The Puffer Forum

I think my puff has internal parasites. I feed her in the evenings until she is extremely fat, and twelve hours later she is skinny with a concave tummy. This has been going on for several weeks. I have never caught her in the act of pooping, so I can't tell you what color or texture her poop is.

The only IP remedy I could find locally is Jungle Parasite Clear, which contains praziquantel, diflubenzuron, metronidazole, and acriflavine. Are these all puff-safe? I can't seem to find them on the stickies. They clear external parastes too; I know this is overkill, but it's the only med I could find that treats IPs.

Yes, that's puffer safe but you can't use it like they say to, by dropping it in the water. Break the tablets into pieces, dissolve in declorinated water and soak their food in it. They need to ingest the medication.

Might want to try soaking it in something like Garlic Guard as well. That may help counteract the bad taste of the medication.

Thanks! I'd have said so sooner, but I was having log-in problems.

I dissolved a tablet in tank water yesterday and soaked two freeze-dried mini shrimps (one very round tummy's worth) in the medicine. She ate both eagerly without needing garlic. She seems very perky today--lots of tail-flares when I gave her some bloodworms!

The package says the treatment may be repeated once after 48 hours after a 25% water change. I'm assuming I can skip the water change since I fed her the medicine directly? And should I give her a second dose tomorrow?

Thanks again!

Skip the water change, feed daily with medicated food for at least 7 days.

I personally do 5 days treated food, two days total fasting, then 5 more days of treatment. I am also starting to think that after 2 weeks to allow eggs to hatch, another treatment regimen may be needed, as I had a puffer I treated as described have a fatal replase of parasites, either because they were resistant to the medication, or re-infected him from a invulnerable egg stage.

OK. I think I'll give her 6 more days' treatment starting today. I think I'll try the second dose after two weeks, too, unless she is having any reactions. Should I dissolve a new tablet for every treatment?

Yes, use a fresh dose for each treatment.

Update!

Poofer (a.k.a Alaska) has finished her first week of treatment and her two-day fasting period. I plan to watch and wait, but I will probably give her a second 7-day course two weeks from now to be safe. She did not seem to be adversely affected by the treatment, and she maintained a voracious appetite, so I think a second course would not hurt her.

Thanks again for your help, Tina and Nick! Hopefully I'll be able to get my little girl all fattened up again now. I look back at her 'baby picture' in my avatar from when I first got her, and I can definitely see that she has lost a lot of weight (for a 1-1/2 inch puff).

I hope she starts putting on weight soon Glad to hear it went well.

Thanks, Nick! I'm trying to give her two meals a day now of rich food. Wish her luck!

Eat Alaska, eat, grow round