My fahaka is loosing a tooth. I noticed it today, the gum one that side is swollen and "defect", and the tooth is very loose and has a serious build-up of plaque and it feels like I'm not far from able to pull it out completely, it's only attached to some soft tissue at one side. Other than this, the puffer is fine and healty.
The tooth is definitly beyond healing i guess. Do you think it might grow back if I remove it and the gum heals? If not, do you think it could have a appy life with only tree teeths?
Fahaka with serious tooth-problems
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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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diverchic
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Re: Fahaka with serious tooth-problems
Oooh, I don't know but wanted to say I hope it all turns out okay!
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Myaj
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Re: Fahaka with serious tooth-problems
That is odd.. You'll probably just have to wait and see if it grows back or not, and you'll probably have some extra dental work in your future, as the other teeth will wear crooked without that one there to keep things even.
That's usually what happens when a puffer breaks a tooth off.. watch the base for any infection, and hopefully it will grow back so the special dentistry isn't a lifetime need.
That's usually what happens when a puffer breaks a tooth off.. watch the base for any infection, and hopefully it will grow back so the special dentistry isn't a lifetime need.
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bigfatfish
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Re: Fahaka with serious tooth-problems
I don't see why it shouldn't grow back, unless the "bed" where the tooth sits has been damaged. Occasionally we have to remove the incisor teeth of rabbits because they become overgrown due to misalignment - we try to damage the gum to prevent further growth, but sometimes it still grows back. Just thought I would mention it cos rabbits also have continually growing teeth, as puffers do!!
Re: Fahaka with serious tooth-problems
Thanks for you concern. I'ts become looser and looser, and when I examined him today I saw that there was only a tiny tiny pice of healthy flesh holding it in relative place, so I cut it loose.
This is the tooth, Does not look healthy. I'm expecting the worst, but hoping for it to grow back out again, even if I really can't see how that would be possible...
But my knowledge of the biology behind continious growing teeth is quite limited...
This is the tooth, Does not look healthy. I'm expecting the worst, but hoping for it to grow back out again, even if I really can't see how that would be possible...
But my knowledge of the biology behind continious growing teeth is quite limited...
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bigfatfish
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Re: Fahaka with serious tooth-problems
That looks nasty. I would think the gum has been damaged. How is the space where the tooth was? - is it red & sore or clean looking? Hope he's ok.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Fahaka with serious tooth-problems
All that flesh came out with the tooth? How'd you get that out? I think there has to be something worse going on there than a loose tooth.
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!"
Re: Fahaka with serious tooth-problems
Thats actually not flesh, it's solid. The only soft tissue you see is the little red part whith the white bit attached to it. It wasn't hard to get it out, the fahaka is really cool and lets me handle him without much fuss.
The gum where the tooth was actually looked quite fine. I didn't get a really good look at it, but what I saw was white and smooth. I'll maybe check again in a couple of days.
Anyway, it feels good to have the tooth out.
The gum where the tooth was actually looked quite fine. I didn't get a really good look at it, but what I saw was white and smooth. I'll maybe check again in a couple of days.
Anyway, it feels good to have the tooth out.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Fahaka with serious tooth-problems
IDK, I'm not fish dentist but something looks wrong there. Are you adding Melafix to his 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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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doraemon
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Re: Fahaka with serious tooth-problems
Wow you must have a really strong bond of trust with your fahaka for it to allow you to handle it like that! Thats awesome but sorry for you both having to go through that process.
I have 2 water water pugs that own me!!
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mrgreen
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Re: Fahaka with serious tooth-problems
It looks like flesh to me, too. Maybe he has gum disease and this is the result. Never seen a tooth with flesh still attached like that.
"Puffs puff cuz they're puffs cuz they puff cuz they're puffs. - Nathan age 12
Re: Fahaka with serious tooth-problems
I can promise you, it's not flesh. It's completely solid and feels just like bone. I know it looks like bad flesh, but it's not.
I've been thinking it might be some kind of virus or fungus infection causing the tooth to grow abnormally, just like when you get warts, but I just dont know.
I'm not adding any medications since he is othervise healthy and does not seem to have ay remaining problems with the area around the tooth. I´ll just wait and see what happends.
I've been thinking it might be some kind of virus or fungus infection causing the tooth to grow abnormally, just like when you get warts, but I just dont know.
I'm not adding any medications since he is othervise healthy and does not seem to have ay remaining problems with the area around the tooth. I´ll just wait and see what happends.
Yeah, I'm quite amazed about him letting me hold him and jiggle his loose tooth around without much protests. He almost seems to know that I'm trying to help him... He's almost like a puppy.Wow you must have a really strong bond of trust with your fahaka for it to allow you to handle it like that!
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Fahaka with serious tooth-problems
So he has no upper plate? How is he eating?
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!"
Re: Fahaka with serious tooth-problems
Upper plate? Not shure what that means, but he is missing his upper left tooth. And he has a good appetite and has no problems with the eating.