The Puffer Forum

Hey there.
My girl GG (who is currently being courted) has a swollen vent, is this usual for a puffer with eggs? She has been treated for parasites then I thought she may be constipated (as she poops smaller and takes it longer to come out than the boys) so I fasted them for a day and added 1 tbsp of tonic salt per 10 gal, still no change.

Amonia Nitrarites and Nitrates 0 Ph 7.6
120 litre (30 gal) planted tank
1 otto
2 Dwarf puffers (was 5 puffers until 3 days ago, shifted 3 to give these 2 some alone time)
8 Bumble Bee Gobies moved out 7 days ago
Once daily feeding mostly snails, also live white worms and earthworms, live daphnia a little Repashy grub pie they would steal from the Gobies. Frozen bloodworms once a fortnight.
50% water change weekly
Sodium thiosulphate to dechlorinate
Added brooklands tonic salt as above 2 days ago.
Aquarium set up 4 months Tetra safe start cycle after stuffing up my pure Amoina fishless cycle.

Thanks in advance for any knowledge/experience/advice shared.

Not sure what "tonic" salt is. Use 1 tbsp Epsom salt/5g for swelling and/or constipation.

Shelled peas work too! I take frozen peas and warm them up in water. Then pull the shells off and feed them to my DPs. The trick is getting them to eat it! It's worked for me! Good luck!

Thanks guys, I will swap out the Brooklands aquarium tonic salt for Epsom salt. And have a go with the peas (possibly not at the same time), she eats everything so far, even has a nibble on Ottos algae waffer on the way down! Any thoughts on wheather gravid females exhibit a swollen vent?

I haven't heard of this myself, though to be honest, every person I have known that has bred these little butt heads... has been accidental (they kept the male female ratio for peace sake, and went to gravel vac one day and found teeny fry!) she noted to obvious difference before that time!?!? Wish we had more on this, but that looks to be a blockage to me, but doesn't mean it is! Plain Epsom salt without scent is what you want, as well as- daphnia is SO great for moving the gut, if she is still plugged up eating live daphnia (none the less), then the pea likely won't do much else. I would do an Epsom salt bath instead of treating in tank (it will stress out the other puffs) of 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of bath water, this is the best bath article out there (hasn't let me down!

http://www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/20 ... m=1#basics