The Puffer Forum

I'm going to start treating Poofer for IPs again. She was doing really well after her last treatment and was even starting to put on a little bit of weight, but she's gone downhill again. She looks like a little hollow scarecrow now. I'm using Jungle Parasite Clear because it's what is available locally.

Last time I treated her for a full week, by dissolving a tablet in a bit of tank water and then soaking 1-2 freeze-dried plankton in it. Then I gave her a fast day. Is there anything I can change this time around to get rid of the IPs for good? I remember Nick mentioned medicating a second time to eliminate any that may have been eggs at the time of treatment. I think I'm going to have to do that this time. I didn't last time because she looked so much better, but I guess she had some eggs and they hatched and spread.

Any help would be appreciated. She looks so starved.

I'd really recommend just getting some Flubenol-15 at this point, I do not know if my puffer would have survived if I"d tried another course with soaked food after it failed that once, and the Flubenol is much easier, just add to the water, where it will kill parasites there as well, an advantage if your parasites are a type the breeds by breaking off body segments rather than laying eggs.

Make sure you do good gravel vacuums for a day or two after you deworm. When they purge the dead and dying parasites, some might survive and just reinfect the fish. Doing the gravel vac helps pick them all up before they get a chance to do more damage.

I honestly think every animal, including humans, carries some parasites. Its just when they get stressed out and the parasites multiply to a large number that they become a major problem. So definately take a look at your general water change schedule, etc and see if any improvements can be made to help keep your puff's immune system strong enough to fight off re-infestations.

If you do use the flubenol, make sure it's a few days before you do any type of water change tho, since it's an in water treatment and would be removed, and will kill any purged parasites even faster anyway.

OK. I'll see if I can order some Flubenol-15.

I'll start vacuuming more often too. It's been two weeks, I must admit.

Edit: which pack should I get? It's a 10-gallon tank. How long should I treat and at what frequency? Thanks.

Once a week for 5 weeks, since these appear to be egg laying.

So the 100-gallon treatment should do it if I clean the tank once a week just before dosing. Thanks!

New concern brought up by my dad:

Stuff shipped from the UK takes a good 3-5 weeks to get here, not including customs issues. Will she be OK without treatment for 3-5 weeks?

Is there any treatment I can give her in the meantime until it arrives, then do a Flubenol course to get rid of the IPs once and for all?

If not, does anyone in the US have some Flubenol I could buy from you?

Edit: I'm putting in an order tonight. If anyone has some Flubenol I can "borrow," I can repay you with a replacement of the amount borrowed.

Took me about a week to get mine, I live in Illinois.

Yea, mine took a week, too.

Excellent! Hopefully mine comes in as quickly. I really hope this stuff does the trick. She's been slowly starving to death for far too long, poor baby.

Seemed to help Shakespeare right away.

Yep, most of the time it sems a week to get the the states, if you go for international recorded is supposedly gets there quicker.
As for customs, theres been no problems so far....

I got mine in a little less than a week here on the East coast, and within hours of adding it to the tank my puffer started to be more active and beg constantly. He was severely affected by parasites as well, and now he is eating voraciously and holding a decent weight.

Have you ordered it yet?

Yup. Night before last.