The Puffer Forum

Hey.

I've been treating one of my dwarf puffers for IP's. He's not responding well. =/

Water Parameters- Ammonia= 0, Nitrite= 0, Nitrate= 5

Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants- 29 gallon with 4 DP's

Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank- I feed everyday and do 50% water changes every 1 1/2 weeks, API water conditioner. I'm using PraziPro to soak the food.

What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so- Just started using the PraziPro for IP's.

How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it?- Has been cycled for about 3 weeks using used filter media.

I have been soaking bloodworms with the PraziPro and garlic. Nothing. The problem DP has been eating one or two small medicated bloodworms. I know he has IP's as when I feed him its about 1 or 2 hours before its indented again. And when he has been fed his belly is "seperate." Like he has swallowed a rock. I was wondering if I could have the puffer soak in a mix of meds/water for an hour and have better results. Do any of you have an experience with this? Will it work? What would be the ratio of water and meds? Thank you!

I would be interested to know this answer to. I have a dp that does something similar. I treated his food for awhile but he stayed the same. He still eats fine and his behavior is normal..he does not dent in in a couple of hours -maybe in the span of overnight..he just stays on the thin side, but not too sickly looking....

Just started using the PraziPro for IP's.

Give it time. 1 or 2 medicated worms are good, inside a DP. IMO, an external bath will do nothing for IPs. FW fish do not "drink" water.

Hrrrmmmm, I see. I have actually given him the medicated food 3 times now. Being one day apart.

If he is eating, I would continue to feed the medicated foods. It is much more effective than a bath.

I have known fish with horrible cases of internal parasites to respond to a bath in the correct meds, but its a last ditch effort used only on fish that have reached the point of refusing to eat anything. I disagree with Pufferpunk that it doesn't work, it certainly can.. but if the fish will eat the meds, that's a much more effective option.

Thank you Myaj!!

He is alright. He'll eat 1 or 2 half worms before giving up.

I'll keep trying, until he gives up all together. Then I may have to try a new meds and baths and such.

Unfortunetly the sick DP has passed away yesterday.

And now the other DP's have little bits off stringy poo just popping out of their anuses. Like just a smidge. Is this dead IP's or alive ones!

That is too bad. I wonder what introduced the IPs... I hope your remaining one will pull through

Sorry you lost one of you DPs. Hierony and I have had the same problem with our DPs. We started with 3 and now only have 1, but he finally looks healthy and round. How big are your DPs? If you are seeing the white stringy poop I think that means that the IPs are dying and coming out but I would keep treating with the prazi pro until their poop looks normal again. We had to treat our little DP that we now call Lucky multiple times with prazi pro and we ended up treating the tank with Wormer plus. We fed him prazi pro soak food for a week then gave him a few days with just vitamin soaked food and repeated that treatment two more times.

Good luck, I hope your DPs get healthy soon!

Thanks for the advice. I'll continue treatments.