Hi All,
I have a 45L tank with what started off with 4 DP about 6 weeks ago.
(The tank was used to house a few spare fish which I got rid of prior to getting the Puffers, and is fully cycled.)
I am now down to 2.
The fish all look emaciated and of my original 4, 2 have died. The fish are eating and get fed once a day with either blood worm or fine mussel.
Initially thought the puffers had some sort of internal parasite. I tried treating with Kusuri twice but this has not led to an improvement.
The tank has a layer of sand, has stones and bog wood and is heavily "planted" with fake plants (no light in tank, so no live plants).
PH = 7.6
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate between 10 & 20
KH = 10°
15% water change once a week.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Squidward
Problems with Dwarf Puffers
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.
-
J-P
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 5626
- Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:21 am
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): Japan
- Location: Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan
Re: Problems with Dwarf Puffers
have you tried any live foods? Blackworms, snails or cherry shrimp?
if you follow me, you avoid stepping in the crap that I just did...
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZR55G ... pqlgec1A2Q
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZR55G ... pqlgec1A2Q
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32975
- 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: Problems with Dwarf Puffers
Do you see them eat to a round belly?
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: Problems with Dwarf Puffers
Yes, there are snails in the tank.J-P wrote:have you tried any live foods? Blackworms, snails or cherry shrimp?
Re: Problems with Dwarf Puffers
Can't say I have noticed their bellies swelling. But they do eat enthusiastically and a lot.Pufferpunk wrote:Do you see them eat to a round belly?
Re: Problems with Dwarf Puffers
Hey there,
If they're eating and not gaining weight, I'd say it sounds like internal parasites. I had a lot of trouble with IPs with my dwarf puffers. I'm not sure what Kusuri is, but my suggestion is to try Levimisole and treat for at least a week, more like two, with feeding only medicated food for the duration. I found I had to soak the food for 30-60 minutes maximum and feed immediately after, or else it was nearly entirely rejected by the puffs. Also, blackworms worked best for me, but they can sometimes be more difficult to find.
If they're eating and not gaining weight, I'd say it sounds like internal parasites. I had a lot of trouble with IPs with my dwarf puffers. I'm not sure what Kusuri is, but my suggestion is to try Levimisole and treat for at least a week, more like two, with feeding only medicated food for the duration. I found I had to soak the food for 30-60 minutes maximum and feed immediately after, or else it was nearly entirely rejected by the puffs. Also, blackworms worked best for me, but they can sometimes be more difficult to find.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32975
- 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: Problems with Dwarf Puffers
Yes, I forgot to ask if you medicated their food or just the 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!"
Re: Problems with Dwarf Puffers
The active ingredient of Kusuri is FlubendazoleLola wrote:Hey there,
If they're eating and not gaining weight, I'd say it sounds like internal parasites. I had a lot of trouble with IPs with my dwarf puffers. I'm not sure what Kusuri is, but my suggestion is to try Levimisole and treat for at least a week, more like two, with feeding only medicated food for the duration. I found I had to soak the food for 30-60 minutes maximum and feed immediately after, or else it was nearly entirely rejected by the puffs. Also, blackworms worked best for me, but they can sometimes be more difficult to find.
You medicate the tank with it, not the food.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32975
- 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: Problems with Dwarf Puffers
Then I'd find something to medicate their food with, because FW fish don't drink water.
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: Problems with Dwarf Puffers
It works with my Angels.Pufferpunk wrote:Then I'd find something to medicate their food with, because FW fish don't drink water.
And Discus keepers swear by it.
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sevenyearnight
Re: Problems with Dwarf Puffers
It's not worth swearing over if the little puffers aren't making it. It's best with internal parasites to give the medicine internally. Maybe with the cases of the angels and discus, they just didn't have IP's as severely.