New Amazon puffers - are they healthy?

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Sinaasappel
Puffer Fry
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Location (country): The Netherlands

New Amazon puffers - are they healthy?

Post by Sinaasappel »

Hello!

I regularly lurk the forum but made an account because I recently got three Amazon puffers for my 60 gallon tank (it's a single species setup). The puffs are still juveniles just slightly larger than a dwarf puffer. I've had them for about three weeks now but I'm not 100% sure yet if they're healthy - it's a little difficult to see since they're so small. I'm especially unsure whether they have parasites (should I medicate just to be sure?), whether they are fat enough and whether their teeth are already on the long side.

They eat well and have cleared the tank of probably hundreds of tiny snails. They are not fast enough to catch the cherry shrimp that are in there yet. I toss a few snails in there from the breeding tank every day or every other day; they go after the snails and take them into their mouths but don't seem to eat them right away, they just drop them. I do think they hunt them down and eat them later. I've also offered some frozen food a few times which they gobble right up, but I want to avoid any soft foods as much as possible. Their teeth already seem a bit long but they are much too small for dental work. They are very active and have gone from very shy to begging for food whenever I walk into the room in just three weeks. Bellies seem a little lumpy sometimes but I do know puffer bellies can be lumpy from eating, which makes it a little difficult to figure out. The photo and video below were taken before feeding.

I hope you guys can have a look! I've done my research and know how Amazon puffer keeping works but some practical tips are always great. :)
https://youtu.be/mJ0IZsUPSTw
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Pufferpunk
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My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
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2 T biocellatus
C valentini
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Also kept:
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Re: New Amazon puffers - are they healthy?

Post by Pufferpunk »

They do look quite thin, I'd treat for IPs: library/hospital/internal-parasites-pre ... treatment/
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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Sinaasappel
Puffer Fry
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Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2017 4:43 am
Location (country): The Netherlands

Re: New Amazon puffers - are they healthy?

Post by Sinaasappel »

I will go ahead and do that. What I don't understand about the thinness, though, is that it is partly being caused by them not having eaten. There are a few snails in the tank still but they don't seem that interested in them. I observed them for a long time yesterday after putting a few snails in there and they just swim right past them, yet they are skinny and seemingly hungry. Hope I didn't "ruin" them by feeding bloodworms a few times.
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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: New Amazon puffers - are they healthy?

Post by Pufferpunk »

Then offer them something else, like live worms.
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!"
sarahnya
Figure 8 Puffer
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Re: New Amazon puffers - are they healthy?

Post by sarahnya »

Yes they definitely look thin, mine looked like that when I picked them up from the fish shop.

Might as well fatten them up with whatever they will eat. Mine actually will eat New Life Spectrum pellets now, they seemed to have learned this from watching the other fish.
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: New Amazon puffers - are they healthy?

Post by Pufferpunk »

Also, try crushing the snails.
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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