air stuck in puffer

[cdubbs]

I was trying to do a fresh water dip on my dogface puffer, because in the last 2 days the ich on him was getting bad. And as i was putting him in the freshwater he puffed up and some air wont get out of him and he is floating around the top of the tank. Any idea of how i can get this air out? Will it ever go out by itself? Thanks.

 

[aw2]

First of all, I hate to say it, but freshwater dips are really useless for ich. At best, they're just a temporary solution.
Second, under no circumstances should you take a puffer out of the water, by net or any other means just because of the problem you're having now. When catching them, it is best to use large specimen containers or other containers that you can place in the tank and scoop up the fish, water and all.
Third, it is possible to relieve the pressure from the air. If you can get your hands on the fish, turn it to it's head if facing towards the surface and the air should expel from the fish's mouth. If that doesnt work, you can gently massage the puffers belly and try to force the air out...do this VERY gently. Make sure the fish is completely submerged in the water, while attempting this.
Sometimes the air will work itself out, sometimes it wont and the fish could die.

 

[cdubbs]

ok thanks..if it doesnt release by itself in a few more hours i will try and grab him and get it out like you said...yeah i did the freshwater dip as a temporary relief for him until i either find some way to treat the tank with a store bought remedy or some other way. Thanks for ur help

 

[aw2]

Originally Posted by CDubbs
yeah i did the freshwater dip as a temporary relief for him until i either find some way to treat the tank with a store bought remedy or some other way.
The bad thing is that you're stressing the fish out, more than it already is, by taking it out of the water. Catching it, placing it in another tank or bucket, subjecting it to freshwater and then moving it again, back to the main tank is causing more harm than good.
The freshwater dip may knock off some/all of the ich parasites, but since your main tank is infected, the fish will become infested with parasites again, once it's placed back into the tank.

 

[rberhow]

AW2, can you tell me, we just received a replacement for our valentini puffer we lost. Anyways, I'm afraid during shipment, he sucked in air 'cause one side of his cheeks looks puffed and the other one isn't. He doesn't seem stressed and he isn't floating at the top like the other person described. We just received him yesterday. Should I stress him out by trying to "burp" him or as long as he is eating and looks content, let him try to work it out? Is there anything else that could be the cause of his lop-sided appearance?
BTW, he was never removed from the water by us, so my thought is this happened during shipment. Could I be wrong???

 

[aw2]

Originally Posted by rberhow
AW2, can you tell me, we just received a replacement for our valentini puffer we lost. Anyways, I'm afraid during shipment, he sucked in air 'cause one side of his cheeks looks puffed and the other one isn't. He doesn't seem stressed and he isn't floating at the top like the other person described. We just received him yesterday. Should I stress him out by trying to "burp" him or as long as he is eating and looks content, let him try to work it out? Is there anything else that could be the cause of his lop-sided appearance?
BTW, he was never removed from the water by us, so my thought is this happened during shipment. Could I be wrong???

Could just be stress from being shipped. I'm sure the carriers arent that careful with the boxes, even though most of them say "FRAGILE: Live fish" on them.
If it's eating, then I'd leave it be and keep checking on it. If after a week or so, it's not doing any better, something else may be wrong.
What are your water parameters and how did you acclimate?

 

[dme]

One thing that is always missing in cases as these is, when anyone has an infected tank, under no circumstances should that person even think in adding any new fishes to the tank(s) for you only add the problem in most cases and also one needs to wait for not less then eight weeks, if not more to see that the problem they have is clean up that no other tank inhabitants become infected by ich or some other problem they may have. The main thing here you will need is patience for it is your only means to do the right thing and wait it out.
Buddy

 

[aw2]

I dont see anywhere where someone was adding a fish to an "infected tank". :notsure:

 

[dme]

I was only telling him/her of what they shouldn't do for if they a mind run out a little later on to buy more fish for I said it in the opening of my thoughts to this possible tank situation
One thing that is always missing in cases as these is
, in which means that he or she wasn't least for now, but they should know that if a problem is existent in their tank that they should wait patiently before adding anymore fish.
So CDubbs, if you are so a beginner here as anyone else who be a beginner to do listen and be patient within your tanks and if all else you do right, you would see that you can be far more successful.
DME (Dragon Moray Eels)
Buddy ><{{{{">

 

[rberhow]

Originally Posted by DME
One thing that is always missing in cases as these is, when anyone has an infected tank, under no circumstances should that person even think in adding any new fishes to the tank(s) for you only add the problem in most cases and also one needs to wait for not less then eight weeks, if not more to see that the problem they have is clean up that no other tank inhabitants become infected by ich or some other problem they may have. The main thing here you will need is patience for it is your only means to do the right thing and wait it out.
Buddy

DME, I'm confused, are you referring to my post??? The reason we lost our other puffer is he jumped while we were away from home for a couple of days over Thanksgiving.

AW2- our water parameters are: Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates 0, ph 8.4, salinity 1.026, calcium 425, Alk, will have to ask hubby when he gets home from work, he did this one a couple of days ago. We drip acclimated him for 3 hours, doubling the water in the bucket 3 times. He was transferred to the tank in a cup filled with the water from the bucket and the cup was lowered into the tank and he swam out. Is there anything I'm forgetting or should do different??? I appreciate the help so much.

