AboutBenty Expertise GOT A QUESTION ABOUT:
Basic needs for specific fish, illnesses, best tankmates, breeding, water chemistry, tricks to safely cut corners, and/or “stupid” questions? Maybe I can help! :)
I like to explain why you do things in aquariums (like why to use spring instead of distilled, or what pH numbers mean, ect.) so you understand why and not just taking someone’s word for it. I also like giving answers where you have two choices so you can choose which is best for the time and money you can commit to your fish. I understand how tight money can be and how expensive fish related things get.
I will NEVER leave you with an “I don’t know.” Ever. I hate that. That would waste your time and that's just mean. :)
Puedo contestar tus preguntas en español también.
Experience I have had tropical fish since 1999. I currently have: a 55gal, ten 10gal, 3 five gallons, three 2gal, and a bunch of jars and bowls. At the time I'm typing this, I have: 14 angels, 13 goldfish, 73 bettas, 12 barbs, 5 catfish, too many guppies, 4 gouramis, 2 plecos, 10 loaches, bunch of swordtails, and probably a few others, lol.
I love to rescue fish. I've had everything from mutant danios, to one eyed goldfish, to my newest adoptee, a 2 year old betta with a MASSIVE tumor problem. He was brought to a pet shop and left there because the lady didn't know what to do with him. He's pretty scary looking. One of the guys at the store there I know let me have him. :D YAY! Elephant Man lives in a gallon bowl with pretty stones in my bathroom.
Plus!!!
I sell: veil, delta, halfmoon, plakat, and crowntail bettas as well as halfblack and blonde tuxedo fancy guppies. Ask me about it sometime.
Question i have a green spotted pufferfish from walmart and did not know much about setting up an aquarium, they have instructed me that they prefer 1tbsp of aquarium salt per 5gallons, so i put two for my ten gallon tank. the tank wasnt broken into and they also urged me not to mix in the water from the bag it came with. i didnt immediately put the puffer in but let the water be the same temp as the tank w/c was warm about 76-80 by putting the bag in it. i noticed the bag it came with was cold upon purchase as i set it on my lap on the ride home so i guess walmart doesnt heat up their water, lots of fish had ick. i never really fancied their fishes in the tank because theyre mostly in poor condition, always dying and always unhealthy looking but i fell inlove with this puffer and had to bring it home. the other puffer tankmates didnt look too good either , most of their fins are gone so i brought home the most liveliest one w.c is the one that is sick right now. 4days later (today) i noticed its shape wasnt right when it is looking forward. i dont know if it was already like that prior to buying it. i also noticed that one of its gills are not moving. only the right gills are breathing and the other just isnt moving at all. then later on i noticed it turned a darker color. and now it is lighter, back to its normal color thinking they just change color and its perfectly fine. well.. something told me to check on it while laying in bed and found the puffer just letting itself get drifted by the waterflow almost letting itself get sucked up by the filter and not really swimming away from me as i put my hands on the tank. then the next minute, it seems fine. its gills are still the way it is, one not moving. i want to take it to a petstore and move him to a cycled tank. that is the only thing i know that would probably help if my tank is too fresh and unbroken into. are there any common ailments that are similar to my puffer's symptoms? im really worried. i took care of aquatic turtles before and just realized how different it is to care for fishes, #1 turtles breathe air and the fish will have to breathe in the water in the tank. turtles tolerate more ammonia of course and fish wont. right now it is housed with a younger puffer and three tetras (lemon and bleeding heart) that is tolerating the water very well at a low end brackish, 2tbsp of aquarium salt in 10 gallons. i have treated the water with a dechlorinator and bacteria starter and havent changed or cleaned out the filter. i realize that i am cycling the tank with the puffers in it. is my idea of getting it to a petstore in a cycled tank a good idea? i will do just that first thing in the morning or borrow some of their cycled brackish water at least to isolate him into a different container. i have no hydrometer and ammonia/nitrite checker, w.c is exactly what my plans are going to the petshop tomorrow. i will have to purchase those and also crushed coral for a new substrate. right now it is regular polished rocks. is my other pufferfish also in grave danger? what do i need to do? your help would be so much appreciated.
Answer He is NOT doing well! Normal puffers are perky, active, and dart around with little bad attitudes, lol.
One thing... you can't change this now, but in the future NEVER buy from a place where there's sick or many dead fish. Your fish will be sick and will probably die or make your other fish sick. Just pass it up. Don't "rescue" sick fish unless you really want to be hands on and want to spend time and money on them. You're risking your other fish's life on him too. Is that fair to them?
The reason his shape isn't right is because he's not healthy. It sounds like he either has an internal infection, ick, TB, or is deformed. You can't do anything for a deformity. :( If something is malformed (such as his body not being the right shape), something inside will be malformed.
Add an extra 1/2 of salt to the water to ease stress and help him breath better.
Does he have ick on him at ALL? Do your other fish have any sign of little white dots at ALL? I doubt it's ick in his gills but your tank will probably have it if the tanks at the store have it. You can treat for that with a parasite medicine from walmart or a petshop.
My big fear is though he had TB (Fish Tuberculosis). Fish TB is caused by Mycobacterium marinum, a bacterium closely related to the TB bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. There are actually over fifty species of bacteria related to tuberculosis that can cause disease. They are typically able to live in any number of environments, in soil, water and animals. It is untreatable and deadly. It is extremely contagious. Some of the signs are acting weak and having a deformed spine (which he both sounds like he has). Your other fish are in danger now. Change half of the water and isolate the little puffer into a bowl of the water so he doesn't have to fight the current. He sounds like he's going to die soon though. :( Just make sure he is comfortable and add that salt.
Take special care to not have any cut make contact with the water as it IS possible to catch TB from the fish. Just don't stick your hand in the water if you have a cut. Use the other hand. Use a net or something.
I'm very sorry this happened. It's all to common. Fish are a pain, lol. I wanted to get into turtles but I'm too deep into fish to stop now, heheh. They have some pretty little turtles about 2 inches wide. I know how you feel about getting into something and it turn out tragic.
If you need any help: I have finals week for the next 3 weeks in college so I'm going on "vacation" on here. You can email at: bentyisthecoolest@yahoo.com if there is anymore problems with it or he's still alive by tomorrow... let me know! Again, I'm really sorry this happened. :(
