The Puffer Forum

He just recently started looking like this the last 2 weeks or so, and I thought it was IPs (I'm guilty of having given him nonquarantined ghost shrimp, so I treated him with prazipro twice... 5 days each treatment with 3 days rest between treatments. He was treated for IPs when I got him, and was successfully cured. He's also been exhibiting a lumpy stomache at times and has a grey ring around his mouth. I ordered jungle fizz parasite tabs to see if those work any better, but for the moment I'm at loss as to what I can do. I don't believe he's constipated either as waterchanges show lots of poop, and his stomach goes down rather quickly.
Water parameters are as follows: ammo; 0, nitri; 0, nitra; 10-20
Thanks in advance for replies.

How have you been using the IP treatment? Are you following dosing directions on the box, or what exactly?

What are you feeding him and how often...

Soak a small piece of food with a few drops of the prazipro and garlic for about an hour before feeding. I treated like this for once a day, for 5 days. Wait 3 days and repeated. This is how I treated for ips the first time, when I first got the puffer; the directions I followed were from Pufferpunk, because the bottle only tells how to dose the water.

I'm gonna guess immunity to that specific treatment, then. I think switching the treatment will solve the issue. As asked already, what specific foods is he getting?

Haha sorry, I didnt see ur post pc, because I was typing a post when u posted =o. Um, I feed raw shell-on shrimp peices, blackworms, bloodworms, snails, and the very occaisonal dried krill. I feed every other day, depending on how his stomach looks. If immunity is an issue, hopefully jungle fizz tabs will help...

Definitely make sure any foods that come from a super market or anywhere like that are frozen for a full 24-48 hours to ensure everything is dead. Also. quarantine anything live that you feed for 2-4 weeks before feeding it. When feeding the shell on shrimp, make sure it's also non-seasoned and everything. (I'm sure you already know that, but just wanna make sure =])

I think the Jungle treatment will work. If it doesn't, then we will have to figure out what else it could possibly be. He doesn't have any other odd symptoms or anything does he?

The food is always frozen days beforehand Im sure, Im not lucky enough to have a fresh seafood market, so the shrimp comes from a pre-packaged bag. Im careful to make sure to get 100% raw, shell-on shrimp with no added ingredients =P. I really think the ghost shrimp gave him ips, so shame on me for not having quarantined them =/. Besides the odd stomach skinny/lumpiness and the grey around his mouth, he seems to be exhibiting normal behavior, showing no obvious signs of stress at all. Im counting on the jungler tabs, so I hope they work!

p.s. thank you all for the prompt replies =)

No problem. I hope they work, too. Be sure to keep us updated on how he's doing and how well they work and everything. =]

Try feeding daily. This may be a nutritional issue...I hope it is...much easier to fix nutritional issues than ips.

purplecandle wrote:Try feeding daily. This may be a nutritional issue...I hope it is...much easier to fix nutritional issues than ips.

Could be. How big is the puffer? How long have you had it for?

Honestly IDk, I haven't tried to measure him lol. I would say between 1.5-2 inches, and I've had the puffer for about eight months, he hasnt been this skinny since then. When I got him he was skinny but gained weight after being treated for ips. I'm going to try to go to walmart tomorrow and pick up some red-worms to see if these fatten him up til I get the jungle tabs. Sorry, but seeing as this happened suddenly, and he hasn't been this skinny for months, I dont feel like this is a nutritional issue.

Sadly ips can negativley affect the zepplins long after they made his belly their home...some live with ips a good lifetime. Exhaust all ip options for your bud.

G S P Freak wrote:Honestly IDk, I haven't tried to measure him lol. I would say between 1.5-2 inches, and I've had the puffer for about eight months, he hasnt been this skinny since then. When I got him he was skinny but gained weight after being treated for ips. I'm going to try to go to walmart tomorrow and pick up some red-worms to see if these fatten him up til I get the jungle tabs. Sorry, but seeing as this happened suddenly, and he hasn't been this skinny for months, I dont feel like this is a nutritional issue.

I agree, I would suspect IPs as well, but increase feedings anyway while treating for the IPs, might help him bulk up.

I cannot see the mouth well enough from the picture, how are the incisors? That is a much softer diet than I use for these fish.