Puffer lockjaw?
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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ILuvMyGSP
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 89
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:45 pm
- My Puffers: 2 GSP's - Ernie and Cricket
- Location: Central CA
Puffer lockjaw?
my puffer just had his teeth trimmed, and he still isnt eating, he is trying with all his little might but doesnt seem to be able to. is this lock jaw?
"I created the sound of madness, wrote the book on pain, somehow I'm still here to explain, that the darkest hour never comes in the night, you can sleep with a gun, when you gonna wake up and fight?"
-
Pufferpunk
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T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Puffer lockjaw?
So is his mouth stuck open or closed? Are you sure you trimmed them back enough? What foods have you been offering?
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!"
-
ILuvMyGSP
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 89
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:45 pm
- My Puffers: 2 GSP's - Ernie and Cricket
- Location: Central CA
Re: Puffer lockjaw?
well, i cant tell if hes opening his mouth or not really well, hes pretty small, but his bottom jaw looks cut or injured, so maybe thats why. i have started melafix to heal him up and put more live bloodworms in there to see if he can eat something soft.
his normal diet is live and freeze dried bloodworms (usually live), frozen plankton, clam and mussels and i also have ghost shrimp in there but they dont eat them anymore. right now im only doing the live bloodworms to try to make it easier on him to get a little something in his belly.
also i can see inside his mouth just fine so i think his teeth are ok, i just think his bottom part is injured so i hope it heals fast and he gets back to normal. he was eating a little after we first trimmed them, but slowly stopped being able to. he still tries with all his little might tho!
his normal diet is live and freeze dried bloodworms (usually live), frozen plankton, clam and mussels and i also have ghost shrimp in there but they dont eat them anymore. right now im only doing the live bloodworms to try to make it easier on him to get a little something in his belly.
also i can see inside his mouth just fine so i think his teeth are ok, i just think his bottom part is injured so i hope it heals fast and he gets back to normal. he was eating a little after we first trimmed them, but slowly stopped being able to. he still tries with all his little might tho!
"I created the sound of madness, wrote the book on pain, somehow I'm still here to explain, that the darkest hour never comes in the night, you can sleep with a gun, when you gonna wake up and fight?"
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bigfatfish
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 938
- Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: GSP "Puffy" RIP old friend 1999-2009
GSPs "Flash" & "Lionel" - in a 55 UK Gallon Bow front Marine Tank with sump. - Location (country): United Kingdom
- Location: Devon, UK
Re: Puffer lockjaw?
Was his mouth able to open & close properly before you trimmed his teeth? I am currently having a problem with my GSPs mouth not closing. I have trimmed his teeth at the front, but think that I didn't go far enough back, so they are still touching way back in his mouth. Before his teeth were trimmed, it didn't look like his mouth was open cos his teeth filled the gap!
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ILuvMyGSP
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 89
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:45 pm
- My Puffers: 2 GSP's - Ernie and Cricket
- Location: Central CA
Re: Puffer lockjaw?
he ate fine when we first got him, he was fat, hehe. but over time his teeth grew because he refused to eat the snails we gave him, and the mussels etc wernt doing the job, so we had to trim them because he couldnt eat anymore, and after that he ate a little, but now he cant eat again. im really not sure whats going on. im hoping its just the sore on his bottom lip, not sure how it got there, but i hope the melafix heals it and he is better again. if not i am at a loss on what to do for him.
"I created the sound of madness, wrote the book on pain, somehow I'm still here to explain, that the darkest hour never comes in the night, you can sleep with a gun, when you gonna wake up and fight?"
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marksrush
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 856
- Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2008 8:10 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: One GSP.
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Raymore, Missouri USA
Re: Puffer lockjaw?
How's things going with him now?
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ILuvMyGSP
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 89
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:45 pm
- My Puffers: 2 GSP's - Ernie and Cricket
- Location: Central CA
Re: Puffer lockjaw?
i shipped him off to dado to see if he could help him more. it was $90 to ship him, and i hope he makes it, he is worth every penny 
"I created the sound of madness, wrote the book on pain, somehow I'm still here to explain, that the darkest hour never comes in the night, you can sleep with a gun, when you gonna wake up and fight?"
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32976
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Puffer lockjaw?
Your father?
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!"
