Does Lucky My Puffer Have Some Sort Of Illness?

[JaksAquatics]

HI my puffer lucky is the only of three puffers (that I know of anyway) that is alive I pulled out a dead one and the other one has been missing but lucky is very skinny the tank mates are 3 shrimp, 2 corydoras (which I plan on taking out today), and some snails. Here is a picture

 

[jacob thompson]

How long have you had them? And what are the water perameters?

 

[leftswerve]

HI my puffer lucky

What have you been feeding it?

 

[Sean Smith]

Sounds like shock from being introduced wrong or you just arnt feeding it properly . Those guys require snails in their diets and like small worms

 

[jacob thompson]

Sounds like shock from being introduced wrong or you just arnt feeding it properly . Those guys require snails in their diets and like small worms

They don’t require snails to their diet. Pea puffers are the only puffer species that don’t have the tooth overgrowth problem. This honestly sounds like internal parasites to me. They’re often wildcaught and wildcaught fish are at a much higher risk of developing internal parasites than captive bred fish. That’s why I asked the water perameters and how long he’s had them.

 

[leftswerve]

They don’t require snails to their diet. Pea puffers are the only puffer species that don’t have the tooth overgrowth problem. This honestly sounds like internal parasites to me. They’re often wildcaught and wildcaught fish are at a much higher risk of developing internal parasites than captive bred fish. That’s why I asked the water perameters and how long he’s had them.

Maybe not "require" but they don't thrive well on flake and frozen.

 

[jacob thompson]

Maybe not "require" but they don't thrive well on flake and frozen.

Oh I know. I meant they wouldn’t die like he said. I feed mine blood worms (frozen), brine shrimp (frozen), blackworms (live), the occasional bladder snail from the high tech tank, ghost shrim(live), and brine eggs. I see variety as best whether it’s frozen or live both give a lot of natural nutrition. Also mine won’t touch prepared food.

 

[JaksAquatics]

I don't have any test kits accept the highly inaccurate ones likke I said he won't eat the snails I have had them for a week now is there any way to treat internal parisites?

 

[jacob thompson]

I wouldn’t treat them unless you know that’s what he has. What are you offering him to eat? How old is the tank? Does he have a sunken belly? Does he have white stringy poop?

 

[JaksAquatics]

I have had it set up since christmas. I have offered him to eat vibra bites, frozen bloodworms, snails, and I threw in a couple shrimp to see if he would eat them or not. his belly is sunken and I have not seen him poop

 

[jacob thompson]

Sounds like it isn’t cycled and that’s causing them to have stress and not eating. They require mature tanks and because they are sensitive. Because your tank isn’t cycled yoost likely either have ammonia or nitrite in the water column which is a contributing factor in their deaths since they are toxic substances to fish. The stress of these chemicals are causing them to basically starve themselves. I would recommend getting a test kit and testing the water to see what is happening. Also get a bottle of seachem prime and dose either a full dose or 5X dose depending on what chemicals are present daily. I would also see if you can find some live blackworms this is another favorite of them. A few more questions. How planted is the tank? What type of snails are you trying to feed them?

 

[JaksAquatics]

I am trying to feed them red ramshorn snails and it is pretty decently planted

also he is not relunctent to eat he is eating but his belly does not fill

 

[jacob thompson]

Then I would do what I said to do, get the test kit to figure out what’s going on because it doesn’t sound like internal parasites.

 

[richiep]

I bought 3 Amazon Puffers some 4 months ago from a specialised puffer outlet in the UK and he advised me to treat for worm parisite as soon as I introduce them whether or not they have it as they are prone to them and most come into the country with the parisite and classic sign was eating and not gaining weight

 

[JaksAquatics]

I bought 3 Amazon Puffers some 4 months ago from a specialised puffer outlet in the UK and he advised me to treat for worm parisite as soon as I introduce them whether or not they have it as they are prone to them and most come into the country with the parisite and classic sign was eating and not gaining weight

then how do I treat them?

 

[leftswerve]

also he is not relunctent to eat he is eating but his belly does not fill

I gave benefit of the doubt that you are cycled, but I would start to believe you are not. If you are not, or if you just cycled, then the puffers went through a cycle and you are lucky to have the one left.
No matter what, do some significant water changes until you figure it out.

