The Puffer Forum

One of my other DPs has become skinny and today I saw him / her poop.

It was not solid, not stringy, but more like a white fuzz with some solid particles in there. Puffer diarrhea?

This came about after I fed the puffers some pond snails from a tank that was medicated with Paraguard. The skinny pinched look developed prior to the feeding, that is why I chose to use these particular snails.

I am not sure if what he/passed is a good or bad sign. Given that he / she passed something may be a positive sign. So, I placed him / her in a cup with 3 more snails. He will "pick at them" but not "eat them" The anal region looks swollen. Is it possible that there is a blockage that won't pass?

He still looks active and alert, may be a good sign?

active and alert yes, starving, yes.

Can you put him into a tank - if not back into the display tank, then into a hospital tank? Being in a cup can't be good for his appetite (or recovery).

he was only in the cup during the feeding. In and out. For some reason I had a feeling he wasn't eating in the display and transfered him to the cup for isolation (from the other DP fatty), so he can eat.

His reaction was the same in both instances. He "nibbles" but doesn't "eat" and growing more skinny all the time.

looks like IPs to me.

the pinched look and not eating sounds like c lassic IPs to me. But the swollen anus I don't think is, I had a SAP with that issue and treated it with ebsom salt