Dogface puffer rescue??

[ngoodermuth]

Yea, they hope to sell sick fish to poor newbies who don't know any better along with a basket full of crap "remedies" that don't actually do anything to cure it. Then, when all their fish die they are forced to come back and buy more fish... it's all about the [emoji385]

 

[GHsaltie]

It is awesome that the manager is willing to do her best for the fish, however please do be careful in trying to convince her to take drastic measures. As much as we all love our fish, and I'm sure she cares too, at the end of the day it's still her job and corporate will not appreciate her "breaking policy". Corporate only sees fish as "numbers", and it will take a miracle for them to change their minds or ways. I say all of this from experience, I watched it happen every day for two years. It's not easy. Also, it's really great that you are taking on this fish and caring for him, my hat off to you. Just keep in mind, that puffer, the clowns, they will keep being replaced by more, so be careful you don't take on too many projects at one time . Your doing a great job and the best people on this forum have your back, I'll keep the little guy in my prayers!

 

[Humblefish]

She had a couple of beautiful clowns in there, would I be able to put a couple of them in with my Cardinals to treat and a 10 gallon quarantine tank?

You could, but just understand you will be cross contaminating your Cardinals with any disease the clownfish may have. Copper is not a "cure all" - it only treats ich & velvet. You could be introducing any number of these other diseases:

• Flukes - treatable by using Prazipro.
• Intestinal worms (white stringy poop) - treatable by food soaking Metronidazole powder. If the fish stops eating, you have to hope enough of the medication makes its way into their system by just dosing the water.
• Brook & uronema - treatable by using metro, formalin, CP, etc.
• Bacterial infections - treatable by using antibiotics but survival rate can be dismal, especially if encountering a gram negative bacterial infection which can kill faster than velvet.

So you have to weigh doing what's best for these other fish vs. doing what's best for your Cardinals. Not an easy decision, I know. ;Meh

 

[Mini Coop]

You could, but just understand you will be cross contaminating your Cardinals with any disease the clownfish may have. Copper is not a "cure all" - it only treats ich & velvet. You could be introducing any number of these other diseases:

• Flukes - treatable by using Prazipro.
• Intestinal worms (white stringy poop) - treatable by food soaking Metronidazole powder. If the fish stops eating, you have to hope enough of the medication makes its way into their system by just dosing the water.
• Brook & uronema - treatable by using metro, formalin, CP, etc.
• Bacterial infections - treatable by using antibiotics but survival rate can be dismal, especially if encountering a gram negative bacterial infection which can kill faster than velvet.

So you have to weigh doing what's best for these other fish vs. doing what's best for your Cardinals. Not an easy decision, I know. ;Meh

You are right. It just breaks my heart. I am sure they wont shut down the whole system for long, but I do know they got ich in their freshwater system, and shut it down for 4 weeks. I was in there a lot and they had no fish. It was weird. Maybe they will do the right thing. We will see. I can't save them all, I know. Just never really thought about this side of things.

If the puffer doesn't make it, I will disinfect his system and set it back up and offer to take a few. If he is doing ok, I will not bring more into my cardinal tank. I will just treat them on their own and not risk them getting anything else that could get into my main system. I have been there, and it was NOT fun!

This takes a lot of time, and stresses me out. HAHA. My 3 year old loves to help with the fishies and tries his best to make him better.

 

[Humblefish]

@Mini Coop I know it's not an easy decision. I've been burned by this on more than one occasion. One time, I was treating 4 fish (I got from Petco) for velvet, and a friend had an outbreak of velvet in his DT at around the same time. So, I take his fish in to treat with mine but his also came with a nasty gram negative bacterial infection. It quickly spread throughout my entire QT system, and I was only able to save 2 of the original fish I had been treating.

 

[Mini Coop]

@Mini Coop I know it's not an easy decision. I've been burned by this on more than one occasion. One time, I was treating 4 fish (I got from Petco) for velvet, and a friend had an outbreak of velvet in his DT at around the same time. So, I take his fish in to treat with mine but his also came with a nasty gram negative bacterial infection. It quickly spread throughout my entire QT system, and I was only able to save 2 of the original fish I had been treating.

Oh - that sucks! Yes. I will be devastated if I bring something else in. I am already obsessively re-tracing my steps as to what in the world I could have done to contaminate the cardinals tank.

