Poor Fig 8

[biggin]

I am thinking my smaller Fig 8 has a parasite. I have had him for ~3 weeks.

There could be a couple of things but I am leaning more to parasite right now. During feeding he will fight with the bigger fig 8 for food and there will be a chase but it does not go on too much after feeding. Once the larger fig 8 gets his fill he will leave the smaller one to eat and all is good. He could be getting bullied but I do not thinking that as much, mainly just watching them interact when it is not feeding time and he does not have chewed up fins or bite marks....

He has not filled out like my other puffers have, he still looks skinny like they do from the LFS. Today I found him hiding behind the filter and a blood worm floated by and he half tried to swim after it and the filter pulled him to it. So I think he is really week. He still wants to eat he is just not strong enough to get to it.

I put a breeder net thing in the tank and him in it so that I can watch him and get food easily to him. I am going to try and get the plants to a 20g today and turn the 10g into a hospital for him....

Any recommendations on treatments for parasites? Or is there something else I am missing?

[biggin]

Update: Puffer doing very bad.... Looks like swimming is a huge chore and fins are not moving much anymore.... Not sure if he will make it. :(

[xtc]

bum deal- I'd go to thepufferforum and post up and see what you get back. But be prepared to put ALL your water perimeters and temp and everything just this side of your SSN- they can get nasty if not. I've never crossed this bridge- so I got nuthin'.

Sorry, good luck!

[biggin]

I am not a huge fan of the thepufferforum, I know they are a bit fanatical about things. I forget what forum I was on that they did their best to crash for not removing post they believed to be incorrect but they irk me a tad bit... I should have treated him for parasites when I got him, I know it is rough on them and not sure he will make it through the treatment. Water parameters are fine all the other fish are healthy and happy.

Nitrites = 0

Am = 0

Nitrates = 10

Ph = 7.6

Sal = 1.006

Temp = 80-82

I did not treat him for parasites because everything that I read says if you keep the temp around 80 and the salinity is higher it should do away with most parasites. Maybe he will get a bath tonight and see if that will help….

Maybe he was sleeping when I just checked on him since I walked over there he has started swimming around his 4X4 cell again.

[xtc]

I have had the same reaction to that forum. I am/was on there, but I got tired of watching the same flame jobs. You could probably look up my posts and see where I got nasty to them about it. :hehe:

There's a couple folks that are pretty cool- but it's not worth it.

[biggin]

I did not even run into them on their forum it was another that they invaded. I checked them out but a little too hard-line for my taste. I am glad I am not the only one who has seen it.

I have used a few things I got from their forum. I am pretty sure it is where I read about the Hydro bath for curing sick fish and puffers without using harsher chemicals.... Not sure if it is less harsh but it does seem to do well with sick puffers.

I wish the Fig 8 was doing a little better I would put him through it but the last puffer was swimming around better and it took him about 2 days to recover. This little guy looks like swimming is really hard on him now. So I gave a heavy dose of aquarium salt and turned up the temp a little get it to 82ish, maybe that will keep him from spreading whatever he has….

[xtc]

it's a shame- Rocker is probably the leading authority on all that is puffers- but you gotta go thru so much BS to get to the info. One of the smartest guys on the site has his mbu in a too small tank (12" front to back) and he's been beaten down so many times- his sig line reflects the shalacking he's received. GREAT GUY!!

I use that site as a benchmark of "what I never want to become" in the way of fish keepers. I think Rocker wrote the article on mbu's and breeding dwarfs in TFH.

I like Boxermom too (go figure)- but she too can be a bit nasty.

[biggin]

I have talked (messages back and forth) with Boxermom. But I have seen her nasty side as well.

After an hour with higher temps and salt the puffer has what looks like white stringy fish poo coming out his gills. I am guessing they are worms of some sort who are not happy about the whole ordeal.... Puffer is about dead too, keeps floating to the top and struggling to get back to the bottom. :(

I know if I decide to replace him…. The next one will get treated for parasites before going into general population.

Also need to decide if I want to treat the whole tank now…. I hate giving medicine to the fish, I just feel outside chemicals do not really have a place in the aquarium.

[biggin]

What a strange month of fish keeping, some good some bad.

Apisto discovery is great, plant tank(thanks Chris) if frustrating but great (ammonia is half of what it was soooooooo…. something is happening….), baby bristle nose (thanks Chris....seems you are like my personal Santa Claus of fish keeping) are cool while we are one short of what we started with, and now the Small Fig 8 kicked the bucket and is doing whatever it is fish do when they move on. :(

Seems like a lot of death out of me…. Maybe soon the mollies who have been having a 2 week orgy will spit out some babies and I will have some good news.

[xtc]

If you look at what we're doing in our house- you'll see we have found the same conclusion. :hehe:

The puffers are very challenging and the most personable. But the planted tanks and apistos are the most rewarding. I have found the cockatoids are also tough- but not as tough and slightly less personable. Funny.

Brackish is more challenging. fortunately- the puffers aren't as expensive as apistos.

[Gretchen Wilson voice] all jacked up

[poel_19]

you could try fishgeeks.info its another forum i belong to and they are REALLY good and informative...not too sure how many keep puffers on there but they know tier sick fish!!

[xtc]

mentioning another fish related forum is grounds for immediate suspension.roflmao

[poel_19]

ohh man!! thats o fun!! Puffers are the coolest litle buggers!! Wish you all the best!

[poel_19]

really?? im sorry i diddn't know that it was a bannable offense i thorw my self at the mercy of the beer drinkers:please::please::sorrysign:

[xtc]

no worries- I was kidding. I'm all about anything that helps get the useful data to our population- not pissin and moanin over "competition"

[poel_19]

We need an update on the little bugger! Hoping he pulls it out!!

[biggin]

He died right before I typed this message. :(

Now to the debate on if I will replace him. It will have to be a larger and very nice looking Fig 8 if I decide to. Someone to complement Pancho.

Not sure who I am kidding, he will get replaced.

What a strange month of fish keeping, some good some bad.

Apisto discovery is great, plant tank(thanks Chris) if frustrating but great (ammonia is half of what it was soooooooo…. something is happening….), baby bristle nose (thanks Chris....seems you are like my personal Santa Claus of fish keeping) are cool while we are one short of what we started with, and now the Small Fig 8 kicked the bucket and is doing whatever it is fish do when they move on. :(

Seems like a lot of death out of me…. Maybe soon the mollies who have been having a 2 week orgy will spit out some babies and I will have some good news.

[poel_19]

Sorry to here about your fish loss my good man, hes in the big tank in the sky now

[bra8ndy8]

That is sooo sad..... I am sorry to hear about the loss of your pal!! They have such good personalities!!

[fishyjoe24]

so sorry man, stuff happens.