The Puffer Forum

Hi everyone

Water: 0 ammonia, 0 Nitrites, 20 Nitrates, Kh 120, Ph around 7.8
40B with a tigrinus
20% water change daily
Temp 80F
Has been set up about 2 years with changing inhabitants.

This is my 2nd Mbu. The first came in with parasites that I just couldn't shake. It lingered about a year. I got a baby, about 3" a couple months ago. It would only eat snails and baby crawdads for the first two months but has started eating cut fish and krill. He never eats enough to make his belly bulge until recently and that was when I finally started seeing the dreaded pearl string poo. I have treated with Prazipro and last week got some straight prazintaquil powder (Man is that stuff hard to dissolve.)

He still won't eat very much but I am not seeing the poo strings any more. My experience with puffers is, if they won't eat themselves fat something is wrong. The guy is tiny enough that I worry about him not getting enough to eat. Any suggestions? I spent over $100 buying snails on ebay and aquabid. My tanks and friends tanks couldn't keep up with him. Should I continue with Prazi? He won't eat enough to feed anything medicated.

Thanks for the help

Did you treat his food with the meds? Try live earthworms to entice him.

Also try soaking his food in some garlic to entice him to eat. He is in a 40g tank?

Pufferpunk wrote:Did you treat his food with the meds? Try live earthworms to entice him.

Not sure how you treat crawdads, snails and cut fish with meds. Or worms. He only nibbles at FD krill.

bertie 83 wrote:Also try soaking his food in some garlic to entice him to eat. He is in a 40g tank?

I have tried soaking the FD krill in it. Didn't help.

Soak human shrimp in the meds & garlic. You can inject live worms with the medicated water. Ask your vet for a syringe.

Pufferpunk wrote:Soak human shrimp in the meds & garlic. You can inject live worms with the medicated water. Ask your vet for a syringe.

Thanks, that is a great idea! I have insulin syringes, so that is an easy one to go and do right now!