The Puffer Forum

Hi, my Congo puffer arrived on Friday 24th feb and I just wondered if his heavy breathing was normal? http://s1069.photobucket.com/albums/u47 ... G_0218.mp4
Hope I've done this right, I took a short video for everyone to see. If not please tell me how I can get the video viewable.
Thanks
Donna

He looks ok to me, his eyes are moving round and he looks happy enough. Have you got enough air pumping into his tank as that maybe why he's breathing hard? Puffers can take upto a week to settle in BTW

Had he just eaten or is it when you film? My arrowhead will do this for a few seconds after eating.

When I first got my congo, he was breathing really hard for the first few hours. 2-3 weeks later, I put sand in his tank and he breathed really hard again. Its a sign of stress IMO.

Make sure you have surface agitation, too. That water on the surface has to keep moving, otherwise it goes stagnant and doesn't let other gasses escape the tank.

That's a pretty good video! How long have you had him? How did you cycle his tank?

I've had him since Friday. He's in a completely new tank, which was set up a couple of days before. I run a fluval u3 in my 125l tank downstairs, so got the same for his tank and swapped a cartridge and biomax when he arrived. I also have a Marina slim s20 running, both filters provide surface agitation and the fluval produces air bubbles as well.

I am testing the tank daily at the moment just in case, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5.

I have also come upon a problem with him eating!!! I have tried him 3 separate times with an earthworm, but he looks as though to say EEWWWW.... Get it AWAY!!!!! Now, if I put a river shrimp in he is like BAMMM..... Gone, where's the next one( they're as gut loaded as I can, housed in a bowl bottom shelf of my fridge ) I thought earthworms were a sure thing for puffers and would sustain him while I tried weaning him on to dead stuff.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply and help
Donna

Try to get him to associate feeding tongs with feeding. When he eats next time, put in the tongs in the water when he is eating live food. He will eventually eat the worm. Wait for it. He will definitely eat the worms if hungry enough. Once he eat the worms, then hold the worms with the tongs. Once he eat worms, then try to put dead raw shrimp in front of him.

Take your time. No need to rush.