The Puffer Forum

Hello all,

I am new here, and sadly I've joined under upsetting circumstances....

My captive bred DP has always been a voracious eater. I have had him for four months. He especially loves his frozen bloodworms, although he does also eat snails. The last week, he hasn't been interested in eating and he is now very skinny.

He has nibbled at some snails and some bloodworms but doesn't actually seem to be eating them.

He also seems weaker. The tank has always had a mild current and it never bothered him before, but now he's getting pushed around by even the small current.

He is in a 5.5 gallon tank with a few red cherry shrimp, which he doesn't seem to have any interest in. Temp is 80.

The odd thing is that this tank has always showed no nitrates. (It's been set up since March.) Readings are always 0/0/0. There are some live plants. I always just assumed since he was so tiny and there are plants, his nitrates wouldn't show up but maybe that's wrong.

Did a 50% water change today. (I do a WC every week.) He came out of hiding and was acting interested in me again, so that was nice! I soaked some defrosted bloodworms in garlic and he attacked them but then didn't actually eat them.

Any thoughts on how I can help my poor guy? What could be wrong to make him stop eating?

Thank you all...

Mine were spoiled & only ate live worms.

Could it be an obstruction in the digestive track? A small stone or piece of wood?

pokeystar wrote:Could it be an obstruction in the digestive track? A small stone or piece of wood?

It's possible--there was spider wood in the tank.

Is there anything I could do to help if that was the case?

If so sadly I don't think so. I lost a dragon go by that way once. I would check everything else. My fahaka stopped eating with internal parasites he would attack food then withdraw like his mouth/throat hurt.

pokeystar wrote:If so sadly I don't think so. I lost a dragon go by that way once. I would check everything else. My fahaka stopped eating with internal parasites he would attack food then withdraw like his mouth/throat hurt.

Do you think it would hurt to treat for internal parasites? What's the best IP med to use for puffers?

Pufferpunk wrote:Mine were spoiled & only ate live worms.

Heading to the LFS tomorrow to hopefully get some live worms.

The only other odd thing I noticed about him tonight is that for the first time I saw he had a poop dangling from a stringy bit. Does this give any clues?

IP treatment won't hurt. You will need him to eat something soaked in meds.