The Puffer Forum

Hi there i posted some 3/4 weeks ago i have a 2 year old dwarf puffer, who has a lump/trapped air at the back of his belly just were his tail starts.. which is causing him to float to the surface

i left to go work offshore for 4 weeks and was not exspecting him to be there when i got home, i get home in 4 days from work and i have been told by my girlfreind he is still there!!.. in total 6 weeks with this air trap.

he is eating healthy, when the lights go off he swims to the filter and sticks himself to the intake and lets it suck him against it and he relaxes there

during the day/when the lights come on he goes and hide in the weeds and when they are fed he swims out, eats and then goes back to his weeds

i have got some video footage of him i will upload on youtube when i get home and post it on here, and it shows the problem very clear.

i was half exspecting him to have given up and not be there on my return him, but hes been a little fighter and is still alive an kicking, he is a good 15mm in size and i can hold him thumb and forefinger, he is in a 200 litre tank with 6 more dwarf puffers and 15 other fish,

previously i was burping him. once (sometimestwice) a day for 4-5 days... but i didt want to distress him to much and as soon as he saw me he shot off

i studied marine biology and i am still in contact with some people who work in the field and at aquariams as aquarists , they suggested burping him, another said he would fart it out??? and mabye use a swim bladder treatment to help it come out

does any one know of any good treatments i could try. or any more ideas. like i say i wasnt exspecting him to be there still there when i get home this thursday but he is... if he isnt giveing up i dont want too. any more help would be greatfully appriciated

some one suggested it could be a tumor. but would this make him float?!?!... i will attach some video footage this weekend when i get home,

i thank you in advannce for any help

Dan

I don't have any words of wisdom to offer, although I wish I did. Your little guy sounds like he deserves to live after all this time and he's still going.
I did want to say that I believe that PufferPunk has stated that puffers don't have swim bladders. Now, I don't know this for myself, but I think I recall reading a comment being made about it before. As you mentioned swim bladder medication I just thought I would mention about the possibility that he might not have one. I've often wondered about this myself from problems I've had with puffers, but I haven't come across any scientific information that confirms this, although maybe one of the other members, or PufferPunk herself can comment on the existence of a swim bladder in a puffer.

I really hope your little guy pulls through, would love to hear something good come out of this.

no .. puffers don't have swim bladders. That was made perfectly clear to me a while ago ...

But if your are looking for remedies for him to pass gas, yes that is an interesting question: 2 things come to mind; epsom salts and boiled peas. Don't try either without the consent of the higher ups. Both are used for constipation, but on the other hand, you may want to firm up that stool so that it pushes the air out.. I really don't know.

Definitely no swim bladders. That's come up several times. I also learned it in Bio class.

I've had females that had those symptoms after birth and soon passed away. If you don't mind, I would leave her in the tank to have her fry. Putting her in a breeder trap/net would be way too stressful for her. If her belly looks squared she may be close to giving birth. Not all female will stay near the bottom. You'll just have to wait and see how things turn out.

Puffers don't give birth, so I don't think that's it.

Nick, See the Mod chat about this.

i am currtly away from the puffer have been for 5 weeks due to been at work offshore

before i left i put it in a guppy net upside down as the dp when i got up in the morning was just floating on the surface due to been tired i assume, as the lump has got bigger so as far as my partner has said it seems quite happy in there as he just floats to the top of the net and swims around in there, and eats normally

he has been like this for 10 weeks know, i have tried everything, im from hull in the uk and i fortunatly to have the Deep submarium 6 miles from me and i went and spoke to a aquarist there,

i have not tried for constipation though, could some one please advise me, what i should do... any help is greatly appriciated... i havnt given up on the little fella yet. i will deffo try get some photos of him,

thanks in advance

Dan

I think epsom salts and aquarium salts will help with constipation. I can help with a dosing/schedule so someone else will have to help ya there

1 tbsp/10g for FW.