The Puffer Forum

Hi,

I realise this question has been asked a lot but I still would be grateful for your advice in my case!

So, I have a 48 litre (about 12 gallon) tank that has been set up and cycled for around 6 months which used to house zebra danios and guppies until I moved them to a larger community tank. I decided to buy 3 DPs for the now empty tank. I also read that otos would be ok with DPs.
A week ago I bought 3 juvenile DPs and 2 otos and added them to tank. Also added 3 adult ramshorn snails.

Testing water with ApI: ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate between 10-20. Use prime when adding new water. Sand substrate, lots of plants and driftwood.

Ever since I added the DPs they have been hiding, only occasionally swimming around, sometimes up and down the glass. I have tried feeding them live and frozen bloodworms, frozen mosquito larvae, garlic soaked food. Not once have I seen any of them feed, and mostly I can't even find them in the tank! I'm worried there's something wrong, but I'm not sure what. I even wiggle food in front of their faces but they don't react. Sometimes they just sit on the bottom looking around not doing anything.

Any ideas what's going on? Thanks in advance!

Hi and welcome to the forum. Could be a hunger strike, these have been known to last a couple of weeks. Are your dps large enough to tell what sex they are?

One has died now... When I put the food in it just goes everywhere so I can't pick it back out again or see if it's been eaten as there are so many plants/bits of driftwood etc. I have now seen one eat though, but both are really shy and hide when they see me. Is this normal?

Thanks again.

Thanks for your reply. I think I got 2 females and one male, but it could've 2 males one female as one is hard to tell.

The fish shop said they were eating frozen bloodworms fine. Now one of them seems to be swimming strangely like he can't balance himself, and has a sort of pocket of air under his belly. I'm worried he's going to die. I rechecked the water and it's fine. My water is very soft, could this be why?

I'm going to take them back if this one dies as I don't want them to suffer if they were ok in the shop

Bonjour et beinvenue.

I'm agreeing with Bertie on a hunger strke. I've had several puffers go for a couple of weks not eating either at all or when I was around. Idrooped food in and left it for around 10 mins before removing . Live food I'd leave for longer.

If it's a heavily decorated tank,they are most likely seting up terratories so feed over the whole water surface to ensure an equal distrubution of food.