New here, soon to be puffer owner again.

[JakeJekel37]

Well, it looks like it's a no go on the Dwarf Puffers for now. The problems the person I was going to get them from have taken their toll on her DPs. She only has 5 left. Looks like the stress from shipping to her, and the ich outbreak was just too much. She doesn't want to take the chance of selling me any of those remaining and risk infecting my tank, or have them die on me within days.

I 100% respect and agree with her decision. Unfortunately, no one around me ever gets them. So it looks like it will be awhile before I get any.

So my 10 gallon is now going to be a shrimp colony tank, with maybe a pair of Dario Dario or a small school of a Mircorasbora species or 2, or something along those lines. Unless anyone around these parts has a DP or two they'd like to sell.

Perhaps I'll set up a 20 gallon long for a larger DP tank in the future.

::sigh::

[sevenyearnight]

Awww... I'm sorry to hear the puffers fell so ill.

[JakeJekel37]

Awww... I'm sorry to hear the puffers fell so ill.

Thanks, me too. But kudos for her for being open and honest and caring about her customers. It's been frustrating. But it would be more so to get them only to have them die a few days later.

[JakeJekel37]

So, I ended up ordering a couple Dwarf Puffers from an online retailer. One arrived alive, the other DOA. A bit sad, but those are the dangers of shipping.

Anyway, here's my survivor. His name is Gimli.

[Pufferpunk]

Poor lil skinny fellow! Does he have ich too?

[JakeJekel37]

Poor lil skinny fellow! Does he have ich too?

No, I don't believe he does. Granted, it kind of looks like it in that photo, but that was taken with the flash which reflected a bunch of particles in the water. I don't see any spots on him at all. I'm going to keep a close eye on him for the next few days. There are plenty of snails in the tank for him to munch on and I've already seen him "tasting" a few.

Here's another picture of him, looking at his reflection, without the flash.

[Pufferpunk]

Try live blackworms soaked in liquid vits.

[JakeJekel37]

Unfortunately, he didn't make it through the night. I assume it was a case of combined stress, malnutrition, and possibly sickness. Water params are great. Ammonia - 0, Nitrite - 0, Nitrate 5, temp - 80F, pH 8.0.

I'll have to look somewhere else to get some from next time. BTW, these weren't from the person I was trying to get them from before, they were from a online retailer.