The Puffer Forum

I don't think my dwarf puffer Button is sick but she is skinny. Eating fine, 2 meals a day of bloodworms (frozen then thawed) feeds until little round belly is full but she seems to be skinny looking at the next feeding. I've treated for IPs with prazipro mixed in with food. I've also gotten some pond snails to start a small breeding tank and change up her diet a bit. I honestly think she might just be sick of eating blood worms, she eats a few and then starts to spit them out. I've tried feeding 3 smaller portions a day and it doesn't make any difference. I'm not seeing any other signs of illness, no lethargy, no frantic swimming, no white stringy poop. She's probably around 3 years old, i'm not sure how long dwarf puffers live, is she maybe getting old?

1) Your water parameters - Sadly i haven't tested since before last weeks water change so i don't have exact numbers, ammonia is 0 and nitrite is 0, nitrate is below 20 but i can't remember the exact number sorry.

2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Tank is 10 gallons, Button is the only inhabitant, i did buy a mystery snail today to replace her lost buddy (it's been months since her other snail died and there was no change in the tank at the time)

3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank: feed 2 x per day, frozen blood worms. wc once a week, i change between 3-4 gallons each week. i use prime.

4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference. no changes.

5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? tank has been set up for about 1 and a half years, before that she was in a 20 g but kept getting spooked by all the space. Tank was cycled using media from the 20g, i just transferred a bit of it over.

The tank does have blue/green cyano, but it's had it for ages, i just siphon out the algae and rub the plant leaves. Oh tank is planted btw.

There are all sorts of different iPs. If Prazi didn't help, then tri Metro.

I'm not dwarf puffer expert but I know that puffers get a pretty flat belly again a few hours after they eat... but i'm assuming it's more sunken than usual if your posting, would it be possible to get a picture. Also, why so many feedings? I don't know if it's different for dwarfs but I always understood one feeding a day, skip a day a week. And also, from what I've read is that dwarfs don't need snails to grind down their beaks... because they are so small it does it on it's own.

Metro.. i'll have to look into that, does it have a specific brand name? EDIT: Just looked into it, metronidazole, right? I'll search for it online, i know i have another medication in the house but not sure if it has this in it, i'll have a look when i get home. EDIT 2: If there is metronidazole in parasite guard i have that in the house So i'll check the back of the box and start treatment right away.

They don't need snails but they like snails, i thought adding a bit more meaty food to her diet might help. I've got 5 pond snails, i'll feed her 1 tonight and put the other 4 into a tank to let them breed.

I feed twice a day but only a few worms at time, i was skipping sundays but since she's been skinny i've just been feeding every day. Yup, i was used to her getting a bit less bulky between feedings but now it is looking a bit sunken. Can't get a photo right now as i am at work.

Good idea to soak their food in a good fish vitamin.

I'll also look into doing that. I'd probably have to order something like that online though, the lfs near me aren't great for carrying stuff like medication or vitamins. Do you recommend any brand?

I use vitazin by waterlife, always remember fish like garlic, soak foods in it and they will likely scoff more

I have used Zoe & presently, Vita-chem.

Thanks for the advice about vitamins.

I've been treating her with soaked food since I last posted and I'm not sure if its doing any good. I took these today. Her food is soaked in a medicine with metro in it and she was treated with prazipro previously.





Sorry they're not the best quality but button is a zippy little girl. Still looks pretty skinny and shrunken in to me. I'm getting a bit worried that I might loose her at this point. She's still active and aggressive, gave me a nip when I was changing the water. I've got the snail tank up and am just waiting for babies now. Hopefully the parasites are gone and she'll start to get fatter, I still haven't seen any odd poop.

She certainly is too skinny, but she is eating which is good. Keep treating with the mess and if possible up her daily feedings until she is ip clear

Yes she is, I feel bad when I see her. I've been dropping food in every time I pass the tank today, plus thawed out some mysis which she didn't go for. She's also ignoring the snail I dropped in there, so of course the snail is crawling around lording it up like he owns the place.

She's still busying around and eating so hopefully this treatment will work and she'll fatten up soon.

Is there anything else I could try her on? She likes bloodworms, didn't go for mysis or the live snail (there's still hope there, plus maybe with the new crop of baby snails I'll have better luck). Anything else? I can't get hold of black worms but will try a store I know after Christmas and see if they have any.

If anyone is interested, my button is still hanging in there. Still eating, still not getting fatter. However I have noticed that she's pooping an awful lot so maybe she's busy pooping out parasites. I couldn't find black worms at the store after Christmas but do have new baby snails I will be throwing In her tank In a few days once they're a bit bigger. There's still hope for my girl and she's eating about 4 times a day now so it's just a matter of time before she's fat enough to burst.

Are you still medicating her food?

Yes, I haven't really seen any improvement in her body condition so I'm not sure if all the parasites are gone. Should I stop? Is there any other medication I can try? She's still eating, just the blood worms though, currently the snails are just hanging out in her tank.

If you haven't been able to get a hold of blackworms yet, I really reccomend them. They helped fatten up my DP when he was recovering from ips/treatment. The frozen bloodworms are mostly just water.