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 L# The Hospital
  L# HOSPITAL HELPERS - PARAMETERS, PARAMETERS, PARAMETERS!!!
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SubscribeHOSPITAL HELPERS - PARAMETERS, PARAMETERS, PARAMETERS!!!
Cory_Di
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*Ultimate Fish Guru*
Posts: 7953
Kudos: 2917
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Registered: 19-Dec-2002
female usa
Now that I got your attention

If you are posting a new thread to the hospital forum, please read the post-its to provide as much info as possible. This saves critical time. Otherwise, there is an unnecessary delay in getting this info.

IF YOU ARE HELPING THE HOSPITAL

Thanks for helping . Its wonderful to see so many people moving these posts along, asking good questions, but we need to focus on basics right out of the shoot. There will always be a need for more questions if the poster doesn't read our hospital forum stickies, but we can follow up.

However, please, please, please - always ask for parameters if they are not listed, among other questions you ask.

Environment
Always rule out environmental issues before assuming illness or infestation. Adding meds to a tank with cycling toxins could be deadly. Even if a fish has a clear illness or parasite, such as body fungus or ich, we need to know where the parameters are. Once again, stressful conditions, including ammonia and nitrite, could be a root cause and would get worse without correcting the situation and adding meds. Emphasize numbers!!! What is "ok" or "within range" for one fish, could kill another. . The only "safe" value for ammonia and nitrite, is zero!

Examples
A case of red streaks could be septicemia.... or, it could be ammonia burns. A goldfish with red streaks in his tail could be sick, or he could be suffering the effects of very high nitrates. Fish that are flashing or gasping for air could have parasites, but they could be dealing with nitrites. pH changes can cause flashing.

At a bare minimum, we need to know:

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH (and do they use any adjusters):
Temp:

Stock List:
Tank Size:
Water change schedule and % changed:

It's also good to ask how long the tank has been set up. If the person posting is new to the forums, please let them know that many fish stores will do testing for them if they take a bag of water in If we wait for them to tell us they have no test kits an entire day could go by before they get that critical feedback.

This is not to infer that all newcomers to fp.com are new hobbyists. However, many that are new to the hobby are unaware of cycling and don't know about the toxins. Therefore, welcome them, ask if this is their first tank and get info coming in so we can check back later.

Thanks again,

Diane

Last edited by Cory_Di at 20-Feb-2005 23:54
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:36Profile PM Edit Report 
trystianity
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Mega Fish
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Registered: 20-Mar-2004
female canada
THANK YOU DI!

I was noticing that a lot of posts are being answered with incorrect or incomplete answers because people weren't asking for more information. It is VERY frustrating having to go back on what someone else has already said or correcting someone else's misinformation.

I would like to add one more thing: if you aren't sure of the problem, or how to help, or just don't have a clue, or whatever...please try to refrain from guessing that might lead someone down the wrong path. treatment with the wrong medication can be expensive and can kill someone's beloved pet.

So please, although I'm sure the help is appreciated....try to stay away from taking shots in the dark.
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:36Profile Homepage ICQ AIM MSN Yahoo PM Edit Delete Report 
Cory_Di
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female usa
I agree, but don't want to scare anyone off from helping to get questions out there. People are often panicked when they post in here and don't take the time to read the stickies.

This is where many people, who don't know anything about fish illness or treatment can help. Look that sticky over and work with the poster to get the info flowing. This is why it is important for all of us to not disregard a post with 1-2 or even 3 replies or more. They may only have had exhanges over info and not anything more meaningful yet.

Diagnostics is all about information and when that information is lacking, we can't provide even a reasonable guess.

No one should feel the need to offer any diagnosis or potential diagnosis when a chunk of info is missing.

I should mention that it would help to ask people for a country if they have not chosen a flag. People in each country have different access issues to meds. No sense recommending something that is not available. Antibiotics, easily available in the US, Canada, and AUS, are not easily obtained in the UK. Not all meds available in the US are available in Austrailia.

Last edited by Cory_Di at 21-Feb-2005 00:11
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:36Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
whetu
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Mega Fish
Posts: 900
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Registered: 31-Jan-2003
female newzealand
Excellent advice, Di and Moppet

I'm now very clear on what help is being asked of me in the hospital forum. Personally I will be copying and pasting a lot from the sticky at the top of the page so I hope you don't all get sick of me saying the same thing over & over & over & over... :%)
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:36Profile MSN PM Edit Delete Report 
HOKESE
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Mega Fish
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Registered: 22-Feb-2003
male australia
great advice,i was at my local vet yesterday,buying some metronidazole,(for hith)only after being told by wonderfull people on this site what to get and how to treat it,i gave my vet ALL THE INFO I COULD about my tank,cause he said there no piont trying to treat it if we dont know how the problem started in the first place,the treatment could be useless,if the problem is persisting.once again great advice
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:36Profile MSN PM Edit Delete Report 
longhairedgit
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male uk
EditedEdited by longhairedgit
Its finally starting to get to me, I try to help in this section whenever I can, and it must be something like 60% of the problems we get in here have a connection to water quality, and STILL people arent posting water qualities until specifically and repeatedly asked. Notably its usually the ones that know least about fishkeeping, and need the help most, and then get stroppy about being asked, or avoid the question and insist on harping on about an obscure ailment when the answer is quite often the one thing they want to avoid- the water quality.Dont people realise that time is often of the essence, and its in their interest to tell us what we need to know? God knows enough people spend time dawdling about and um'ing and aahh' ing about what to do long enough without making our response slow by not using basic communication skills.

I dont know whether people consider it some sort of personal affront to their fishkeeping abilities to be asked about water qualities or something, but bearing in mind your asking for help, you clearly dont know everything about fishkeeping , and therefore you should swallow the old pride and be especially aware that someone else may pick up something they missed. Are people in water quality denial or something? GET OVER IT!

Its driving me quietly nuts.

It might also be nice if folks who recieved help would tell us when all is said and done, what happened with the fish, whether it lived or died etc and what worked and what didnt, it helps all of us to learn, find out who is giving out quality assistance , and gives us all a chance to improve communication and provide further assistance to those who need it as accurately as possible.

I cant help thinking also how odd it is that people are told how to help the fish and then they disappear without so much as a goodbye, and you wonder if they heard a reply they didnt like or maybe even if they let the fish just die in the tank. For those that actually give a (terms and conditions) about what happens to the animal it can be worrying to hear nothing.

Folks are raised in a barn I swear!

Can we have a compulsory popup box where you just type the readings in or something? It would be so much easier.Fair enough if they really dont know and just have to put n/a in the box or something.

As always its the ones that dont know, dont think that we need to know, and refuse to believe that we need to know to put them in the know that causes all the problems.

Failing that, having the stickies in flashing neon pink with letters 5 inches high might do it...

Rant over.
Post InfoPosted 02-Mar-2006 14:29Profile MSN PM Edit Delete Report 
HOKESE
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Mega Fish
Posts: 1105
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Registered: 22-Feb-2003
male australia
EditedEdited by hokese
once again,top advice,also if you can post a photo of your sick fish,this would be a great way to save critical timeno matter how good the description is of the fish or the symptoms,a photo allows us to see what we are being told about......hope that helps
Post InfoPosted 12-Jun-2007 04:36Profile MSN PM Edit Delete Report 
DeletedPosted 07-Jul-2011 10:30
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DeletedPosted 16-Nov-2011 10:28
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