The Puffer Forum

Ph 6.5, my testing kit does nitrites and nitrates (<0.5mmg) but not ammonia (will get a fancier testing kit!) and it's a freshwater tank with no salt. 180l tank, home to two south american puffers and five neon tetras. Puffers are fed frozen bloodworm, occaisional nibble of an algae pellet, daily ramshorn/ pond/ baby apple and malaysian trumpet snails that I breed in a separate tank. 30% water changes with decholorinated water once a week. Tank is heavily planted with bogwood and stone caves. Tank is two months old, cycled for a month with neons and snails and plants before adding the fish.

The fish were bought via a newspaper advert from someone who found them incompatible with her parrot fish (sheesh). She had them housed in a bare 10l tank, fed on the frozen bloodworms. They were both a bit skinny and both have slightly overgrown teeth. I bought them because SAP's are really hard to come by in UK, and I reckoned they'd fatten up and improve their teeth with some live snails and a happier home.

I am aiming to have 5 SAP's (found a supplier in UK who will courier them up with heat packs etc) and 25 neons, and (hope against hope) a breeding colony of snails and shrimps...but wow, the puffers can hunt!

One of them is great, active and happy.

the other one has been increasingly agitated for a week - darting, glass surfing, swimming in the filter flow, eating but more reluctant than usual. He has a real lumpy tummy and looks a bit scrawny under his chin as compared with his pal.

I wondered about worms, and today, found a string of creamy lumps in the aquarium. There's a grey, mucousy ending to this 2,5cm string of lumps which are about 2mm across - and, I swear I think I saw one of them "twitch"!

I have caught the weird stringy thing and it's contained in a bottle floating in the tank.

Is this a case of worms? I doubt the fish will ever have been dewormed, and I wonder whether the agitated fish was trying to pass this stuff yesterday and that was causing him distress?

Can anyone recommend a worming treatment that won't kill the snails? I am hoping their wee teeth will be worn down naturally, I don't much fancy dentistry! However, am happy to learn. Haven't seen jungle fizz - I'm in the UK.

thanks in advance,
bests,
emaggied
x

180 litres for 5 SAPs and a large school (30) of neons is massively overcrowded.

SAPs should not be fed Malaysian trumpet snails - those will break their incisors plates (the visible teeth).

Welcome to the forum im sure somebody will tell you a treatment soon, im not sure myself.

I agree with RTR--15g for the 1st puffer & 10g for every extra. That gives you 3 puffers in there. Personally, I'd not trust the puffers with neons.

Find a worming med: Metro or Prazi & soak their food in that & crushed garlic clove.

Also please bring the wc's up to 50% a week. Puffers have a heavy bio load and need the extra fresh water, if your short on time do 3 25% wc's spread out over the week such as M W F or Tues Thurs Sat.

Wow, thanks very much for the advice, guys!

I'll certainly change more volume, no problem.

The reading I have done on the SAP's says they are happiest in groups of 3 - 5, and they have totally ignored the 5 neons, perhaps because there are so many plants in there?

Top tip about the snails too - one of them came with a chipped tooth, and that's what they lady I bought them from was using.

Am away to source the recommended de-worming and hope to find it at my LFS this afternoon.

I really appreciate these tips, the wee puffers are by far my all-time favourite fish, if they are happy then so am I!
Bests
Elaine

Keep in mind, that unless 90% of their food are snails, you will have to do dentistry on them about every 4-6 months.

I am having a problem finding metro/prazi here...

LFS gave me "Sterazin" (malachite green, piperazine citrate, acriflavine hydrochloride, formaldehyde) use on days 1, 3, 6,8, 10. They certainly seem happier - less rampant glass surfing, eating more, and we're half way through the process.


But, I've read here to treat IP's I should soak their food...would you soak bloodworms in the above formula?

Also, the crushed garlic - in lumps, or soak their food in that?

Lastly, LFS suggested frozen peas - really?

thanks for your help, in advance.
x

Malachite should not be used with puffers. Do a large waterchange and add carbon to your filter to completely remove the meds from the tank

Crush garlic and add to food whilst soaking. As for peas defrost in boiling water, remove the shell and feed. My fahaka gets peas every week as do all my fish, they love em and it gets veggies in them yum yum

Uh oh!

Why not malachite? Is that only for fish with scales?

Am now cross with LFS, but am away to change the water whilst I think dark thoughts...

Thanks for answering, my fish are grateful!

As they are scaleless it can be potentially dangerous. Try not to panic whilst you are away, but do not add more. In the meantime try to find something more suitable and treat his food