Dp's go crazy for black worms( you may be able to find at a nearby bait shop now that its spring and blood worms (you can get the frozen cubes at petsmart)
You may want to move her over to a quarantine tank now, the worms may be building up inside her making it harder for her to eat now, so less competition will allow her to eat till full at a slower pace. Another thing you can try is to not feed her for a few days so that she gets hungrier and will be more willing to eat.
Stubborn DP IPs!
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
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puffykid
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 537
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2011 3:16 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): Madison, WI
Re: Stubborn DP IPs!
1 M. Turgidus - 29 gallon
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kcartwright856
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 289
- Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2010 12:17 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 C. travancoricus (dwarf puffer)
7 Pangio kuhlii
5 Otocinclus vittatus (w/ fry) - Location (country): USA
- Location: Millersburg, PA
- Contact:
-
bertie 83
- Moderator
- Posts: 5298
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:28 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: lineatus R.I.P, South American puffer. Valentini puffer, porcupine puffer.
Non puffer
Danios, Tetras, Redtail Rasporas,
Harlequins, CAE's, Yoyo
Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
- Location: brighton , england
Re: Stubborn DP IPs!
Also remember what I said about a breeding net at food time, she may stress a little at first but once they Sussex they get as much food as they can eat in there they will get excited at the sight of it and swim in willingly.
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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kcartwright856
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 289
- Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2010 12:17 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 C. travancoricus (dwarf puffer)
7 Pangio kuhlii
5 Otocinclus vittatus (w/ fry) - Location (country): USA
- Location: Millersburg, PA
- Contact:
Re: Stubborn DP IPs!
Yes, I have a net for her, bertie. I've been using it as long as I've been treating her.
My husband was right. She's simply not eating. It's odd. She eyeballs and circles the food as most normal DPs, but then just swims away indifferently after a peck at it.
I've tried bloodworms, blackworms, even snails. I'm up to three cloves of garlic in each soak now, thinking that it's the taste that's turning her off.
I'm just at a loss.
My husband was right. She's simply not eating. It's odd. She eyeballs and circles the food as most normal DPs, but then just swims away indifferently after a peck at it.
I've tried bloodworms, blackworms, even snails. I'm up to three cloves of garlic in each soak now, thinking that it's the taste that's turning her off.
I'm just at a loss.
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bertie 83
- Moderator
- Posts: 5298
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:28 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: lineatus R.I.P, South American puffer. Valentini puffer, porcupine puffer.
Non puffer
Danios, Tetras, Redtail Rasporas,
Harlequins, CAE's, Yoyo
Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
- Location: brighton , england
Re: Stubborn DP IPs!
Try her with a little unmedicated food, then you will know if it's her appetite or the taste.
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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kcartwright856
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 289
- Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2010 12:17 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 C. travancoricus (dwarf puffer)
7 Pangio kuhlii
5 Otocinclus vittatus (w/ fry) - Location (country): USA
- Location: Millersburg, PA
- Contact:
Re: Stubborn DP IPs!
I recall now that my husband said he accidentally gave her a "normal" live blackworm this weekend while I was gone because he forgot about her special food, and he said that she gobbled it right up.
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bertie 83
- Moderator
- Posts: 5298
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:28 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: lineatus R.I.P, South American puffer. Valentini puffer, porcupine puffer.
Non puffer
Danios, Tetras, Redtail Rasporas,
Harlequins, CAE's, Yoyo
Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
- Location: brighton , england
Re: Stubborn DP IPs!
Give the meds a small break, lure her into a false sence of security. After a couple of days add medication again
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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kcartwright856
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 289
- Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2010 12:17 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 C. travancoricus (dwarf puffer)
7 Pangio kuhlii
5 Otocinclus vittatus (w/ fry) - Location (country): USA
- Location: Millersburg, PA
- Contact:
Re: Stubborn DP IPs!
That's a promising idea. Trick her into thinking that the worms are back to being yummy again!
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bertie 83
- Moderator
- Posts: 5298
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:28 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: lineatus R.I.P, South American puffer. Valentini puffer, porcupine puffer.
Non puffer
Danios, Tetras, Redtail Rasporas,
Harlequins, CAE's, Yoyo
Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
- Location: brighton , england
Re: Stubborn DP IPs!
For such intelligent creatures they are so easily tricked
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
-
kcartwright856
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 289
- Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2010 12:17 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 C. travancoricus (dwarf puffer)
7 Pangio kuhlii
5 Otocinclus vittatus (w/ fry) - Location (country): USA
- Location: Millersburg, PA
- Contact:
Re: Stubborn DP IPs!
She is now refusing live foods. I can see that her stomach is definitely becoming more pinched, whereas it didn't seem too terrible when I first got her. It's clear to me now that getting her to ingest meds is going to be a losing battle.
I read the sticky up on the top of this forum about the levamisole hydrochloride, but another internet search is saying that it is no longer available.
If that drug can be absorbed through the gills, why not other drugs? There has to be something that I can dose a small quarantine tank with to get medicine to her gills.
