Dwarf Pea Puffer (upside) Down!!

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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.
Lateknyte
Puffer Fry
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Dwarf Pea Puffer (upside) Down!!

Post by Lateknyte »

Hi all,

I have four PP in a heavily planted Fluval Spec V. I haven’t had any issues for two and a half months, since the puffers were introduced. The water is cycled weekly and gets a monthly dose of nitrifying boost. I also provide a plant boost from my local aquarium store.

The puffers are fed frozen bloodworms every other day. Just this past weekend, one puffer was hiding in the weeds and did not come out to eat. Not unusual, so I walked away. Now, the past few days, I’ve noticed that he is staying in the weeds, curling under a lily pad and just hanging out. I thought I would let him pass in peace and remove him. I went to do that yesterday and he put up quite a fight.

Now, as I watch him, he doesn’t seem to have problems breathing, just swimming. He appears to always be floating to the surface and when he does attempt to swim, it’s darting towards the bottom.

Any thoughts or is it too late for him?
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Pufferpunk
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Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
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Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
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Re: Dwarf Pea Puffer (upside) Down!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

[welcome]
What do you mean: "The water is cycled weekly and gets a monthly dose of nitrifying boost."?
library/hospital/help-my-puffer-is-air-filled/
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!"
Lateknyte
Puffer Fry
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2020 6:31 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Dwarf Pea Puffer (upside) Down!!

Post by Lateknyte »

Lateknyte
Puffer Fry
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2020 6:31 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Dwarf Pea Puffer (upside) Down!!

Post by Lateknyte »

https://fritzaquatics.com/products/frit ... freshwater

This is the monthly boost I give it.

I see the link how to burp the puffer, I’m supposed to squeeze this little fishes stomach? I’m not comfortable doing that
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Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
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: Dwarf Pea Puffer (upside) Down!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

If your tank is cycled, there is absolutely NO reason to keep adding more bacteria.

You can also try netting the puffer & holding it head up (underwater) & shake it by its tail until it burps out the air.
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!"
Lateknyte
Puffer Fry
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2020 6:31 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Dwarf Pea Puffer (upside) Down!!

Post by Lateknyte »

I’m trying that, he’s squirming, but isn’t letting out any air.
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Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
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: Dwarf Pea Puffer (upside) Down!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Can you gently press on his lil belly?
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!"
Lateknyte
Puffer Fry
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2020 6:31 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Dwarf Pea Puffer (upside) Down!!

Post by Lateknyte »

I’ve pressed his belly some, but he doesn’t appear to be changing. He seems drawn to it though
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
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: Dwarf Pea Puffer (upside) Down!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Drawn to what?
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!"
Lateknyte
Puffer Fry
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2020 6:31 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Dwarf Pea Puffer (upside) Down!!

Post by Lateknyte »

Still no change. He seems drawn to the contact, maybe I’m being naive.

There’s no change, he’s still alert, floating around the top of the tank and can only make jerky, swimming attempts to the bottom and comes back up. The flow of the filter pushes him in the plants and he hangs up there. I let him stay in the plants because I feel like at least there he’s comfortable.

They didn’t eat yesterday, but now I’ve noticed a bump in between his stomach and tail. The bump is on his right side if you stand behind him and it seems to be the side that’s keeping him afloat.
C182E8F2-937C-473C-A9AC-776F3E59C7C6.jpeg
I hate to have to put him down as his eyes are still very alert, I just don’t know what else I can do.
C182E8F2-937C-473C-A9AC-776F3E59C7C6.jpeg
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User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
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: Dwarf Pea Puffer (upside) Down!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Maybe he's constipated? Try adding 1 tbsp Epsom salt/10g.
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!"
Lateknyte
Puffer Fry
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2020 6:31 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Dwarf Pea Puffer (upside) Down!!

Post by Lateknyte »

To the whole tank or pull him out in a bowl and do it?
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
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: Dwarf Pea Puffer (upside) Down!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Whole tank
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!"
Lateknyte
Puffer Fry
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2020 6:31 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Dwarf Pea Puffer (upside) Down!!

Post by Lateknyte »

Still not much of a change. I pulled him out of the plants and got him in a net away from the heavy flow of water from the filter. He did burp out some air when I moved him, so I took it as a good sign.

I tried to feed him by hand, but he didn’t take any. He’s just been laying on this leaf, still breathing, eyes still moving around.
C6049ACA-CBEF-46BE-9B2C-88B5EA9363B3.jpeg
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User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
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: Dwarf Pea Puffer (upside) Down!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Do you think he's suffering?
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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