amazon puffer not eating

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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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zoeum
Puffer Fry
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2014 9:56 am
Location (country): England

amazon puffer not eating

Post by zoeum »

Hi all,

i brought my amazon puffer home yesterday night and I went to feed him today some frozen bloodworm and he looked like he started to eat it and then just spat it out.
Also I had 4 algae eaters I'm there which he did seem interested in but then lost interest (obviously i dont want him to eat them!). One of them has now died but puffer doesn't seem interested in him and took it out anyway in case it was ill.
He is moving round the tank but pacing the glass at the back mostly.

I've been waiting and preparing months for this so I'm so worried he's not well.

Is there something else I can feed him that I can readily buy? He is only just over an inch big.
I did buy frozen brine shrimp but it was like dust!

Tank is 65L
Water parameters: Ammonia - 0, Nitrites -0 and Nitrates approx 40 (tap water is 20)
Ph is around 7.4
Ive just done a water change of about 30/40% with bottled water.
in the last week or so i have done 2 90% water changes (one after my fishless cycle had completed and another one a few days later when i put my algae eaters in)

I'd appreciate any advice or stories from people who have had similar issues with a new puffer.

Thank you
:)
Last edited by zoeum on Sun Apr 26, 2015 6:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: amazon puffer not eating

Post by Pufferpunk »

[welcome]
I moved this to the Hospital, so you can post answers to ALl the Qs above, in red. Bumping into things can be a sign of ammonia/nitrite poisoning. What do his teeth look like?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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zoeum
Puffer Fry
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2014 9:56 am
Location (country): England

Re: amazon puffer not eating

Post by zoeum »

Very difficult to see his teeth as he us so small!

No ammonia /nitrite present in the tank.

He has eaten brine shrimp and snails live.
He will not eat frozen food though.
Is this normal for a new puffer?

He is still pacing the sides of the tank. ..is this normal at 1st to?

Thanks all :)
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Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32776
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:
Contact Pufferpunk

Re: amazon puffer not eating

Post by Pufferpunk »

Defrost his food in a shot glass with fish vitamins & Some garlic juice. Drain before feeding.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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bertie 83
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Re: amazon puffer not eating

Post by bertie 83 »

These fish are exercise monsters. Tried them in a 90l and all I got was pacing constantly, drove me insane! Ended up putting him into a 5footer because I couldn't deal with him stressing, problem solved. This is an extreme solution but you may want to think about a longer tank.
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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