Hello everyone.
I am new to the puffer world.
I have been looking closely at my puffers at feeding time. And I am worried that they can't eat probably - perhaps because of their teeth, or?
When I feed them Krill for an example, they can't eat them. And when I feed them mosquito larvae, they also have trouble eating them. The biggest one does not, but the others seem to. The larvae is sometimes hanging halfway out of their mouth and then the puffers try to eat another larvae - as if the first one is stuck in their mouth somehow (maybe in their teeth?)
Also they are very "picky" and often don't wanna eat the live food I'm feeding.
I don't know why. They are looking at them closely, but sometimes when they "go for them" they can't can't them or hold on to them.
Any advise is welcome and I will be greatful for it.
I am worried about my puffers' teeth.
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.
-
pufferbuffer
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2012 6:01 pm
- Location (country): Denmark
-
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: I am worried about my puffers' teeth.
![[welcome]](./images/smilies/welcome.gif "welcome")
What kind of puffers do you have?
Just in case it's something else, please answer all the questions above in red.
library/hospital/dentistry/
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!"
-
JRC3
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 904
- Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 4:10 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: F8(55g)
F8 (46g)
4-DP(29g) - Location (country): U.S.
- Location: S.W. OH
Re: I am worried about my puffers' teeth.
^
+1 "Just in case it's something else, please answer all the questions above in red."
Also how much and how often are you feeding? Can you get a pic of them feeding and also their bellies after feeding? What type of puffer?
+1 "Just in case it's something else, please answer all the questions above in red."
Also how much and how often are you feeding? Can you get a pic of them feeding and also their bellies after feeding? What type of puffer?
There are many knowledgeable fish keepers on this forum willing to help and give great advice...The advice is free; What you choose to do with it gives it value.
-
defool89
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 821
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 12:40 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 1 Fahaka
- Location (country): United states, Garland Texas
Re: I am worried about my puffers' teeth.
I had a puffer that seemed to have the same problem. He wouldnt eat. He tried sometimes to bite but it seemed to just ram his food with his mouth. And give up. It was not his teeth that was the problem. Please post pics aside from answering the questions in red, or describe his physique, and how long ago did you get them.
You have the right to bear Puffers.
-
pufferbuffer
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2012 6:01 pm
- Location (country): Denmark
Re: I am worried about my puffers' teeth.
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?
1. PH 7,5 to 8
No nitrite. I don't have the numbers for nitrate, as I have it checked by a aquarium store, who told me it was fine.
2. Only the puffers are in the tank.
3. I feed them live mosquito larvae + frosen krill, bloodworms, tubifex, and other stuff. They only seem to be interested in live food. I change water 2 times per week, 25 percent.
4. I haven't made any changes. The puffers were in poor condition when I got them (see the pictures I have linked to in my other thread "identifying them")
5. The aquarium had been up running for at least a month before they were put in it.
I was thinking, that maybe they were not fed the right type of food before I got them, and their teeth are now too long or something?
They want to eat, and some of them do it just fine. But a couple of them seem very "picky" and also a few of them have a hard time swallowing the food or getting it in their mouth.
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?
1. PH 7,5 to 8
No nitrite. I don't have the numbers for nitrate, as I have it checked by a aquarium store, who told me it was fine.
2. Only the puffers are in the tank.
3. I feed them live mosquito larvae + frosen krill, bloodworms, tubifex, and other stuff. They only seem to be interested in live food. I change water 2 times per week, 25 percent.
4. I haven't made any changes. The puffers were in poor condition when I got them (see the pictures I have linked to in my other thread "identifying them")
5. The aquarium had been up running for at least a month before they were put in it.
I was thinking, that maybe they were not fed the right type of food before I got them, and their teeth are now too long or something?
They want to eat, and some of them do it just fine. But a couple of them seem very "picky" and also a few of them have a hard time swallowing the food or getting it in their mouth.
-
bertie 83
- Moderator
- Posts: 5298
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:28 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: lineatus R.I.P, South American puffer. Valentini puffer, porcupine puffer.
Non puffer
Danios, Tetras, Redtail Rasporas,
Harlequins, CAE's, Yoyo
Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
- Location: brighton , england
Re: I am worried about my puffers' teeth.
What species of puffer?
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
-
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: I am worried about my puffers' teeth.
Get yourself an API Master Test Kit & keep an eye on ammonia/nitrite/nitrate/pH.
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!"