Poorly Dwarf puffer

[Carolinesugar]

Hi all,

Well as some of you might know, my boyfriend keeps dwarf puffers,

we had orginally brought 7 of them, and they all seemed to have great health, always eating and always active.

Over the last few days we have noticed that one of them (the smallest of the bunch) hasnt been eating.

He seems like he has a problem with his jaw, like its wedged open or something along those lines.

We have never noticed this before, and therefore cant say if this is how he has always been or not.

If I was to try and describe him without showing you any pictures, I'd say he looks like hes been starved of food, and has become anorexic.

He seems to swim when he has to, but when hes got no real reason to swim around, just stops flapping his fins, and lets the current carry him until he ends up laying in the plants where the current lets go of him.

We have seperated him from the others, and put him in a clear box with some live bloodworms, but he still hasnt made any attempt to go and chase them. even when they come up to him, he just lays still on the bottom.

Has anyone ever seen this happen before, or know of anything that we could try him on (to eat) or use any specific medicine that would help perk him up?

We have done a water change, and tested the water (prior to changing the water) and all the tests have some back normal, and have not had any change to what the puffers are used to living in.

Please if you have anything that you think could help, post it, as I'd love to help the lil fella out.

 

[PeterM]

It sounds like either stress or intestinal parasites.

How large is the tank with the seven puffers in it? If its less than 40 gallons then its too small for such a group. Puffers are only social when they are young, as they mature they become fiercely territorial and aggressive, especially to other dwarf puffers.

Regarding treatment... well, if hes not eating food and is looking starved, and is not swimming much, then I hate to say it but for a Dwarf Puffer this is really bad news. They seldom recover from such a state. However, if you want to give it a go, treating for parasites might work if he can hold out for long enough to eat once theyre gone.

Brace yourself though, I dont think this is going to end happily