw it begin to work with some big breaths then close back up. He laid back down and buried himself. Breathing heavily. Definitely not feeling well.
Not eating and seems to be trying to get this gill to work? I just don’t know how to help here. But he is getting over a very recent bizarre illness I never found an answer for. Here or anywhere else. I even sedated and tube fed him a few times just to keep him from starving. He just got back to normal, eating on his own, swimming around begging for food 2 weeks ago. His health is fragile so I need to be on top of anything immediately.
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Pufferpunk
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2 T biocellatus
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Also kept:
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Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Re: Fahaka breathing from one gill & distressed

Post by Pufferpunk »

What is this bizarre illness that he had? Do you see any worms in his gills?
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!"
Brondo
Puffer Fry
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:45 pm
My Puffers: 4.5 year 16ish “ Fahaka puffer
Location (country): USA

Re: Fahaka breathing from one gill & distressed

Post by Brondo »

Well, I spoke to you about it actually. Several times. It had to do with a lump in his mouth. He then stopped eating for 3 months. His mouth started actually deteriorating/getting eaten away. He was starving to death. But you were the only person to answer and you didn’t have any ideas. I didn’t think it was pertinent to get into it again. I planned to euthanize him but my partner wouldn’t give up on him. We tube fed him a few times while sedated and he finally started eating on his own again. Back to normal, putting weight on. A friggin miracle. Now this.

I don’t see anything. If I saw worms I would have thought gill flukes and researched in that direction. The web didn’t have much on this. So I am here.
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32755
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Fahaka breathing from one gill & distressed

Post by Pufferpunk »

Unfortunately, this forum is not what it used to be. It appears I am the only person left to answer questions. You might be better posting at the puffer enthusiast group on Facebook.
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!"
Brondo
Puffer Fry
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:45 pm
My Puffers: 4.5 year 16ish “ Fahaka puffer
Location (country): USA

Re: Fahaka breathing from one gill & distressed

Post by Brondo »

Understood. What a shame. I appreciate that you are still here trying. The site still has loads of old info and chats that are extremely valuable. I do struggle with the Facebook sites though. It is tough to get good info, atleast that is my experience. I did come across an old string about a puffer with the same mouth issue that mine had previously. It was incredibly interesting. Ultimately unhelpful lol, and found after the fact but I did find it and it was interesting. Exact same story. Anyways, thanks again. Im on a few sites. Ill keep on trying.
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32755
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Fahaka breathing from one gill & distressed

Post by Pufferpunk »

That's why I continue to pay the yearly fees here. Hope I can continue to help with what I know. Diseases are not my strong suit.
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!"
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