The Puffer Forum

Hi there;
[From the API 5-in-1 test strips]

01/14/15 [yesterday]

GH: 30
KH: 0-40 [It was hard for me to distinguish what colour it was..sorry]
PH: 6.0
NO2: 0
NO3: 20

Temp: 24C

Tank:
New tank; Has cycled for 1 week [as the lady at the pet store told me]
7 Gallon
[3] Dwarf Puffers

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CC:

Smallest of the [3] dwarf puffers has recently become ill. When I got him he was fine, and swimming around.
My concerns have arise as of yesterday; observations include;

->Low energy
+ Resting on leaves and at bottom of tank, not enough energy to swim very much

->No observed eating
+ Looks slightly skinny

->Heavy gasping
+Not rapid, but large gasps

->Faded colour on spots
+From a bright iridescent green to a faded brown, overall loss of color

No signs of physical protrusions or ailments; eyes look clear, fins look fine.
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Actions taken;
->I have been running the test strips every day, recording; nothing has changed drastically

->Isolation
+I have him in a little breeding tank just to keep him from the stress of the other puffers, the breeding tank has his leaf he likes to lay on [which is what he's doing now]
+I have put a few blood worms in the tank [Still no observed eating]

->I have done a 10% water change as of last night
+Small amount of water conditioner
+Small amount of electrolytes [aquarium salt, as directed]

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Additional notes

->The other two dwarf puffers [Both are a bit bigger, but not full sized] are doing fine, swimming around and eating well. No loss of colours or energy.

->New tank [cycled for a week without fish, as directed]

->Have been adding what the lady gave me small amounts of nutrifin cycle, and conditioner

I'm afraid it's survival of the fittest in this tank... The lady at the pet store is wrong. Cycle is nothing but dead bacteria. It sound to me you don't have DPs but GSPs?

Start reading:
For ID: ug.php/v/PufferPedia/
library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
library/puffers-in-focus/dwarfpuffercare/

Cycling-read the 1st 4 articles here: library/category/water-filtration/

Then, get yourself good LIQUID API test kits.

Welcome to the forum! Could we see a picture of your little guys to properly identify.

Hi guys, thanks for the reply!

I've been keeping very detailed records on my observations of them [My inner med-student is kicking in]

Since his critical behaviour was observed last night it had gotten worse over night. This afternoon I had taken matters into my own hands, isolating him and doing some very basic chemist work to achieve some sort of homeostasis for him.

I've been doing some very small water changes; around 5-10% daily or twice daily, with a dechlorination agent.

I've been giving low doses of electrolytes periodically around every two hours

After reading up on many of the common issues that puffers have I have decided to give him a very VERY mild dose of garlic extract, as precaution to a possible parasitic infection. . Not sure why, but he likes eating the garlicky bloodworms over the regular thawed out untreated ones.

Since then I have observed signs of improvement. He is swimming around, although not a lot of activity, it is still an improvement from him being stationary on the ground gasping. As well as his colour definitely being improved over the last few hours.

He is still gasping [although not as large], and laying on the leaves, but I do see him move occasionally which is somewhat comforting.

My general plan here is to continuing on the route we're going so far; feeding from tweezers with mild garlic bloodworms [he's only eaten one so far], low dose electrolytes to help flush toxins, water changes [I do not want to do more than a 10-15% change at a time], and general monitoring and observation. Just trying to keep him going!

I will keep everyone updated!

Unforunately my android is having the utmost difficulties taking a picture of the fish in the tank, it keeps autofocusing on the glass and makes it impossible to see inside of it. However the little guy is definitely a Dwarf Puffer!

Welcome. Stop dosing aquarium salt, it is not a tonic or a cure. Puffers love garlic so keep soaking his food to fatten him up. Test strips are not accurate I would invest in a decent liquid test kit to get a good gauge on where the water is at. My guess is the tank is not cycled, you cannot cycle a tank from scratch in a week unless you have a good lot of used filter media.

We still need an ID of your fish.