The Puffer Forum

I just looked at my congo puffer, and his color is no longer faded. However, I have one whisker shrimp and one red cherry shrimp in his tank and he is still not showing any interest in them. I also tried feeding him some people shrimp and frozen bloodworms, but he wasn't interested in those either. I'm about 99% sure that there is no longer anything wrong with the water parameters, but this lack of hunger seems abnormal even for a lurking puffer.

So I tried feeding my congo puffer again tonight, and he didn't take the food. As of now, he hasn't eaten in five days. Here's a picture of the tank.

Is that leftover food in there? Have you been thoroughly stirring the substrate weekly? Check the water parameters & post results here.

Try live earthworms.

There's no left-over food, the water is cloudy from a combination of a bad picture and the fact that I did a water change 20 minutes before I took the picture. The nitrates are 2, the nitrites are 0, the ammonia is 0, the pH is 7.8, and I don't have the test solution for the dH. I'll try live earthworms.

That's right--I forgot you added red gravel to the white sand. I mistook that for uneaten food. That's not nearly enough read gravel to make him want to match it though.

I know, I used to have more but took most of it out so that he had multiple places to bury himself. Recently, he turned white with brown stripes, and he looks even cooler than when he was red. He still hasn't buried himself, though.

I just looked at my puffer, and he's really skinny. I think that he has internal parasites. What should I do?

Is he eating the earthworms?

I tried feeding him an earthworm, and he attacked it but only took a small bite. I have some PraziPro coming in the mail and it will arrive tomorrow.

You must treat his food. Best bet would be to inject the worm, if he'll eat it.

Okay, I now have the medicine. How do I inject it?

You have a needle & syringe?

Hypodermic injection. Needles can be purchased at any pharmacy or medical supply store.

I always got them from my vet.

I just soaked an earthworm in garlic and injected it with PraziPro, and my puffer ate it!