Lol and no, I'm not selling anything. I just love puff's and think they should be well cared for.
Pufferfish Lockjaw - Cured
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.
Pufferfish Lockjaw - Cured
I have successfully cured my Pufferfish of lockjaw. This unfortunate ailment can affect all species of saltwater puffer when kept in the home aquarium. No medications or drugs were used, although I did order some Tricane-S just in case, it ended up not being necessary. If you or anyone you know has a pet puffer suffering from this ailment, please contact me.
Lol and no, I'm not selling anything. I just love puff's and think they should be well cared for.
Lol and no, I'm not selling anything. I just love puff's and think they should be well cared for.
-
LilGreenPuffer
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 5301
- Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:26 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Dwarf puffer - Thumbelina (only mine in my heart now; she lives in CT with my friend)
RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond. - Location (country): United States
- Location: Kentucky
Re: Pufferfish Lockjaw - Cured
Can you post how you did it?
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
Re: Pufferfish Lockjaw - Cured
Sure, just didnt want my cure to be taken out of context or misinterpreted etc.
I have a medium 6" porcupine puffer. He was about a year and a half old when he started suffering from lockjaw. To make a long story short, I was feeding him a mix of food, and he was sneaky and started to just pick the krill out of the mix...
And as you may or may not know, freeze dried krill can and will give puffers lockjaw over time. To my knowledge this is caused by a vitamin deficiancy, but other theory's exist as well. This is NOT due to lack of iodine, as some older theories suggest. The problem isnt the krill per se, its feeding too many krill and too little of other foods....and in the case of my puffer, he was just picking all the krill out of the mix I was feeding. Anyway..
After he had not eaten for about 2 weeks, I was concerned. I tried hand feeding him various things, which was usually an easy way to get him to eat. He tried lunging at things, but it seemed like his mouth wouldnt open. And he would twitch like he was fighting to get his jaws open, which sometimes he would and he could bite once, and then they seemed to lock up again.
I rigged up a tube feeding/gavage mechanism which consisted of a old aiptasia-x applicator (minus the metal tip) and about 6" of airline tubing. I thawed some spirulina brine shrimp and added some vitamrin (liquid fish vitamin complex) and sucked some up in the tube. At 1st I tried squirting it at his mouth, but he didnt eat it. So I tried putting it IN his mouth, which he did not like and puffed up and swam away. So, I gently (yes VERY gently) but firmly grabbed him, waited for him to puff, then another 1-2 minutes for him to deflate, then I stuck the end of the tube in his mouth and squeezed some food into his mouth. He coughed it all up, so I gently inserted the tube about 2-3 inches down his throat and squeezed a little food in. I let him go after that as I did not want to overly stress him. I repeated this once every day for about 2 weeks. At 1st he would flee the tube and my hands, and got very good at avoiding me. After about 1.5-2 weeks he would seek out the tube when I put it in the tank, and I just aimed it into his mouth and squeezed when he was swimming forward and the food would just drift into his mouth. After about 1-2 weeks of that he would swim right up on the tube and try to bite the end, I'd wait for him to put his mouth on it or right before he bit it and squeeze the food into his open mouth. After about 2 weeks of that, he swam up to the tube one day and ripped it off the syringe and tried to chew it to pieces. His jaws had clearly improved, but sometimes it looked like he had to "crack" his jaw before he could eat. I found it similiar to TMJ that I had as a kid, where sometimes my jaws would lock up and I had to "pop" or "crack" them like a knuckle to make them work right. He appeared to be doing the same kind of thing. All in all I think it took about 2.5-3 months before he was completely cured, and now he eats anything I put in the tank, and he's back to begging at the front of the tank again. I've found he snaps up anything I hold at the waters edge, including pea's and other vegetables, although he does look pissed off when he finds out it's vegetables. I make sure to feed him 90% NON-krill items, and on the days I do give him a piece of krill, I rehydrate it in liquid vitamins prior to feeding him.
