Puffer too thin?

[mlefessler]

susanafite - well, exactly what Spock mentioned. Internal parasites are treated via food. There really is no other way other than to treat them directly through food. I've found that Gel-Tek's Ultra Cure PX works well. However, the thin puffer only fattened up to a certain point. Just to a point where he didn't look so sunken in, but now his belly is nice a smooth and slightly rounded. I think he's just got a very high metabolism. As long as they're eating a varied diet, swimming normally and seem to acknowledge their surroundings, he should be alright. Just keep an eye out for white, stringy poops.

Judging from the picture of your puff, he looks exactly like my puff as he does now. I don't have my camera near (I shot a wedding this weekend and I seem to have left it in my studio), but I will shoot a photo of him just to show you that he didn't really get "fat"....but just pleasantly plump. Hehe. I actually call my chubby puffer "Big Mac" and the other one "Quarter Pounder". Funny that the names resemble burgers!! =P

As far as the snails go, be sure to get the snails that are NOT Malaysian Trumpet Snails. Their shells are extremely hard and the puffs would not be able to break through, inevitably breaking their own beaks.

What you're looking for is a simple, small pond snail. About the size of their eye, give or take.

Spock - I went out and bought one shrimp at the store. The guy said, "Are you sure? You're not gonna eat more than one? If you're having a cocktail party, I think your guests will be highly disappointed in your shrimp offerings." Hehe! I told him it was for my puffer fish and he nodded his head and said, "Ahhh, well, then I guess one is all your puffers will need for THEIR cocktail party. Enjoy."

And surprisingly, they took it. Didn't want to eat it out of my hand, but I dropped it in the tank and they went after it like crazy. Even the bumble bees got a little something out of it from the puffer's scraps. And then of course, the dragon comes slithering out of his hiding spot and actually takes the shrimp, whole and drags it back to his spot. Hehe. I had to go in there and break it in half so the other guys could have some, too! Haven't tried the mussel, but seeing that they will gladly accept the shrimp, I think mussel will not be a problem. Snails are next. Grrrr. But, thanks for the suggestions. =D Say hi to Milton for me!

 

[mlefessler]

By the way....I'm not sure what bioload is appropriate for a 55-gallon given the livestock I have in there currently, but any one think it would be safe to add one or two mollies (I seem to be having an algae breakout and I hear that mollies will eat algae). I have a friend who had two mollies in his tank and they seem to clean everything......good idea or no?

 

[SpockthePuffer]

Good to hear they liked the shrimp! Puffer cocktail party, so funny, haha!

You could put some mollies in there for sure, I don't think your bioload is too big right now. Milton has one molly with him that keeps him company. Just keep an eye on the molly and make sure everyone gets along. Also don't get sailfin mollys, I've heard they are bullies and keep up with weekly water changes

 

[Justin72681]

I got two GSPs about 2&1/2 months ago. One died shortly after but the second limped along until last night. The first sign of trouble was one of the gills clamping shut. So I treated for gill flukes. Nothing. So after a while I treated for internal parasites. Things got a little better. Then the symptoms appeared again. I treated the water this time with CopperSafe. The fish then did well for 3 weeks and then stopped eating, twitched, lost color, and became sunken and emaciated. I did a 50% water change to try and get out the last of the copper (I had done regular water changes before) and treated again with JungleMate. The fish began eating regularly but did not put on weight. Last night I noticed a bulge just off center of it's belly, today it was dead. I have a 20 gallon tank, nitrate, nitrites and amonia are zero or barely readable, ph is 8.1, salinity is 1.017, temperature is 79 - 81 dgrees F. I have a second puffer that I got last week and do not want this to happen again. Can someone please tell me what went wrong?

 

[mlefessler]

Justin - I'm so sorry to hear about your puffs. No one likes to lose a puff! =(

Here's a few questions to answer:
- Did you cycle the tank properly? How long has the tank been established? (GSPs require atleast 30 gallons per fish)
- How big were the GSPs? If they are smaller, <2" your SG should be at low-end brackish: 1.005-08. At 2-4", medium BW (SG 1.010-15) and adult >4", SW (SG 1.018-22).
- Did the fish always have a white belly, no signs of stress?
- What did you feed the puffer?

Unfortunately, puffers are scaleless fish and will not tolerate medications well. ESPECIALLY copper. Your mention of the "bulge" just off center of its belly, to me, sounds like internal parasites or a tumor of some sort. My guess is internal parasites because of the emaciation and not putting on any weight. Puffers are wild-caught and are most likely infested with parasites. My suggestion is to always quarantine the fish before adding to your show tank. This way, you can monitor for any signs of diseases or complications.

If you have a local pet store in your area that carries a product called "Ultra Cure PX" by Gel-Tek, I highly suggest picking some up. You can't treat internal parasites through treating the entire tank - you must feed them. This stuff, I use on a regular basis for a preventative measure (and actually what really pulled my puffer from this thread through his struggles). I would put some frozen food (for example, bloodworms), put a few drops of the meds on its food, let it soak and thaw and then feed it to them. It contains praziquantel - an active ingredient that eliminates worms (even used in pets such as cats/dogs). It also contains a natural fish pheromone that will entice the fish to eat! If you do not have any in your area, you can always order it online.

I hope your new little guy is doing well. Let us know if you observe anything out of the ordinary. Better to catch it now before it's too late.

 

[Justin72681]

Thanks mlefessler , I have looked for the Gel-Tek but cannot find it locally, I will order it. As for the other variables, the tank was cycled for two weeks, levels were good. I had the one puffer in it for almost two months. The belly changed often from white to black. Usually after feeding it went white. I have been feeding freeze dried krill, fresh small shrimp, gut loaded ghost shrimp, and a few snails (my breeder tank has ones that are too large and the new borns are not big enough). The new one is almost 2'' the other one was a little smaller. I know I need a bigger tank, its all my apartment will support. As my living space grows so shall theirs.

 

[Pufferpunk]

2 weeks does not cycle a tank, unless you fishless-cycled it. Did you? Please ecplain your cycling process & answer mlefessler's Qs above.

IPs would be my guess too, How did you treat that?

Totally on about the copper--a definate no-no with puffers. Symptoms previous to death sounds like copper toxcicity. It's only for severe cases of external parasites, to be carefully monitored with copper tests daily.

 

[Justin72681]

I knew the copper was extreme but I didn't think I had another option. I have changed my carbon and done several high volume water changes to rid the tank of it. I did do a fish-less cycle, I used a bottled bacteria culture and let the tank run for 2 weeks. I used the fizzing tabs to treat the water in the tank for parasites, supposedly it can be absorbed through the gills to treat the fish, it wouldn't eat the specific parasite food I got. That is why I want the Gel-Tek to treat the food that my new puffer will eat.

 

[SpockthePuffer]

Doesn't sound like your tank was cycled. Most of those bottles of bacteria don't work and you have to have a source of ammonia for the bacteria to survive which you didn't since the tank was empty.

What kind of test kit are you using for your water?

The medicine has to be ingested. You could take the fizzing tabs and put them in a cup of water with the food to soak them.

 

[Pufferpunk]

Totally agree with Spock on the cycling.
Read: FISHLESS CYCLING
TREATING IPS

And you never treat with copper in your main tank, only in QT. I'd take everything out of there & start over with a fishless cycle. The new puffer is at risk from an uncycled tank, copper poisoning (which leeches into the silicone, decor, substrate, etc) & IPs possibly left over from the previous fish.