Hi All,
Just a quick question re the teeth or beak as i've read it can be called.
Mine, we call him goofy, eats fine, has a tank full of ramshorns snails to munch on and he also loves to nibble an algae wafer, has what looks like a gap in the middle of his teeth. I was led to believe that it was just one tooth at the front top or two fused together, but this one looks like he has two, occasionally he will get a bloodworm stuck in it but a little puff and it comes away and he gobbles it up. Is this normal? has he damaged in on a shell or something?
He's only a baby, just over 1" long and i realise their little teeth continue to grow and have read up on all of the foods etc that they can munch on to keep the teeth short. I also read a rather scary web page about putting them in clove oil to sedate them and then trim the teeth but TBTH this is something i would never do...
Just to say thanks again for all your help with my little guys last year, one made it through the white spot crisis and is happy enough in his tank....new tank coming for him next week for him so will get him some friends again then.
Puffer's dentistry
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.
-
Ladybgemini
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 3:56 pm
- Location (country): United Kingdom
Re: Puffer's dentistry
Puffers do have a gap between their front teeth, it's nothing to worry about. I'm surprised you can see it's teeth though. Keep an eye on their length and keep feeding the crunchy foods 
We have an article on here about how to trim teeth. You do not want to use clove oil but a produce called MS-222. It isn't difficult to trim their teeth. Don't worry, if you ever need to it's not as scary as it sounds.
We have an article on here about how to trim teeth. You do not want to use clove oil but a produce called MS-222. It isn't difficult to trim their teeth. Don't worry, if you ever need to it's not as scary as it sounds.
It is absurd to talk of one animal being higher than another. We consider those, when the cerebral structure/intellectual faculties most developed, as highest. A bee doubtless would when the instincts were.
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
-
Ladybgemini
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 3:56 pm
- Location (country): United Kingdom
Re: Puffer's dentistry
Flutter wrote:Puffers do have a gap between their front teeth, it's nothing to worry about. I'm surprised you can see it's teeth though. Keep an eye on their length and keep feeding the crunchy foods
We have an article on here about how to trim teeth. You do not want to use clove oil but a produce called MS-222. It isn't difficult to trim their teeth. Don't worry, if you ever need to it's not as scary as it sounds.
I can only see it because of the bloodworm being stuck in between it lol....when he's just swimming about i cant see it
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- 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's dentistry
2 teeth on top & 2 on the bottom.
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!"
-
Ladybgemini
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 3:56 pm
- Location (country): United Kingdom
Re: Puffer's dentistry
Thanks guys.....Heaven forbid I should ever have to trim them, where would I buy that MS-222 from in the UK? I dread that day!!!!
I did notice someone offering this service on aquarist classifieds website a while ago........
I did notice someone offering this service on aquarist classifieds website a while ago........