This was my method, and it was 100% successful. I had purchased some MS-222 (Tricane-S) as I thought I would have to knock him out to tube feed him, but after thinking about it long and hard, I thought it would be better to try it without drugs. Add to that I have heard of people using that method, and after the fish wakes up, they vomit up all the food you've given them. And not to mention if you dose it wrong you end up killing your poor fish.
I'd like to point out that I am well read on puffers & puffer care, and this was %100 a case of lockjaw and NOT overgrown teeth, or parasites or fungus or anything else.
Thank you, and I hope this method can save other puffers in distress.
If your puffer is very small (as in you cant grab them like I did) you might try the tricane-s method, but be SUPER FRICKING CAREFUL with dosage.
I have a medium 6" porcupine puffer. He was about a year and a half old when he started suffering from lockjaw. To make a long story short, I was feeding him a mix of food, and he was sneaky and started to just pick the krill out of the mix...
And as you may or may not know, freeze dried krill can and will give puffers lockjaw over time. To my knowledge this is caused by a vitamin deficiancy, but other theory's exist as well. This is NOT due to lack of iodine, as some older theories suggest. The problem isnt the krill per se, its feeding too many krill and too little of other foods....and in the case of my puffer, he was just picking all the krill out of the mix I was feeding. Anyway..
After he had not eaten for about 2 weeks, I was concerned. I tried hand feeding him various things, which was usually an easy way to get him to eat. He tried lunging at things, but it seemed like his mouth wouldnt open. And he would twitch like he was fighting to get his jaws open, which sometimes he would and he could bite once, and then they seemed to lock up again.
I rigged up a tube feeding/gavage mechanism which consisted of a old aiptasia-x applicator (minus the metal tip) and about 6" of airline tubing. I thawed some spirulina brine shrimp and added some vitamrin (liquid fish vitamin complex) and sucked some up in the tube. At 1st I tried squirting it at his mouth, but he didnt eat it. So I tried putting it IN his mouth, which he did not like and puffed up and swam away. So, I gently (yes VERY gently) but firmly grabbed him, waited for him to puff, then another 1-2 minutes for him to deflate, then I stuck the end of the tube in his mouth and squeezed some food into his mouth. He coughed it all up, so I gently inserted the tube about 2-3 inches down his throat and squeezed a little food in. I let him go after that as I did not want to overly stress him. I repeated this once every day for about 2 weeks. At 1st he would flee the tube and my hands, and got very good at avoiding me. After about 1.5-2 weeks he would seek out the tube when I put it in the tank, and I just aimed it into his mouth and squeezed when he was swimming forward and the food would just drift into his mouth. After about 1-2 weeks of that he would swim right up on the tube and try to bite the end, I'd wait for him to put his mouth on it or right before he bit it and squeeze the food into his open mouth. After about 2 weeks of that, he swam up to the tube one day and ripped it off the syringe and tried to chew it to pieces. His jaws had clearly improved, but sometimes it looked like he had to "crack" his jaw before he could eat. I found it similiar to TMJ that I had as a kid, where sometimes my jaws would lock up and I had to "pop" or "crack" them like a knuckle to make them work right. He appeared to be doing the same kind of thing. All in all I think it took about 2.5-3 months before he was completely cured, and now he eats anything I put in the tank, and he's back to begging at the front of the tank again. I've found he snaps up anything I hold at the waters edge, including pea's and other vegetables, although he does look pissed off when he finds out it's vegetables. I make sure to feed him 90% NON-krill items, and on the days I do give him a piece of krill, I rehydrate it in liquid vitamins prior to feeding him.
This was my method, and it was 100% successful. I had purchased some MS-222 (Tricane-S) as I thought I would have to knock him out to tube feed him, but after thinking about it long and hard, I thought it would be better to try it without drugs. Add to that I have heard of people using that method, and after the fish wakes up, they vomit up all the food you've given them. And not to mention if you dose it wrong you end up killing your poor fish.