I read the sticky up on the top of this forum about the levamisole hydrochloride, but another internet search is saying that it is no longer available.
If that drug can be absorbed through the gills, why not other drugs? There has to be something that I can dose a small quarantine tank with to get medicine to her gills.
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kcartwright856
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 289
- Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2010 12:17 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 C. travancoricus (dwarf puffer)
7 Pangio kuhlii
5 Otocinclus vittatus (w/ fry) - Location (country): USA
- Location: Millersburg, PA
- Contact:
Re: Stubborn DP IPs!
Okay, freaking out... freaking out... freaking out!
I just turned the tank lights on and she is literally doing somersaults and twisting and flipping around in the water and just crazy in general. Then, she'll stop and swim normally for a minute or so. A few moments later and she's back to flipping around.
I'm at a total loss. Zero ammonia, zero nitrites, 10 nitrates...
I couldn't possibly be more discouraged right now. What am I doing wrong? First, the puffer last week with the fungus. Now, I'm not even able to treat some simple IPs, which I had prepared for well before getting my puffers.
My kuhli loaches are happy as could be. My otocinclus are still spawning.
What is wrong here?! I feel like a complete failure!
Should I put her down? I have clove oil in the fish drawer. I got it before I set the tank up, just to have for emergencies. I don't want her to suffer.
I just turned the tank lights on and she is literally doing somersaults and twisting and flipping around in the water and just crazy in general. Then, she'll stop and swim normally for a minute or so. A few moments later and she's back to flipping around.
I'm at a total loss. Zero ammonia, zero nitrites, 10 nitrates...
I couldn't possibly be more discouraged right now. What am I doing wrong? First, the puffer last week with the fungus. Now, I'm not even able to treat some simple IPs, which I had prepared for well before getting my puffers.
My kuhli loaches are happy as could be. My otocinclus are still spawning.
What is wrong here?! I feel like a complete failure!
Should I put her down? I have clove oil in the fish drawer. I got it before I set the tank up, just to have for emergencies. I don't want her to suffer.
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kcartwright856
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 289
- Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2010 12:17 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 C. travancoricus (dwarf puffer)
7 Pangio kuhlii
5 Otocinclus vittatus (w/ fry) - Location (country): USA
- Location: Millersburg, PA
- Contact:
Re: Stubborn DP IPs!
I put her down.
I'm still so distraught, but I felt a strange sense of relief as she stopped trying to right herself in the water and simply drifted off to sleep. I couldn't see her like that. I feel like I've failed, but I'm happy that I had the means to put her to rest so that she didn't have to suffer any longer.
I put the container out of sight so that I don't have to watch as her sleep becomes permanent.
Thanks for your help, everyone. I just don't know what I did wrong.
I'm still so distraught, but I felt a strange sense of relief as she stopped trying to right herself in the water and simply drifted off to sleep. I couldn't see her like that. I feel like I've failed, but I'm happy that I had the means to put her to rest so that she didn't have to suffer any longer.
I put the container out of sight so that I don't have to watch as her sleep becomes permanent.
Thanks for your help, everyone. I just don't know what I did wrong.
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Donna_G
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 139
- Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2012 7:00 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 Dwarf puffers
- Location (country): Bridgend,South Wales,UK
Re: Stubborn DP IPs!
Please don't blame yourself, it's just really bad luck that you've had to deal with 2 problems that were beyond your control. I am so sorry your dp experience has had such a bad start 
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bertie 83
- Moderator
- Posts: 5298
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:28 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: lineatus R.I.P, South American puffer. Valentini puffer, porcupine puffer.
Non puffer
Danios, Tetras, Redtail Rasporas,
Harlequins, CAE's, Yoyo
Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
- Location: brighton , england
Re: Stubborn DP IPs!
+1 all to often these fish are so stressed by the time we get them in our care they are open to all sorts of ailments. It's not your fault
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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kcartwright856
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 289
- Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2010 12:17 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 C. travancoricus (dwarf puffer)
7 Pangio kuhlii
5 Otocinclus vittatus (w/ fry) - Location (country): USA
- Location: Millersburg, PA
- Contact:
Re: Stubborn DP IPs!
Thank you for the kind words, guys. My husband is telling me the same thing, and deep down, I think I know that it's true.
I'm just so upset. I spent five years researching and preparing for these little girls and to have two die right off the bat is just crushing. I'm praying that the three left will be alright, but they were from the same "batch". Who knows if there is something just waiting to happen to them. I can't bear to think about it right now.
I won't be replacing my lost girls, but I may try my hand at a few cherry shrimp. Best case, a little more color in the tank. Worst case, puffer meals.
I'm just so upset. I spent five years researching and preparing for these little girls and to have two die right off the bat is just crushing. I'm praying that the three left will be alright, but they were from the same "batch". Who knows if there is something just waiting to happen to them. I can't bear to think about it right now.
I won't be replacing my lost girls, but I may try my hand at a few cherry shrimp. Best case, a little more color in the tank. Worst case, puffer meals.