-
Dadof4
- Tech Team
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- My Puffers: 1 GSP (Microfiche) RIP, 1 Monotrete Turgidus (Leon) in a 30gal. 1 Monotrete suvattii in a 40 gal FW. 120 gallon BW with 3 juvenile Dragon Gobies (so cool). 55 gal with a 2" GSP named Hank. 180 gallon being set up for a Fahaka in the next few months!
- Location (country): United States
- Location: North Wisconsin
Re: Puffer lockjaw?
No, she shipped him to me....I am expecting him around noon and I'll let everyone know whats going on when he gets here.
"Darwin swings...annnnnnd a miss. Boy Jim, Chuck's suffered at the plate tonight. He's 0 for 3 and I'm not sure he's recovered from that shoulder pull a few weeks ago. I'll bet the front office is re-thinking that contract."
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32976
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Puffer lockjaw?
Oh... duh...
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!"
-
ILuvMyGSP
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 89
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:45 pm
- My Puffers: 2 GSP's - Ernie and Cricket
- Location: Central CA
Re: Puffer lockjaw?
he didnt make the trip
"I created the sound of madness, wrote the book on pain, somehow I'm still here to explain, that the darkest hour never comes in the night, you can sleep with a gun, when you gonna wake up and fight?"
-
Dadof4
- Tech Team
- Posts: 2862
- Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:50 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 1 GSP (Microfiche) RIP, 1 Monotrete Turgidus (Leon) in a 30gal. 1 Monotrete suvattii in a 40 gal FW. 120 gallon BW with 3 juvenile Dragon Gobies (so cool). 55 gal with a 2" GSP named Hank. 180 gallon being set up for a Fahaka in the next few months!
- Location (country): United States
- Location: North Wisconsin
Re: Puffer lockjaw?
I got a good look at his jaw and it looks like there was an old injury there, the jaws wouldn't line up right. There also was infection in the bottom jaw, not where the teeth were trimmed but more toward the back left side. Does anybody know, do they capture these guys by hook and line sometimes? That is what the injury looks like.
"Darwin swings...annnnnnd a miss. Boy Jim, Chuck's suffered at the plate tonight. He's 0 for 3 and I'm not sure he's recovered from that shoulder pull a few weeks ago. I'll bet the front office is re-thinking that contract."
-
bigfatfish
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 938
- Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: GSP "Puffy" RIP old friend 1999-2009
GSPs "Flash" & "Lionel" - in a 55 UK Gallon Bow front Marine Tank with sump. - Location (country): United Kingdom
- Location: Devon, UK
Re: Puffer lockjaw?
If you look at my post "Tumour vs Abscess" you will see I am currently having problems with my GSP mouth. Has what would seem to be an abscess on his left lower jaw, which appears to be associated with his tooth. I wondered if there was an old injury - he also still cannot shut his mouth properly, despite my trimming his teeth short as possible. However, he is not sick with it at the moment & hopefully I will be able to keep him happy & as healthy as I can. Sorry to hear the news of the little puffer - I did wonder if he was too poorly to make the journey - I guess worth a go tho.
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ILuvMyGSP
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 89
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:45 pm
- My Puffers: 2 GSP's - Ernie and Cricket
- Location: Central CA
Re: Puffer lockjaw?
he had that same exact thing for a while, it went away with melafix and he was still ok, but slowly over time got worse... it started out as an irritated absess little bump thingy, that was a little while ago tho... i hope he gets betterbigfatfish wrote:If you look at my post "Tumour vs Abscess" you will see I am currently having problems with my GSP mouth. Has what would seem to be an abscess on his left lower jaw, which appears to be associated with his tooth. I wondered if there was an old injury - he also still cannot shut his mouth properly, despite my trimming his teeth short as possible. However, he is not sick with it at the moment & hopefully I will be able to keep him happy & as healthy as I can. Sorry to hear the news of the little puffer - I did wonder if he was too poorly to make the journey - I guess worth a go tho.
"I created the sound of madness, wrote the book on pain, somehow I'm still here to explain, that the darkest hour never comes in the night, you can sleep with a gun, when you gonna wake up and fight?"
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32976
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Puffer lockjaw?
Awww... sorry he died. How did you ship him?
How did you ship him?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!"