coldmachineUK
Aquarium Advice FINatic
My figure 8 puffer fish seems to have become poorly yesterday and today, and I'm beginning to get really concerned.
Symptoms:
He is staying close to the substrate, in one spot, and struggling to swim. His pectoral fins are clamped, and his caudal fin is occasionally clamped. His gills seemed redder than usual, though his breathing doesnt seem 'desperate'. When he does swim, he seems lethargic like it's too much effort and gives up part way through to float back down to the bottom of the tank. He also seems to be bumping in to things (like rocks) when he tries to swim, which he's never done before.
He has also been 'nashing' his teeth (the bottom dental plate only) constantly.
Conditions:
I've had him for 2 months in a tank which I had ready cycled by moving across an internal power filter from another fully stocked FW tank. I measure params twice weekly, and aside from a spike in nitrIte during Week Two to 0.125, his levels have been: 0 Ammonia, 0 NitrIte, 5-8 NitrAte.
He lives in a salinity of 1.005 S.G. -> brackish conditions.
I do a weekly 25% water change and keep salinity maintained.
His tank is on the small side: 8G/30L. I have a tank on order which (annoyingly) is arriving in two weeks. This is a 63L 2' tank in which I was hoping to house him with two of my black mollies from my other FW tanks.
Diet: Bloodworm most days, brineshrimp on other days, occasional days with no feeding, mussles once a week to once a fortnight on shell, snails from my other tanks as and when (say once to twice a week). His belly is not sunken, and is bright white (not black, so showing no signs of stress).
Other Issues:
I have had a hair algae and bright green algae problem the last few weeks. I was assured this was normal in brackish tanks where no algae eating fish are suited as a cleanup crew, and I have been cleaning it as best I can.
Measures Taken (Today):
Water param measurement: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrIte, 8 nitrAte.
50% PWC, removal of three green plants I was using to try (unsuccessfully) to outcompete algae for nutrients, addition of washed silk/plastic plants as replacements, addition of new clean gravel on top of older gravel, addition of 5ml pimafix, addition of 5ml melafix.
Does anyone have any clues?! I'm really surprised by the suddenness of this, and I've a horrible feeling he won't last the night
Symptoms:
He is staying close to the substrate, in one spot, and struggling to swim. His pectoral fins are clamped, and his caudal fin is occasionally clamped. His gills seemed redder than usual, though his breathing doesnt seem 'desperate'. When he does swim, he seems lethargic like it's too much effort and gives up part way through to float back down to the bottom of the tank. He also seems to be bumping in to things (like rocks) when he tries to swim, which he's never done before.
He has also been 'nashing' his teeth (the bottom dental plate only) constantly.
Conditions:
I've had him for 2 months in a tank which I had ready cycled by moving across an internal power filter from another fully stocked FW tank. I measure params twice weekly, and aside from a spike in nitrIte during Week Two to 0.125, his levels have been: 0 Ammonia, 0 NitrIte, 5-8 NitrAte.
He lives in a salinity of 1.005 S.G. -> brackish conditions.
I do a weekly 25% water change and keep salinity maintained.
His tank is on the small side: 8G/30L. I have a tank on order which (annoyingly) is arriving in two weeks. This is a 63L 2' tank in which I was hoping to house him with two of my black mollies from my other FW tanks.
Diet: Bloodworm most days, brineshrimp on other days, occasional days with no feeding, mussles once a week to once a fortnight on shell, snails from my other tanks as and when (say once to twice a week). His belly is not sunken, and is bright white (not black, so showing no signs of stress).
Other Issues:
I have had a hair algae and bright green algae problem the last few weeks. I was assured this was normal in brackish tanks where no algae eating fish are suited as a cleanup crew, and I have been cleaning it as best I can.
Measures Taken (Today):
Water param measurement: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrIte, 8 nitrAte.
50% PWC, removal of three green plants I was using to try (unsuccessfully) to outcompete algae for nutrients, addition of washed silk/plastic plants as replacements, addition of new clean gravel on top of older gravel, addition of 5ml pimafix, addition of 5ml melafix.
Does anyone have any clues?! I'm really surprised by the suddenness of this, and I've a horrible feeling he won't last the night