The Puffer Forum

Hi, first time writer long time reader.

I got a problem with my f8, hes in 30 gal tank i got him for 6 months now last week Ive noticed that hes losing weight to quick after a meal, but still eating very well. IP's got him, so I got gel-tek ultra cure px. What I did was I soaked some bloodworm's for about 5min and fad him. Ive also put 5 drops in a tank every night for two days. He was eating first couple days but now he doesn't want too eat at all. He will try one and run away, is it possible that gel-tek made him dislike bloodworm's. i didn't try brine shrimp yet. so i cant really tell if IP's went away.

I don't think 5 minutes was nearly enough time to get the meds into the worms--probably just enough to make them taste bad. Have you read the IP article in our Library?

I did read some gut nothing about gel-tek, how would I know when hes curred and will he not like blood warms from now on

I just don't to over do it you know MY puffer is active his colors are great

So no one will help me?

Its very possible that he has associated the bad taste with bloodworms now. You could try using a different food like mysis shrimp (brine shrimp have almost no nutritional value). Also, I usually add garlic to the mix to mask the flavor of the meds when treating a fish for IPs.

To get the most med's into him, try soaking some freeze dried foods in them. They will be like medicine sponges.

Yeah, you should let the food soak for a good 30 minutes (or even an hour). If you are going to use some garlic to get the puffers more interested, make sure you pick up the liquid garlic from a fish store (or something equally safe).

You'll notice if he's better if you see him eat food and he doesn't lose it as fast, heh.

magda1212 wrote:So no one will help me?

It's a forum not a message board thigs can take a while here
I'd soak for at least half an hour to an hour, you might want to do more drops than just 5 to make sure he gets a lot of meds.
Does it say it treats IP?
Also if it was only soaked for 5 minutes there is a very good chance that is why he stopped eating bloodworms, since they just tasted funky. He should get over it soon enough.

hi,
OK day #2 and I tried mysis shrimp this time but no luck hes running away from it, tomorrow I will try krill I still put 5 drops every evening I don't soak food any more.

I use GEL-TEX ultra cure px " treats internal parasites"

Don't add to the water. Unless the fish eat ita dilute, food based wormer like geltek, you'll only ad dilute doses of the medication to the water, which will make the parasites resistant to treatment over time.

I got to add MED to the water because hes not eating so if he doesnt eat soaked food he wont get well drops is my only way

would it be possible to try dipping him in a bowl that has a much much higher concentration of the med than 5 drops in the tank?

I read that dipping freshwater fish in salt water for approx 30 seconds once or twice a day can cure skin parasites like white spot, so I wondered if this method could also be used here...

You could dip him in the pure med--it won't do any good. FW/BW fish do not drink water. It must be administered internally, by soaking the food in the med for at least an hour.

that would be the bit I was wondering about, and why it would work on skin parasites and not internal.
cheers