 

[Mini Coop]

Oh - that sucks! Yes. I will be devastated if I bring something else in. I am already obsessively re-tracing my steps as to what in the world I could have done to contaminate the cardinals tank.

@Humblefish @melypr1985
Therapeutic copper level is 2.0, correct?

 

[Humblefish]

@Humblefish @melypr1985
Therapeutic copper level is 2.0, correct?

For Coppersafe, yes.

 

[Mini Coop]

Are you freaking kidding me?!?! Not only was the puffer alive when I got home, but he ATE!!!! I didn't feed him the krill thinking he might like something smaller. So I gave him some of my mysis, copepod, rods original mix!!! And he ate it!!!

Should I stick with one feeding a day due to ammonia?

 

[4FordFamily]

Are you freaking kidding me?!?! Not only was the puffer alive when I got home, but he ATE!!!! I didn't feed him the krill thinking he might like something smaller. So I gave him some of my mysis, copepod, rods original mix!!! And he ate it!!!

Should I stick with one feeding a day due to ammonia?

That's amazing!!!

I would feed very small feedings once or twice per day, only what it eats in say 10-30 seconds. Remove uneaten food.

I'm excited!!

 

[Mini Coop]

That's amazing!!!

I would feed very small feedings once or twice per day, only what it eats in say 10-30 seconds. Remove uneaten food.

I'm excited!!

Ok! Good deal. I'm excited too!! Cautiously optimistic as @melypr1985 would say. Tonight he is scraping against the sides of everything, which I know sounds weird to be a good sign, but I take it as a good sign that he at least is aware now that he doesn't feel good.

 

[4FordFamily]

Ok! Good deal. I'm excited too!! Cautiously optimistic as @melypr1985 would say. Tonight he is scraping against the sides of everything, which I know sounds weird to be a good sign, but I take it as a good sign that he at least is aware now that he doesn't feel good.

You can do another freshwater dip tomorrow for good measure to clear up anything still lurking before copper does its job fully -- are you at therapeutic levels yet? (You'd be smart not to go too quickly).

 

[Mini Coop]

You can do another freshwater dip tomorrow for good measure to clear up anything still lurking before copper does its job fully -- are you at therapeutic levels yet? (You'd be smart not to go too quickly).

I am at therapeutic as of tonight. I took a while. Just added 2 ml per morning and afternoon (12 hours). Took about 2.5/3 days to get there. Another FW dip?

 

[4FordFamily]

I am at therapeutic as of tonight. I took a while. Just added 2 ml per morning and afternoon (12 hours). Took about 2.5/3 days to get there. Another FW dip?

I don't think it would hurt, but not sure how much it would help. Let's wait for a second opinion

 

[Mini Coop]

I don't think it would hurt, but not sure how much it would help. Let's wait for a second opinion

You got it! Also - your profile pic is ADORABLE!!! How old are your kids?

 

[melypr1985]

I don't think I would do a second one if he's not breathing hard. Now that the copper is at therapeutic, the velvet should start falling off and not reattaching. Though, it probably wouldn't hurt to do one more either.

 

[4FordFamily]

You got it! Also - your profile pic is ADORABLE!!! How old are your kids?

Thank you! That's my princess, Lillian Rose. She turned 3 in March. My son, Parker, turned 1 last weekend! He's kind of a chunk, I call him "Walrus".

 

[Mini Coop]

My two are on the right. 2.5 (Jonah) and 3.5 (Noah). 12 months and 20 days apart...they are our monsters!!! Lol. The two on the left are my nephews. All 4 boys are less than 3 years apart!!!
Your kids are adorable!!!

Thank you! That's my princess, Lillian Rose. She turned 3 in March. My son, Parker, turned 1 last weekend! He's kind of a chunk, I call him "Walrus".

 

[hart24601]

Fingers crossed for the puffer! Love them!

I get tempted to rescue fish too. I have to remind myself that I am really just buying them ... Kinda just makes everything worse

 

[Mini Coop]

Fingers crossed for the puffer! Love them!

I get tempted to rescue fish too. I have to remind myself that I am really just buying them ... Kinda just makes everything worse

Yeah - the only reason this one came home is because she gave him to me and I didn't have to pay. And I had the meds and equipment at home and ready! That helped!