Sick 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.
Sick Dwarf Puffer?
My dwarf puffer fish has a strange growth on its belly. I have a 10 gallon tank with no nitrites, nitrates, or ammonia (I test weekly). My puffer has always refused to eat frozen bloodworms, so I feed it (female, I think) 4-5 snails and a couple brine shrimp daily. The only other fish in the tank is an otocinclus who appears to be fine. I have 3 small plants. The aquarium has been set up for a month and I think it is cycled, since there is no ammonia or nitrites. Am I overfeeding her, is she pregnant (I'm not sure how), a parasite maybe?
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crazedpuffer
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Re: Sick Dwarf Puffer?
I see no growth, only a fat puffer. Their bellies get lopsided when fed a lot, which could be what you are seeing.
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LilGreenPuffer
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Re: Sick Dwarf Puffer?
You say "growth," but the caption says that the belly is bloated. Is it just a bloated belly? DPs should have nice round tummies, especially after you feed them. This is a fat, healthy DP:
ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Freshwater/C_Trava ... 3.jpg.html
That does sound like a lot of food, though. What size are the snails? You say that you think the tank is cycled; did you use cycling products or go through a certain process?
She's very cute!
ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Freshwater/C_Trava ... 3.jpg.html
That does sound like a lot of food, though. What size are the snails? You say that you think the tank is cycled; did you use cycling products or go through a certain process?
She's very cute!
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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: Sick Dwarf Puffer?
I used "stress zyme" to cycle the tank the first week I had it. It's not so much that her belly is bloated, but more that it has a "lump". It's not really big, but i thought I'd just make sure it wasn't a bigger problem. Is that too much food? How much would be good for one fish?
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Myaj
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Re: Sick Dwarf Puffer?
Looks okay to me, but its not a real clear/closeup photo.
Generally we suggest feeding the fish until their belly is nicely rounded.. which it looks like you are doing.
Generally we suggest feeding the fish until their belly is nicely rounded.. which it looks like you are doing.
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Nick
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Re: Sick Dwarf Puffer?
Yea, looks like a skinny guy that finally got his fill to eat - When they are skinny, and then eat a bunch, they get offshape bellies, even easier than most other puffers, because even small foods can "lay lumpy" in them easily.
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