The Puffer Forum

I've had 2 DP's in a 5 G for over a year. All has gone well with these guys...but now one is going after his food (live brine shrimp, bloodworms, and snails) but just bumping into it like he is not sure where his mouth is. I do not see any other problems with him. He has not eaten in several days and I'm getting worried. I thought about blindness but he will still go after the swimming shrimp and he still hunts the snails but he just bumps into them. I think his equilibrium is off, he seams to be having trouble controlling certain movements. (For example if he tries to look straight up a little he will kind of almost do a back flip). He can’t get steady enough to complete that little last lunge at the food and ends just missing getting the food in his mouth…he even bites down with his teeth but he is missing the food. I do not see any external sores or damage to any fins. He has been puffing up a lot…could he have some sort of swim bladder problem? It is very sad, I know he is hungry and he is trying to eat but just can’t get anything into his mouth. Anyone have any advice?

Could you please answer the questions outlined in the sticky "Read this before posting"? It will help us start to figure out what's up.

When's the last time you did a water change & how much? When in doubt, change water: it's always a good start.

Sounds like a swim bladder problem almost. But never heard about it for puffers. Only with koi and goldfish from gulping TOO much air into their stomaches. You may just have a territorial puff, or one that is amusing its self, or maybe one that has ADHD?

Has anyone heard of a dwarf getting overgrown teeth? Never heard of that before, just only with larger puffs.

Here are the tank specks

1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrite.
This is by far the most important information you can provide

pH = 7.5
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 5
Temp = 82 C


2) Feeding and water change schedule.
The real one. Not the one you'd like to adhere too. (Yeah life gets in the way for us too sometimes!)

brine shrimp or bloodworms once a day

chang one gallon (5 G tank) 2 times a week

3) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so.
Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.

water changes everyday, tried using MelaFix and PimaFix to see if that would help my puffer


4) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it?

1 year and 2 months, water from another tank

Although I'm sure the tank's cycled by now, for future reference-water from another tank will not cycle a tank.

Do DPs get overgrown teeth? Could that be an issue?
Pami.

I at first thought about that but I can see that his little teeth are not overgrown.

Is the fish male or female? A few people have posted about DPs not eating recently, and apparently it's cuorting behaviour..is that possible?
Pami.

The disorientation and lack of coordination sounds alarming, and I'm just not sure what to make of it. Do his eyes look clear and normal-sized?

FWIW, I'm pretty sure puffers do not have swim bladders.

Duh - rereading your post, it seems more likely that your puff inhaled some air and it's throwing off his ability to swim. Do you think that's possible?

I've never had to burp a dwarf before.... Maybe PP has some tips.

I do think that is possible if that can happen to dwarf puffers. Is this common? What can I do…he is getting very week. How can I burp him?

Jeez... It's tough because they're so small. Gently hold him by the tail with thumb and forefinger, hold him vertically with his nose facing up. Then gently and not too quickly, "shake" him up and down, gently masaging the belly from bottom to top with your free hand (or not--I don't imagine this will be easy). Sorry to hear it's gotten this bad. I hope you can do something for him.

Well, I have tried to burp him several times, it has either not worked or that is not what is wrong with him. He is not any better. I have been taking shrimp and holding them in front of is mouth with tweezers trying to feed him. He has been able to eat a few. I might be prolonging his suffering by doing this. I do not know what else to do? Thank you to all that have very kindly tried to help me.