 

[cdubbs]

thanks...im def not adding anything else to the tank till i get this ich completely out of my tank...And my puffer had a really bad break out and died over night..My grouper doesnt seem to have any white spots on him but he keeps rubbing his side on the bottom of the tank and on the rocks.. I need to do something but i cant add copper cause of my shark and i dont have a QT large enough for the shark. I am going to try this stuff that my lfs told me will work and it doesnt contain copper..i forget the name but i will tell u what it is in a few hours after i go get it.

 

[dme]

I posted that for any new hobbyist as well was for CDubbs, and im sorry for your lost but don`t you any covering on your tank?
our water parameters are: Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates 0, ph 8.4, salinity 1.026, calcium 425, Alk, will have to ask hubby when he gets home from work
Your water parameters are looking great, so let me ask you of something......... What size tank is this and how many other tank inhabitants you have in it?
He was transferred to the tank in a cup filled with the water from the bucket and the cup was lowered into the tank and he swam o
Im lost this time, do you mean that you placed that fish in like a coffee cup or something like it? And that he jumped out and you couldn`t had saved it?
For if so, I would placed the fish in something larger then that for room wise for I can see then on how it jumped out for I would used a deep bowl being that you not enough buckets to go around.
For not feel so terrible in that mistake, for there be many others who done even more mistakes then that, I mean gosh, even in my starting years I done some not so good and in costing me a fish or two and this was back when I was still a kid, not even at adult age back then in the later 40`s and early 50`s.
Just be sure not to try that in the same way again with any other fish, for if it be that you need extra buckets, you can try the hardware stores and they also carry covers for them too.
SO again, I am sorry for your lost of your little puffer

For I not like to read that people had lost any fish no matter who the person be.
Buddy

 

[dme]

CDubbs, for now I not would know if this would help for I no idea in how long this been going on, but from here on for the time being do not have your tanks lights on and raise the temp to not less then 84 F
Now without knowing what your LFS suggested for you to use here, I cannot really say if it be helpful or not for as well with medications being added to your tank, that you should as well cut your skimmer action by half and with this, add an air pump with an air stone and be sure to not over do it. With a shark in your tank, just how large is this tank?
Now I cannot ever remember the last time I any ich or anything wrong in my tanks (Knocking on wood), for the last fish I treated for possoble ich was a QT some 11-12 years ago and in less then 24 hours has completely recovered, but I at that time dii the full threatment taking in all as many as three months. For you will note CDubbs that I said one needs much patience.
Buddy

 

[rberhow]

I posted that for any new hobbyist as well was for CDubbs, and im sorry for your lost but don`t you any covering on your tank?
Your water parameters are looking great, so let me ask you of something......... What size tank is this and how many other tank inhabitants you have in it?
It is a 55 gallon with a yellow tang and two false percs. As far as covering the tank, the tank that our last puffer was in, was our 29 and that is a reef tank. So no covering as to not reduce the wpg. Not sure why he jumped, as he was the most docile fish ???? Anyways, we decided to place the new guy in our 55 so he would have lots of room and hopefully keep him from carpet surfing.

Im lost this time, do you mean that you placed that fish in like a coffee cup or something like it? And that he jumped out and you couldn`t had saved it?
Sorry for the confusion. I was just letting AW2 know how we transferred our new puffer from the bucket we were acclimating him in, into our new tank. Since the puffers can't be exposed to air, we needed to transfer him in a container that would hold water itself and then let him into the tank that way. The one that jumped was our previous one and like I said above, he jumped out of our tank while we weren't home. I appreciate your concern and your advice, as I can tell you have a lot of experience. Thank you so much. :happyfish

 

[cdubbs]

ok im gonna keep my tank lights off. I have the water up to 81 right now so ur saying i should go a little higher? I havent added any meds yet. I didnt get to go to the lfs today. Nothing else in the tank ever seems to show any signs of ich except the puffer. And when i had a puffer a few months ago that got stuck to the powerhead, he had some signs of ich..So i guess the ich has been in my tank and only shows on the puffers since they are prone to it. Thanks for ur help..How long should i keep the temp up at 84? My tank is a 125gal.

 

[dme]

I had a bit trouble re-locating this site and thread earlier this night for IYou said that your salinity is 26, best to lower it slowly with water changes, 20% water change with little or no salt for the wter change, to lower your salintity for because you a shark in this tank, there really be nothing much you can do as for medications go.
Buddy

 

[aw2]

The only way to truly get rid of ich is to preform hyposalinity.
Your salinity must be lowered to 1.010 or an SG of 14. This must be kept this way for 4 - 6 weeks, checking a few times daily to make sure the salinity is still stable.
You cannot, however, preform hypo with any corals or inverts in the tank.

 

[cdubbs]

i do not have any coral or inverts, but can i do it with the shark? if so than i would rather use that method.

 

[aw2]

I have ran hypo with sharks before.
It was deathly imperative that you do not go below 1.010 or an SG of 14 though. Anything less and you'll risk losing fish. You have to check the salinity a few times a day. If it goes up too much, the hypo treatment is useless. If it goes down, you'll start killing fish. Do you have a refractometer?
What size tank are we talking about?

 

[cdubbs]

i do not have a refractometer. My tank is 125gal.