 

[JaksAquatics]

I gave benefit of the doubt that you are cycled, but I would start to believe you are not. If you are not, or if you just cycled, then the puffers went through a cycle and you are lucky to have the one left.
No matter what, do some significant water changes until you figure it out.

ok but I cycled it for about 2 monthes and even put tank water in it

 

[jacob thompson]

ok but I cycled it for about 2 monthes and even put tank water in it

How did you cycle it?

 

[JaksAquatics]

BTW it is a 15 fluval flex

I know it is cycled because the shrimp and the corydoras are fine they are happy as can be

I put water from my other tank into the fluval and waited a couple monthes before getting the puffers

Come on someone please reply you guys depend on my puffers survival please I am desperate

 

[Gourami36]

Water doesn't have any bacteria. If you waited a few months the bacteria would have died anyway. Unless you were adding ammonia

 

[JaksAquatics]

Water doesn't have any bacteria. If you waited a few months the bacteria would have died anyway. Unless you were adding ammonia

But I have cycled all my that way for two weeks and then I wait two months and this happens I don't know this is weird like I said I add some tank water and then wait a couple weeks and run the filter

 

[Gourami36]

But I have cycled all my that way for two weeks and then I wait two months and this happens I don't know this is weird like I said I add some tank water and then wait a couple weeks and run the filter

If you don’t have a test kit you don’t know if it is cycled.

 

[leftswerve]

But I have cycled all my that way for two weeks and then I wait two months and this happens I don't know this is weird like I said I add some tank water and then wait a couple weeks and run the filter

So, two paths: 1. You need to get a test kit. Until then you need to be doing 50% water changes (with water that has been properly acclimated) daily until you get a test kit. Ammonia is the culprit you are looking for. You need to be offering a variety of food that is sized appropriately. They are/can be picky.
2. As far as parasites go, In my experience, the meds will do more harm than good at this point.

 

[Isobelle]

Did you only put other tank water in? Bacteria doesn’t live in the water. Did you use any bottled bacteria, an ammonia source, or cycled media?

 

[JaksAquatics]

should I put cycled media from another tank into it?

 

[Isobelle]

Yes, I definitely would. Only the water unfortunately won’t help. If you have media to spare (don’t take it and leave other tanks with nothing) I’d use it!

 

[JaksAquatics]

ok I have some I will put it in the puffer tank thank you all have been very helpful

 

[jacob thompson]

That wouldn’t cycle the tank. Water has very little beneficial bacteria. I assume you are getting very lucky with your fish as 99% of the time all of your fish would’ve been dead by now. Please take my advice of what I said and get a test kit and dose accordingly with seachem prime. Once the water chemistry is sorted or and you’re cycled he should start eating. They are basically starving themselves from being put in an uncycled tank. If you want to instant cycle in the future. Use mature tank media and in order to keep any bacteria alive you need an ammonia source.

 

[JaksAquatics]

pray that lucky lives I named him lucky for reason

 

[Smalltownfishfriend]

How's the puffer doing?

 

[JaksAquatics]

He is still alive and skinny

 

[richiep]

I'm still convinced it's a parisite that comes in with the Fish,classic sign not eating and staying thin,

 

[JaksAquatics]

He has died going to get a test kit before buying more

 

[PufferQueen]

When you get the new ones and a test kit I highly recommend treating for the internal parasites as they are more common than not and can live undetected for a long time. I would absolutely recommend prazipro and garlic right from the start. Hope you have better luck next time, very sorry to hear about a rough first run with them but they are very rewarding to keep so I encourage you to try again.

 

[TheBettaSushi]

BTW it is a 15 fluval flex

I know it is cycled because the shrimp and the corydoras are fine they are happy as can be

I put water from my other tank into the fluval and waited a couple monthes before getting the puffers

Putting water in from another tank and waiting for it to cycle isn’t going to do anything. Beneficial Bacteria doesn’t live in the water Column. It lives on your substrate,filter sponges, bio media, decor, etc.

I agree with the others that your tank most likely isn’t properly cycled. DPs require an extremely established tank... the longer it has been established, the better their survival rate.

 

[JaksAquatics]

I think I am just going to get shell dwellers

 

[Smalltownfishfriend]

I think I am just going to get shell dwellers

They need a cycled tank too!!

 

[JaksAquatics]

I know this time I will cycle it