The Puffer Forum

OK, for the technical stuff just so I cover this forum's requirements: pH 8.4, ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates less than 10. Tank has been up and running for about a year, FW originally, but gradually moved to BW when I picked up my figure 8. Only inhabitants are figure 8 and a knight goby (he's new).

My real question is how many folks do a preventative deworming of their puffers?

My figure 8 will eat like a pig until he has a round belly in the evening, by the next morning I'd describe his stomach as flat, and by the following day when I feed (I feed every other day - he's about 2 to 2.5" SL) his stomach is just slightly sunken in (definitely not emmaciated looking). Is this normal? I've had him since June and he seems totally healthy other than this. So many of the pictures I see are of...how can I say this politely...very "healthy" looking puffers who simply don't look skinny at all. Do we all only take pictures of recently fed fish?

Anyway, I have discomed so I could do what would amount to a bit of a preventative worming, but I hate to use med's if the fat, straight, thin stomach profile is normal for a puffer being fed every other day.

Thanks,

Eric

Pics would be very helpful here. Its hard to judge if you haven't seen live specimens that are infected and those that aren't.

Read some of my posts about dwarfs and levimisole. I'm currently using it for preventitive treatments, but I'd see about a pic first, so you don't medicate unnecessarily.

I'll try and take some pictures, but my camera doesn't do close-ups very well. It's too late tonight, so I'll see about tomorrow. I'll also have to see where I can host the photos because we changed ISPs and I no longer have my webpage (I think SBC/Yahoo DSL has a photopage you can use).

I'm most familiar dealing with camallanus (I think I spelled that correctly) where you can see the little buggers hanging out or with fish that try to eat but end up spitting out the food (not sure which IP, but levamisole has always worked for those). I just didn't know if it was possible for a healthy fish, eating well, to still have a worm of some sort.

Eric

I have used Discomed in iffy situations.