The Puffer Forum

I have had my Dogface puffer for 7 years last week all of the sudden he stopped eating (and i need to trim his teeth, but he can still eat)...for 3 days he was in an area being alone which is not like him..I also have a porcupine puffer( 7 yrs old) and a mappa puffer(3 yrs old) in same tank . 120 gallon. After he stopped eating the next day i was gonne trim teeth with a dremmel, then he started having a lump on his side, its the same color as his skin and soft. I tried burping him for air, even though I dont think it was that , he is never out of the water, unless he got some trying to get food from the water at top... tried that several times no air came out and bump is there still, didnt trim teeth didnt want to stress him more since he has bouancy probs now cant swim right. As per my LFS i put him in a 10 gal hosp tank with heater and air stone. added melafix and pimafix and furan 2 this is day 4 with all meds and no improvement. i added some live ghost shrimp but he hasnt eaten... i tried puting food in his mouth but he spits it out..he still gets happy to see me , but isnt eating and bump is no better...please advise as to what to do...dont think it is a tumor since it came up all of the sudden ..and when i tried to burp him for air he never puffed up..he just lets me hold him poor thing....

120 gallon fo..amonia 0, nitrates,20, wet dry filter, porcupine puffer, mappa puffer, and dogface puffer

Welcome to the forum!!
a little more background for the pros:

stacyb13

no nothing new added for abt 3 years..the last was the mappa puffer....thats why I am confused, the lumo is soft and when i push on it , it goes away for a second then comes back. I really have no idea what to do anymore the meds are not working......he prob spit the food out cause he is stressed and has no room really but i thought bets since he canrt swim anyways he is always on his side cause of the lump, I only thought air because maybe he got it trying to get food or something.....

They will ask you to answer all the questions in red at the top of the page also which includes feeding habits, water test results and water change schedules.

Also any pics you may be able to provide would also be appreciated.

Your tank is extremely overstocked. Please answer ALL the Qs above, in RED.

Ten gallons is too small for a dogface. Remove him to something larger asap. He is a gonner for sure in ten gallons.

What kind of test kit are you using? For being so over stocked 0,0,20 seems unlikely.

Sorry, i thought I would get an email when people responded to me...

amonia 0
Nitrite 0
nitrates 20-40
ph 7.8-8.2
salinity 1.023
120 gallon tank, wet dry filter, Mappa puffer, dogface puffer, porcupine puffer, few decorations.

do water change every 3 weeks sometimes sooner, use ro water, use stresscoat.
they eat krill, mussell, clams, squid, silversides,shrimp
Set up for 7 years, porcupine and dogface have been in there 7 yrs and mappa only 2-3

I have in a 10 gallon hosp tank because he cant swim anyways and he stays in one corner even before i put him in hsop tank.. I did melafix, pimafix, and furan 2 for 5 days ...no change keep trying to expel air but he wont puff up and bump is still there.

I keep seahorse and diamox helps for gas bubble disease so i decided to try diamox now I added 1 250 mg pill per 10 gallons and still added melafix and pimafix and stress coat, I am doing a 50 percent water change daily in hosp tank there is an airstone and heater in there...still no change..i need to know what to do i am trying to hand feed him but he wont eat his teeth still need trimmed but dont want to stress him out more by doing it, he hasnt eaten the live ghost shrimp i ut in there either...he hasnt eaten in abt 6 to 8 days...... Please someone help

Sorry, i thought I would get an email when people responded to me...

You have to set up your options for that.

Your nitrate is too high (I assume that is the main tank?) Should be <20. The reason the 10g is too small is because he will quickly poison himself with his waste in there. He really looks bad... I'm not one to tell you what meds to use, I usually kill fish with meds (wiped out an entire tank of fish last night, medicating them ) How hard have you tried to squeeze out the air? Did you hold him vertically & squeeze towards the mouth? I've also had luck holding vertically (head under water, of course) &
shaking by the tail. If you're lucky, he'll puff with water & expel the air in the process.

There is no waste in the 10 gallon hospital tank..he hasnt eaten in days.. and I still try every day to get air out( i really dont think it is that though) ive tried both ways and he just wont puff up for me, I even had a freind do it for me so he would maybe get scared since it wasnt me, and he still didnt puff up. Today he looks no better and is breathing heavire..i am so confused as to what to do, no one seems to be able to help......

Ammonia is expelled though respiration too. Keep a close eye on the parameters in there. I'm sorry I can't help you more. Possible internal bacterial infection?

im checking everyday, i also am doing a 50 percent water change everyday, and adding more meds as i water change...thanks

I hope you can help him.