I'd like to point out that I am well read on puffers & puffer care, and this was %100 a case of lockjaw and NOT overgrown teeth, or parasites or fungus or anything else.
Thank you, and I hope this method can save other puffers in distress.
If your puffer is very small (as in you cant grab them like I did) you might try the tricane-s method, but be SUPER FRICKING CAREFUL with dosage.
-
sevenyearnight
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1894
- Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2011 2:41 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: T. nigroviridis
Balki Bartokomous - Location (country): USA
- Location: South Carolina
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32773
- 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:
Re: Pufferfish Lockjaw - Cured
You might want to post that info here: http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic72164-10-1.aspx
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
-
LilGreenPuffer
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 5301
- Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:26 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Dwarf puffer - Thumbelina (only mine in my heart now; she lives in CT with my friend)
RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond. - Location (country): United States
- Location: Kentucky
Re: Pufferfish Lockjaw - Cured
That's very neat, thanks!
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
Re: Pufferfish Lockjaw - Cured
Thanks, I have been trying to get this information out there, as my Puff is my best buddy and I dont want other Puff's to suffer needlessly.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32773
- 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:
Re: Pufferfish Lockjaw - Cured
This is also what Kelly (Puffer Queen) offers as a cure, too.
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Re: Pufferfish Lockjaw - Cured
Yar, I just read her posts. I wish more people would post the results...
So many people come to forums with a problem and are looking for a solution, then they never seem to post the results.
Thats another reason I wanted to get this information out there.
So many people come to forums with a problem and are looking for a solution, then they never seem to post the results.
Thats another reason I wanted to get this information out there.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32773
- 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:
Re: Pufferfish Lockjaw - Cured
I don't think force-feeding is something most folks are capable of or willing to do.
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Re: Pufferfish Lockjaw - Cured
Ack, when the alternative is letting your poor puff die, I think force feeding is a reasonable option.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32773
- 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:
Re: Pufferfish Lockjaw - Cured
It still takes a special person who cares enough to try this. Most people think of fish as disposable.
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Re: Pufferfish Lockjaw - Cured
People who think of fish as disposable pets need to not have fish as pets. Especially Puffers.
Tell them to get a fish screen-saver or a plushie or something instead.
Tell them to get a fish screen-saver or a plushie or something instead.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32773
- 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:
Re: Pufferfish Lockjaw - Cured
Unfortunately that is 90% of fishkeepers out there. I say fishkeepers, not hobbyists.
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
-
fishologist43
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2011 4:20 pm
- Location (country): united states
Re: Pufferfish Lockjaw - Cured
I just finished feeding my tank and am pretty convinced that my puffer has lock jaw. im FREAKIN OUT!!!! 
this puffer means the world to me and i will do anything to help him get better. i know this is not an overgrown beak. his beak looks normal and i can tell when he tries to eat that it is his jaw and not the beak. he did eat but not like he normally does. im also sure its lock jaw because he eats lots of krill and a few silversides. from now on the krill will be absolutely gone from his diet. eventually he will get hungry and have to eat some thing else. i soak thier food in a vitamin liquid made by seachem but apparently this was not enough. what vitamin did you use and do you have any other tips? what do you think caused it to go away? does it just need time or do you think it was more of the vitamins that did the trick? also could you post a picture of the feeding tube that you used or a similar one?
Thank you so much for posting this
this puffer means the world to me and i will do anything to help him get better. i know this is not an overgrown beak. his beak looks normal and i can tell when he tries to eat that it is his jaw and not the beak. he did eat but not like he normally does. im also sure its lock jaw because he eats lots of krill and a few silversides. from now on the krill will be absolutely gone from his diet. eventually he will get hungry and have to eat some thing else. i soak thier food in a vitamin liquid made by seachem but apparently this was not enough. what vitamin did you use and do you have any other tips? what do you think caused it to go away? does it just need time or do you think it was more of the vitamins that did the trick? also could you post a picture of the feeding tube that you used or a similar one?Thank you so much for posting this