The Puffer Forum

Ok, deffo reduce feeding, but with the dries bloodworm, squeeze some garlic juice into the tank water you're using to rehydrate them and try that...won't hurt.
Find out for sure if it's parasites or stress. Stop transferring them around, and see if they perk up any, if not, it could well be IPs, so you'll have to try de-worming them.
If you can get the not-so-good one to eat a little that'll be great, but I'd also try and get some de-wormer...make a note of these two drugs...levimisole (or levamisole - I'm hungover) and praziquantel. They're in most de-wormers. You're in Singapore, right? I dunno what fish meds you can get there, but if you can find one with one or both of those chemicals in, preferably in a liquid, you've got a chance.
Good luck, keep us posted.
Pami.

I'm so glad you decided to go with dwarf puffers. They are so cute and are just fun to watch as they explore all the hiding places (yeah - make sure there's lots of hiding places and space). How puffers behave when you first get them varies from puffer to puffer. I've had them eating in the bag on the way home!!!! And I've had one that didn't eat until a couple days after I put them in the tank. The best thing seems to be just put them in and let them get used to the surroundings. Feed them every day and they'll get used to their new home and eat when they are good and hungry.

Mine love live snails and are pretty happy with frozen bloodworms. They didn't seem too thrilled with frozen brine shrimp. I'm planning on trying ghost shrimp today.

-Kenny

sweet!

the 2 alive ones are doing great now.

theyre colors are nice and healthy, they eat like little piggies(i bought some Sally's blood worms) and there exploring.

the one bad thing is that they eat the snails head when ti sticks it out, but dont go fot the shells....yet.

thx for all the help!

and by the way im not in singapore, i live in ontario,canada.

That's great to hear. Oh yes, I remember you're in Canada now. I'm very old, and my memory's not what it was............
You can get them cockles and clams, just small ones, and open them for them. You don't fancy trying out the triops? Mind you, a full grown one'd be twice the size of a DP...but I still reckon the DP'd get him!
Pami.

Wannapuffer - don't worry about DPs not eating the shells. They just reportedly don't have the tooth growth problems of some puffers. Let them "slurp" them out at will...it seems to be traditional for DPs!

Eric

I second Jayhawk - I never had a dwarf with tooth overgrowth problems, and they fed on worms 90% of the time.

aright then i wont.

i have a question, one of them i have never seen eat and still does have a healthy colouring but he doesnt swim around alot.

Internal parasites are a likely culprit. Sadly, when dealing with new DPs one should be prepared for losses. No other puffer is as susceptible to IPs as DPs, in my experience. The best you can do is give pristine water, a nice environment, and medicated foods. If they don't accept the medicated foods, there's really not a lot that can be done.

Try soaking the food in garlic extract if you haven't yet already. If possible, quarantine the weak one to give him/her a better chance of accessing food.

darn it, he just died in the night.

thats really annoying, there just so sensitive.

and now the one thats left isnt eating that much.

all my parameters are spotless.

i took out most of the ghost shrimp so he could get a better chance at getting those bloodworms, im going to feed him now....ill tell you what he eats.