3+ year old dwarf puffer can't seem to eat
Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 12:31 pm
Hello all,
I'm very new to this site but have read a lot of threads regarding IP in dwarf puffers etc. I've noticed a lot of people said their puffers would lose their appetite and not wanna eat with IPs. As the title says, I have had my DP for over 3 years now and she has been very healthy up until recently. She still wants to eat but can't seem to actually get the food into her mouth or if she does get it into her mouth, she will hold it there for a bit and then spit it out. She is in QT right now with only plants and some baby ramshorn snails that just hatched. I also got scuds to feed her as she always loved to eat them in the past. She chases them and tries to eat them but she just can't seem to chomp/swallow them.... she is very emaciated now and I am very attached as you can imagine after 3+ years. She was fed a diet of frozen bloodworms up until recently (and she still tries to eat the blood worms if I offer them which I do daily) and I have been a bad owner and hadn't given her snails in about 1.5 years, although her main tank has MTS but they only come out at night and I've read and noticed that DPs including my fish don't like them too much. She's alert and aware of me and I don't think I've had a problem with IPs with her as I've had her for so long with no issues. I've tried to find any evidence if overgrown teeth could be the problem but I've read in many threads and forums that that's not an issue with DPs. Could it just be old age? She still has a very good appetite but just can't seem to actually swallow the food or "chew" it. Any opinions, advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Current hospital tank parameters-
2.5g fluval spec that is planted heavily - flow is on lowest setting with frogbit, duck weed, and jungle val to further disrupt flow
Inhabited currently by newborn RH snails and now scuds
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
Tank temp currently is around 79-81 degrees Fahrenheit (she's always been in water around 77-78 but hospital tank is warmer than her main tank)
I'm very new to this site but have read a lot of threads regarding IP in dwarf puffers etc. I've noticed a lot of people said their puffers would lose their appetite and not wanna eat with IPs. As the title says, I have had my DP for over 3 years now and she has been very healthy up until recently. She still wants to eat but can't seem to actually get the food into her mouth or if she does get it into her mouth, she will hold it there for a bit and then spit it out. She is in QT right now with only plants and some baby ramshorn snails that just hatched. I also got scuds to feed her as she always loved to eat them in the past. She chases them and tries to eat them but she just can't seem to chomp/swallow them.... she is very emaciated now and I am very attached as you can imagine after 3+ years. She was fed a diet of frozen bloodworms up until recently (and she still tries to eat the blood worms if I offer them which I do daily) and I have been a bad owner and hadn't given her snails in about 1.5 years, although her main tank has MTS but they only come out at night and I've read and noticed that DPs including my fish don't like them too much. She's alert and aware of me and I don't think I've had a problem with IPs with her as I've had her for so long with no issues. I've tried to find any evidence if overgrown teeth could be the problem but I've read in many threads and forums that that's not an issue with DPs. Could it just be old age? She still has a very good appetite but just can't seem to actually swallow the food or "chew" it. Any opinions, advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Current hospital tank parameters-
2.5g fluval spec that is planted heavily - flow is on lowest setting with frogbit, duck weed, and jungle val to further disrupt flow
Inhabited currently by newborn RH snails and now scuds
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
Tank temp currently is around 79-81 degrees Fahrenheit (she's always been in water around 77-78 but hospital tank is warmer than her main tank)
