Drawf Puffer Fish - Not Eating Properly

[interbug]

Hi Guys, first post on the site, think of many.

I have 3 dwarf puffer fish in a tank about 6 months old. There are a couple of barbs, plecky, 2 tiger loaches for company. Tank is 70 liters and I do about 20% of the water about twice a month.

The water is high in nitrates so this week i am planning to today 2 or 3 water 10-20% water changes.

A barb has a sore and so i have done 1 of 5 treatments on the water (antibacterial agent for finrot, sores etc)

Problem is that 1 of the puffer fish is not able to eat properly. Summers (its name) has always been skinny sompared to the rest, but now shes real skinny, and when she eats her live bloodworm (which she chases round like the rest of them) she seems to struggle to get more than half the worm down her, and chokes for a while, before it comes back up.

I know the worms are OK size for her but bit worried shes on the way out.

No new additions to the tank, excelpt for some sort of green slimy algae which I was told would go away if I kept the light of for a lot longer. say 3 hours a day for a while.

Any ideas guys?? Thanks for your help, really appriciate it.

 

[WILDER]

Need to be doing a vac and water change once a week.
The fish which you say is skinny can you isolate it, check the anus to see if its enlarged or red and inflamed, and what does it look like when the fish goes to the toilet.
Anys signs of a derformaties like a bent spine.

 

[interbug]

Need to be doing a vac and water change once a week.
The fish which you say is skinny can you isolate it, check the anus to see if its enlarged or red and inflamed, and what does it look like when the fish goes to the toilet.
Anys signs of a derformaties like a bent spine.

Thanks, I'm at work at the mo so Ill check as soon as I get back

 

[joloco]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=6919

theres a link from this link which is REALLY helpful on tricks to get puffers to eat, hope you have more luck than i am.

 

[interbug]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=6919

theres a link from this link which is REALLY helpful on tricks to get puffers to eat, hope you have more luck than i am.

Thanks for the link, thats a good idea about the snails, i wonder if her teeth of too big?

As for its anus, I meen its a pretty small fish, but best I can see no inflamation, but when it goes toilet it looks rigid, red or at least dark in colour, very similer that to a frozen bloodworm

 

[WILDER]

Have you been feeding any bloodworms sounds like internal parasites if not.

 

[Fella]

With Dwarf puffers it's quite likely the high nitrates may have put them off their food.

What medication are you treating the tank with? What ingredients are in it? Some people report to have difficulty with puffers who don't react well to copper based medications.

Can you isolate the puffers?

 

[WILDER]

Does the belly look sunken in with being thin.

How thin was she before she started to have trouble eating, there links on how to deal with puffers teeth when they over grow.

 

[WILDER]

I would take a look here to be on the safe side.
http/www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/nematodes.shtml