The Puffer Forum

Hi everyone

I've read the dentistry article and found out that you can actually trim the teeth of fish... amazing!

Now, some weeks ago I bought two small DPs - the last ones in store, maybe that wasn't so clever But DPs are hard to get in Denmark so I took the chance. Now these DPs are app. 1 cm long and quite slim. They don't have much color either. They seem very eager to eat the blood worms that I feed them - at least for a while. They don't keep much of the food in them but keep spitting it out again. One of them keeps chasing the other one away, but I try to make sure they both get the chance of eating something. I can see some white things in their mouths, mostly on one of them (the smallest). These little white pieces must be some of their teeth. I figure they must be overgrown a bit. I don't have any snails right now but when I had I tried to feed them small snails. But all my DPs (incl. the 2 larger ones) suck out the snails, they don't crunch them. So what do I do in order to help my small DPs get rid of too much tooth material? Is there anything I can do, any tricks?
They are way too small for me to cut their teeth.

Today I've tried to feed them worms with Gel Tek Ultra Cure PX to see if they can get rid of some parasites and start growing more.

I appreciate any help!

Dwarf puffers are not known for suffering from tooth overgrowth. I think they are too small to develop the large tooth plates like larger puffers. They may also be softer, or just don't grow as fast. So I don't think you have to worry about trimming them manually, and any foods they do get are likely going to be sufficient for keeping what they do have in check.

If you put a few large snails in with them the DPs may leave them alone and they may breed. The resulting baby snails would be good food for them.

Maybe Rocker has some ideas. I used to think that they didn't get overgrown teeth as well but I believe it was Rocker who had one or two that did. Don't remember if he was able to solve it or not though, my mind is a blank today.

As far as feeding snails, IME, if the snails are too big, they slurp the meat out of them. You can try using smaller ones or try crushing the shell slightly, that sometimes helps.

Thank you very much for your answer! Really! It's such a relief when someone out there knows stuff and shares it with you quickly

I too thought about the fact that the DPs are so small so how can they already have visible teeth... but they do seem to have... My larger DPs don't have the same teeth at all. With them I can't spot any teeth. And they are wellfed and thriving I would say.
It's nice to know that DPs don't usually have problems with tooth overgrowth. I just don't understand why they spit the food out then. Well, I'll have to hope for the best, feed them often, deworm them and then I'll try that idea of yours and try to get hold of some snails!

Thanks, boxermom!!:D I'll try that. I really ought to have a snail farm... that would make things a lot easier... (the last time I tried they all died. Depressing. I can't even keep snails )

No, unfortunately mine got skinny and wasted away.
I have often tried to get people to believe me when I say that Dp's can suffer with over growned teeth but it falls on deaf ears.
Fortunately though it is not that often heard but all the same it happened to me so there is every possibility.


I think the major problem with people not experiencing this problem is life expectancy. The odd discussion I have had with people who say that they have never had problems with their Dp's often cannot either give me the age of the puffer or that the puffer was no where near the age of mine.
True people never experience this with DP's but then their puffers do not reach an age where they are considered 'long in the tooth' - forgive the pun lol.

Oh no

But mine are so small... I really don't get how they can have slightly overgrown teeth already?! But it must be teeth that I see. What else can it be... I really hope they will eat more and it'll go away

By the way: one of my small DPs also have some thin white stripes on its body. It kind of looks like old scars. Do you think it's old scars that I don't need to worry about - or is it some disease that I need to treat?

Rocker wrote:...I have often tried to get people to believe me when I say that Dp's can suffer with over growned teeth but it falls on deaf ears.
Fortunately though it is not that often heard but all the same it happened to me so there is every possibility....

Yup, I can totally relate to that. I very recently got into a big fight on another forum about this very topic, with them all insisting I was pulling the information out of my butt. I told them to come talk to you about it but of course they wouldn't. *sigh* One of the reasons I'm less active over there than I was, actually. Its tiring always being attacked about stuff - apparently if someone else there hasn't experienced it, it isn't possible.

Boxermom wrote:

Rocker wrote:...I have often tried to get people to believe me when I say that Dp's can suffer with over growned teeth but it falls on deaf ears.
Fortunately though it is not that often heard but all the same it happened to me so there is every possibility....

Yup, I can totally relate to that. I very recently got into a big fight on another forum about this very topic, with them all insisting I was pulling the information out of my butt. I told them to come talk to you about it but of course they wouldn't. *sigh* One of the reasons I'm less active over there than I was, actually. Its tiring always being attacked about stuff - apparently if someone else there hasn't experienced it, it isn't possible.

One reason I am not so active elsewhere. You can only bang your head against a brick wall so many times before you realise you aint gonna win.

Rocker wrote:One reason I am not so active elsewhere. You can only bang your head against a brick wall so many times before you realise you aint gonna win.

Apparently my noggin is a little thicker than yours. Its taking me awhile to realize that in some places. But there is the occasional person that does listen and does learn and that sorta helps make it worthwhile. Until the next round of flamage begins.

I have definately noticed Boeing's teeth getting longer, and wearing more, depending on snail availability and that he currently no longer regular nibbles his Tufa rock. He likes to 'smile,' so I can see his teeth daily. Therefor, I am certain of the potential for overgrowth. I have seen many, many DPs in stores that nibble tiny things off the substrate and rocks, probably planaria or nematode worms too small for most fish to bother with and for us to see, and I think the frequency of this behavior keeps some DPs, even older ones, from ever overgrowing.
That being said - in this particular case I suspect an early stage IP infection. If they can tear bits off and spit them out, they could be swallowing, and aren't. I'd begin IP treatment for all 4 DPs.

Ok, thanks for the advice. I did think it was weird that they didn't just eat the worms when I fed them; they actually get the entire worm in to the mouth often - and then spit out again. But as I mentioned above I've begun treating them for IP just today, so I hope they'll improve after that...

I realise you have some things to exchange about discussions on forums I totally follow you and if it's any help I believe you right away, just like that If it's not bothering you too much, would you mind considering the question I asked about the scars above, please...?

Pictures really help with that type of question, but I'm thinking they are unlikely to be a problem unless they move or enlarge, what look like scars are usually scars. DPs can get really roughed up in shipping.

Unfortunately I don't have a picture right now... but they don't move or enlarge. Anyway they haven't done so far. I think I won't worry about it then.
That DP won't ever be pretty when it grows up I think... Naming him/her is easy then, Scar it is...

When mentioning growing up I actually don't know if my two larger DPs are grown up. And I can't tell what sex they are either. Not for sure. But it's difficult when you've never seen DPs before, not to mention grown DPs...