Hello all,
I'm very new to this site but have read a lot of threads regarding IP in dwarf puffers etc. I've noticed a lot of people said their puffers would lose their appetite and not wanna eat with IPs. As the title says, I have had my DP for over 3 years now and she has been very healthy up until recently. She still wants to eat but can't seem to actually get the food into her mouth or if she does get it into her mouth, she will hold it there for a bit and then spit it out. She is in QT right now with only plants and some baby ramshorn snails that just hatched. I also got scuds to feed her as she always loved to eat them in the past. She chases them and tries to eat them but she just can't seem to chomp/swallow them.... she is very emaciated now and I am very attached as you can imagine after 3+ years. She was fed a diet of frozen bloodworms up until recently (and she still tries to eat the blood worms if I offer them which I do daily) and I have been a bad owner and hadn't given her snails in about 1.5 years, although her main tank has MTS but they only come out at night and I've read and noticed that DPs including my fish don't like them too much. She's alert and aware of me and I don't think I've had a problem with IPs with her as I've had her for so long with no issues. I've tried to find any evidence if overgrown teeth could be the problem but I've read in many threads and forums that that's not an issue with DPs. Could it just be old age? She still has a very good appetite but just can't seem to actually swallow the food or "chew" it. Any opinions, advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Current hospital tank parameters-
2.5g fluval spec that is planted heavily - flow is on lowest setting with frogbit, duck weed, and jungle val to further disrupt flow
Inhabited currently by newborn RH snails and now scuds
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
Tank temp currently is around 79-81 degrees Fahrenheit (she's always been in water around 77-78 but hospital tank is warmer than her main tank)
3+ year old dwarf puffer can't seem to eat
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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Jennuine75
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 12:27 pm
- Location (country): USA
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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- 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: 3+ year old dwarf puffer can't seem to eat
This is exactly how my elderly fahaka puffer acted before he died. Maybe your puffer is much older than 3?
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!"
-
hadla
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1626
- Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:33 pm
- Gender: Female
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- Location: Sacramento, CA
- Contact:
Re: 3+ year old dwarf puffer can't seem to eat
Can you tell if her beak is overgrown?
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. -RTR
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Jennuine75
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 12:27 pm
- Location (country): USA
Re: 3+ year old dwarf puffer can't seem to eat
Thanks for the replies. As far as I can tell, I don't think it's her teeth. I've looked everywhere and everyone said that dental issues are very rare for pea puffers if it exists at all even... she's on her last leg now and I've read the article about euthanasia but I don't think I can stick a pin into her head 
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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: 3+ year old dwarf puffer can't seem to eat
Get clove oil (Eugenol) in the toothpaste isle. It's for toothaches. You can add it to a bowl of water to euthanize, then freeze, to be sure.
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!"
-
eieio
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1033
- Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2009 11:34 am
- My Puffers: *
The Congo Puffer:
"olivia"
and.......
The DP:
"cream puff"
RIP cream puff :-( - Location (country): U.S.A.
- Location: Prescott, Arizona
Re: 3+ year old dwarf puffer can't seem to eat
I don't think they live much longer than that
there's a recent thread on their longevity
sorry about your troubles
there's a recent thread on their longevity
sorry about your troubles
"I plan ahead. That way, I don't have to do anything right now!"
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hadla
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1626
- Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 gsps and a big Stars and stripes
- Location (country): California
- Location: Sacramento, CA
- Contact:
Re: 3+ year old dwarf puffer can't seem to eat
I euthanize by putting the fish in an inch of tank water then dropping a lot of crushed ice in it... I had clove oil and the smell of it can't be contained XP
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. -RTR
-
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: 3+ year old dwarf puffer can't seem to eat
The fish is alive when it freezes to death.
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!"
-
Jennuine75
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 12:27 pm
- Location (country): USA
Re: 3+ year old dwarf puffer can't seem to eat
She passed tonight when I got home from work thank you for the suggestions, everyone!
thank you for the suggestions, everyone!-
hadla
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1626
- Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 gsps and a big Stars and stripes
- Location (country): California
- Location: Sacramento, CA
- Contact:
Re: 3+ year old dwarf puffer can't seem to eat
I then wrap it in a paper towel and flatten it with a rock... X(
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. -RTR
-
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: 3+ year old dwarf puffer can't seem to eat
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!"
-
hadla
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1626
- Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 gsps and a big Stars and stripes
- Location (country): California
- Location: Sacramento, CA
- Contact:
Re: 3+ year old dwarf puffer can't seem to eat
Sorry to hear that
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. -RTR