Constipated Figure 8

[aquababies]

Hi. I just got my Figure 8's about 3 days ago. The lady at the store (who seemed to be extremely knowledgeable) told me to give my larger Figure 8 a pea as he was a bit bloated. I have been trying unsuccessfully since I got him to get him to eat a pea and nothing! I bought fresh, washed it and took the skin off. I even mixed it in with a few bloodworms. He took it in and spit it out. How do I get some fiber or something else to help clean him out? Also, how often should I feed? I have 2 Figure 8 puffers and a tire-track eel. I have been doing one 3.5 oz cube twice daily at 6 am and 6 pm for all 3 of them (thoroughly thawed in a shot class of tank water). This amount doesn't seem to make their bellies any larger. Do you prefer 2 smaller feedings or one large feeding? Thanks in advance for your help!

[Pufferpunk]

How large is their tank?
Puffers won't eat veggies. I'd watch that puffer before assuming it is constipated. Ever seen it poop?
That eel will not appreciate brackish water.

[aquababies]

[weleome]
How large is their tank?
Puffers won't eat veggies. I'd watch that puffer before assuming it is constipated. Ever seen it poop?
That eel will not appreciate brackish water.

I have seen him poop once but only a little. I bought some Supershrimp to go in the tank with them. Hopefully i can gut load these shrimp to give it to the puffer second hand. Will also get some ghost shrimp when my pet store gets them back in stock. How often should i be feeding them? I'm still only doing the 3.5 oz cube twice a day but everything in the tank is eating bloodworms now. I thought about trying the Hikari Vibra Bites or sinking carnivore food in the morning and frozen food at night. Anyone had any success with this feeding model. I want to make sure they are getting enough but not too much.

PS. Everything I have read about the tire-track says he will be fine in low brackish. SG is about 1.004-1.005. That's what he was in when i bought him.

[Pufferpunk]

If you indeed do think he is constipated, add 1 tbsp Epsom salt/10g to the tank.
library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/
library/puffers-in-focus/fig8/

[aquababies]

I spoke with the pet store. We think he may have an internal parasite. I saw some stringy white poo.

[Pufferpunk]

What did they suggest for treatment?
library/hospital/internal-parasites-pre ... treatment/

[aquababies]

I dosed the entire tank with PraziPro. All of the fish in the tank were bought from the same fish store at the same time and were in display tanks that shared water so i figured if one was sick it was likely that all were sick. I have been using the dose on the label and plan to run a prolonged treatment for 4 weeks minimum to be sure I completely kill the entire life cycle. I have another question though. When I first got him, there was a perfect swirl on the left side of his body right before his tail fin. I bought two puffers and he was the only one that had it. It was under the skin (EXACTLY like when people get sub-dermal implants). It was a PERFECT circular swirl. When I first noticed that he was no longer eating, I noticed the swirl disappearing and a bubble forming in the same area. I have been dosing with PraziPro about 10 days now and he is back eating (only took about 3-4 days of using the medication for him to start eating again), but the bubble is still there just as prominent as ever. It may even be getting bigger. What is this and what can I do about it?

[Pufferpunk]

It is a nematode. Hopefully, the Prazi won't kill it because the rotting body inside the fish's skin will kill the fish. Fish have been known to live quite some time with them. It seems very common with F8s for some reason. It can be contagious.

[aquababies]

What do I do???? Is there any way to save my sweet puffer? How do I keep my other puffer from catching it?

[Pufferpunk]

Separate or return