My Dwarf Puffer Seems To Be Unhappy.

Hello everyone,

I have owned a dwarf puffer before when I was living in Singapore, and therefore I already informed myself widely on dwarf puffers and how to take care of them, and the one I owned thrived, ate well, seemed interested and also learned to recognise me. Since I moved back to Europe I was looking to start a freshwater tank with a dwarf puffer, and about a week ago I bought a DP for my cycled nature aquarium.

After it's acclimatisation period the puffer was quite inactive but I figured he still needed some time to get used to his tank. I did notice however that he seemed a lot less curious compared to the first puffer I owned. The second day he ate about 2 bloodworms, but since than he has not eaten anything. His colors are dark and dull, and he lies on the aquarium floor all day. He also seems to be breathing heavily which indicates to me that he is stressed out. He hasn't taken time yet to swim around and actually explore the tank, which is not at all like a healthy DP.

I wanted to wait a few days, because he might be stressed due to the new aquarium, but now that it has been more than a week I'm really starting to worry. If you have any tips on what might be happening please share them because I am lost right now.

Water quality does not seem to be the problem, as it is stable and cycled. The aquarium currently also houses a kuhlI loach and 3 crystal red shrimp which are thriving. All help is more than welcome!

 

Hi, sorry to beat your puffer isn't feeling good ): what is your current tank size and could I have a picture of the tank? Have you tested the parameters yet? If you have but have used strips, I would reccomend you buy the API master test kit as strips can be inaccurate. Also what is the filter make and power output aswell as the temperature.

 

Thank you for your reply! To be absolutely sure, I had the water tested by my LFS and they concluded the conditions were perfect. The temperature is around 21 degrees. It's an ADA nano tank, and I have the ADA SuperJet 150 filter hooked up to it. I will add a picture of the tank:




I know the lighting does not seem to be strong but that's not the final light bar yet. That's still on its way to be delivered in about a week.

Today I had the dwarf puffer quarantined and added some supplements my LFS advised me. It seemed to do a little better after half an hour but it then went back to lying on the substrate. It lays like this all day:

 

Is that a co2 diffuser back behind the drift wood? if he's breathing heavy he might honestly just be O2 starved. Your intake and exhaust for your filtration look like clear pipes in the tank, which are gorgeous but I doubt you get much surface agitation from it. Maybe try an air stone see if his breathing improves?

TT

 

Thank you for your answer! Yes that's a co2 diffusor, but I haven't turned it on the past 4 days because that's exactly what I thought might be the case. My pipes are indeed glass, and the exhaust is an ada spinning pipe. It does cause some agitation actually as it turbines the water around. Maybe not enough though? I'll look into the air stone option for sure! Would be strange though cause my kuhlI and shrimp are doing perfectly fine.

 

Shrimp require very little dissolved o2. They do great in tanks like yours. As far as KuhlI vs Puffer each fish has a different amount of gill surface area, the amount of movement changes the amount of o2 they process and o2 requirements are just different species to species. So it might be fine for one (kuhlis BTW like other kuhlis)

Let me know if the air stone helps.

 

Hows the little bloke doing?

 

Are you using Seachem Flourish Excel or any similar product that contains glutaraldehyde?

If not, I'd be curious if you tested pH and what your acclimation procedure was like.

 

Unfortunately I have to tell that the little puffer did not make it

I'm so sad, as I tried everything together with my LFS to get him better.

The pH was tested and the acclimation procedure was done by drop acclimation.
I did also use a product that helps relieve stress and protect gills, but only after I noticed
he did not act as a healthy dwarf puffer would.

I am definitely not going to get a new puffer until I am sure what has happened here.
I would not want a new puffer to eat my current crystal-red babies,
and apart from that, the last thing I want is getting a little dwarf puffer in a dangerous situation.

 

Sorry mate, There is a chance something was wrong with him from the store too. I always do a parasite cleanse on fish. Sounds like you did everything ya could.

better luck next time!

TT

 

Thank you! there surely will be a next time as I'm just in love with dwarf puffers.
I just don't want to see one in that situation again, it broke my heart. Thought I was prepared
but Ill have to wait some time and reconsider what to do.

 

Awh no! I agree with the above, it could have been something before you got the puffer so don't worry to much if you need any more help feel free to ask.

 

Awh no! I agree with the above, it could have been something before you got the puffer so don't worry to much if you need any more help feel free to ask.

Thank you I will surely ask the community as soon as I'm starting with a puffer again.
Apart from that I will keep posting updates on my planted tank, although I am not entirely sure what would be
the best place to post pictures/updates in the long run? Would love to share the progress.

 

A lot of us have posts just about our tanks in general. That might be a good thread for you to start.

Just go under General -> Member's Fish Tanks

 

Hello everyone,

I would like to tell that about a week ago, I took on the challenge and bought a new puffer.
I waited some weeks to check the aquarium parameters thoroughly but since eventually
everything seemed to be fine I went to the store and bought the new fish.
His name is Puffy and he is doing very well!

He is doing great so far. Active swimmer, bright colors, very interested in what's going on in the
aquarium. He's constantly examining plants and stones and seems to be really happy.

I'm so happy with the new puffer that I decided to draw the little guy:

Malabar Puffer

• ENVIBE
• Apr 15, 2017

Thank you for all the advice!