The last four days my dwarf puffer has been going down hill. She is normally very active and swims to the front to great me. Now, she doesn't. She just lays on the ground or on another surface.
I just tested the water and got the standard readings:
pH- 8.2
ammonia- 0
nitrite- 0
nitrate- 5
What should I do?
ADDED: She's not eating. I just did a mini water change, 10%.
Lethargic Dwarf Puffer
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.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32775
- 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: Lethargic Dwarf Puffer
Poor thing.. 
When has it last eaten? Is she emaciated? How long have you had her?
When has it last eaten? Is she emaciated? How long have you had her?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!"
-
genevieve
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2015 1:28 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 1 F8 puffer
- Location (country): United States
Re: Lethargic Dwarf Puffer
She ate maybe five days ago? I've had her for a month. I don't think she looks emaciated but I'll let you decide, here are some pics:
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32775
- 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: Lethargic Dwarf Puffer
Have you tried live bloodworms?
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!"
-
TheStig
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 105
- Joined: Thu May 28, 2015 3:25 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: DP
- Location (country): USA
- Location: CA
Re: Lethargic Dwarf Puffer
How's your little puffer girl? I hope she's doing better.
10 gallon: 1 dwarf puffer, 3 Otos, 1 amano shrimp
Don't let your wet friend suffer - PufferPunk
Don't let your wet friend suffer - PufferPunk
-
genevieve
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2015 1:28 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 1 F8 puffer
- Location (country): United States
Re: Lethargic Dwarf Puffer
Sadly, no. She is now not responsive to ANYTHING. I only know she is alive because her pectoral fins are fluttering slightly and her chest is moving. She's on her side. I think she's just waiting for her time to come now.TheStig wrote:How's your little puffer girl? I hope she's doing better.
When I got her she had a huge belly. (I thought she was full of eggs.) She still has a huge belly but is skinnier everywhere else. Maybe that has something to do with it? I'm thinking tumor or maybe a genetic thing that has finally caught up with her.-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32775
- 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: Lethargic Dwarf Puffer
Maybe filled with worms? Time to euthanize?
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!"
-
genevieve
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2015 1:28 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 1 F8 puffer
- Location (country): United States
Re: Lethargic Dwarf Puffer
She died yesterday while I was at work.
Do I need to do anything to the tank?
Do I need to do anything to the tank?
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TheStig
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 105
- Joined: Thu May 28, 2015 3:25 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: DP
- Location (country): USA
- Location: CA
Re: Lethargic Dwarf Puffer
Sorry to hear abt your DP.
I would probably do a WC, and then test the parameters. Interested in reading what others have to say...
When my first DP died, I had put him in the QT away from the other DP. Good to know what the protocols are if a death occured in my main tank, with other inhabitants.
Good qn.
I would probably do a WC, and then test the parameters. Interested in reading what others have to say...
When my first DP died, I had put him in the QT away from the other DP. Good to know what the protocols are if a death occured in my main tank, with other inhabitants.
Good qn.
10 gallon: 1 dwarf puffer, 3 Otos, 1 amano shrimp
Don't let your wet friend suffer - PufferPunk
Don't let your wet friend suffer - PufferPunk
-
Iliveinazoo
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 826
- Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2008 8:09 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 1xFigure 8
- Location (country): UK
- Location: Southampton
Re: Lethargic Dwarf Puffer
If you have other fish in the tank then I'd probably treat the entire tank for internal parasites to be on the safe side.