Im listening to myself, Im aware feeders are bad long term. Im sure he is not going to get a fatty liver, from 4 feeders 1 time. Im not sure how much a fahaka is supposed to move when being introduced into a new setting, thats why im asking on a internet thread. If he doesnt show any obvious signs of health problems, ick, worms, fungus etc how am i supposed to know if he is sick lethargic or adjusting to new setup?
Fahaka Puffer
- Thread starter fahakapuffer20
- Start date
fahakapuffer20;3838923; said:
There is a product called aqua-sol, it's a copper based salt that is used by most fish stores as a preventative for ick as well as other diseases. I would use this whether or not you know for sure if he is sick because it also cures parasites and it has ingrediates that make the fish more active and less skittish. I swear by this stuff, because this is what I used for my puffer and it worked like a charm. It does not change the colour of the water and is super easy to use 12 drops per 10 gallons and all you have to do is remove the carbon. Filters and flow stay on. I wouldn't think that is too much flow for these guys considering they come from rivers like the Nile in Egypt. As for food, 4 feeder fish wont kill him or make him sick and your smart enough to not make it a habit. If you really want to see him eat live food grab crawfish or fiddler crabs. Hope this helps, Cheers.
^ Actually i've read a few articles which state that copper based products aren't exactly good for puffers... so you may just want to see if you can find any thing on that or maybe some one else here such as Puffer Punk will tune in again and be able to drop some knowledge...
Copper is extremely deadly to puffers! You must NEVER medicate a puffer unless you know exactly what's wrong with it. Copper is extremely difficult to remove from your tank & even the residual can kill a puffer over time.
You do sound concerned about this fish. Instead of adding meds, how about making it more comfortable so it acts like a normal puffer? Without a tank that is decorated for his comfort, how will you ever know if he's sick or just frightened from being so out in the open. These are river fish who live under a lot of cover & go into open spaces if they choose to hunt & swim in & then back to retreating into cover. I don't know of any animal species who would feel save with no cover at all to ever retreat into.
You do sound concerned about this fish. Instead of adding meds, how about making it more comfortable so it acts like a normal puffer? Without a tank that is decorated for his comfort, how will you ever know if he's sick or just frightened from being so out in the open. These are river fish who live under a lot of cover & go into open spaces if they choose to hunt & swim in & then back to retreating into cover. I don't know of any animal species who would feel save with no cover at all to ever retreat into.
All you need is to feed your puffer 1 diseased GF & he's sick.
Pufferpunk;3839512; said:
Aqua-Sol is a very mild medication that actually really works. Most copper medications are horrible for puffers but this is such a subtle amount that it doesn't do any harm. It also wont hurt to have melafix in there so that the puffers skin doesn't get irritated. I assure you nothing bad will result from using aqua-sol because I have already used it and it worked great. Once again its a copper salt liquid that lfs use when they get new arrivals to ensure that they fish they've imported do not have ick. Most scaleless fish become extremely irritated and can die from copper, however it is not the case with aqua-sol, I even use this in my snakehead tank when I add new fish as a preventative for disease. Make sure you use this particular medication as instructed on the bottle and the puffer will be as good as new.
Under treating (especially when dealing with parasites, which is what copper is for) with "mild" medications, can sometimes make the pathogen even stronger. BTW, what are you suggesting he treat with this?
youve only had the puffer for a couple/few days now and it is in an unfamiliar environment, id give it a while to adjust and let it chill.
perhaps throw in a piece of driftwood for it to "snuggle" up to, easy maintinance still.
or perhaps its a female and will lay eggs, when ever mine layed eggs she was pretty lethargic before the spawn. but more than likely its just not used to the tank yet, this is nothing new.
perhaps throw in a piece of driftwood for it to "snuggle" up to, easy maintinance still.
or perhaps its a female and will lay eggs, when ever mine layed eggs she was pretty lethargic before the spawn. but more than likely its just not used to the tank yet, this is nothing new.
His health is more important than your ease.fahakapuffer20;3835681; said:
Pufferpunk;3835883; said:
Agreed.busybones;3836832; said:
Just because there are worse case scenarios doesn't mean that you should stop trying. Even just a couple pieces of driftwood or some gravel would be more comfortable for your fish. It'd be like being stuck in an all white room all the timefahakapuffer20;3837260; said:
Although you don't need to perfectly emulate his environment (as this is nearly impossible), you can help lower his stress by giving him some cover and something to hide in/under/whatever. You don't have to go all out, but I do hope that you add SOMETHING in there.strange mine never does that. i guess there all different personality wise but rest assured whatever you give your fahaka you'll get back 10 fold. while the op is new to fahaka hopefully in time he will see just how amazing they are and give it the home it desires and in return he will have the show fish he desires.sick08;3841118; said: