Puffer Problem

[Phreaxer]

I dont know what happened, they all seemed fine this morning, and then when I got home, I asked my wife why there were only 2 and she said, there were three... and I had he look, and she said "theres three..." I couldnt see the third one, and since its a hex tank, it reflexs funny, so I looked in the top, and there she was floating near the leaf that is at the water surface. I pulled her out and she was gone... I couldnt see any signs of being eaten, but she had some odd marks on her side... I dont know what happened to her though. I also noticed that there are still some worm floating on the surface that they didnt eat from this morning. I was thinking that maybe the pump was scaring them, so I turned it off to see and they still didnt really go to the top to eat... What could be wrong? PAGING PUFFERPACK! hehe, please help me out, I dont want to lose them. I asked the guy at the store to test the water, and he said its fine for them....

 

[Jamnog]

could you describe the strange mark on the side of the one fish.it might be there is something wrong with them when you got them from the fish shop.

 

[Phreaxer]

Well, she didnt have the mark on her yesterday... It was kinda like a couple wrinkles... Maybe a bite mark? I dont know if that makes sense...?

 

[Jamnog]

that sounds kinda worrieing i will have a little look to see if i can figure out what it might be later on.

 

[Pufferpack]

Sorry to hear about your loss Phreaxer

Are these Dwarf Puffers or one of the other types? Was her stomach grey or shrunken? Are any of the others looking grey around the bellies or shrunken? If so they may have an internal parasite.
This advise was given by a long time puffer owner whose advise I trust completely

Sometimes, when fish stop eating & waste away, I think it can be internal parasites. All puffers are wild-caught, & do have the possibility of coming to us with them. I always treat my new puffers w/Discomed, by Aquatronics. I would quarrantine any new fish, or you will have to treat all the fish, as the food needs to be soaked in the meds.

Well, she didnt have the mark on her yesterday... It was kinda like a couple wrinkles... Maybe a bite mark?

Were these wrinkles just behind the eyes and the belly has a slight yellow tinge? If so it is most likely a juvenile male and could have been harrassed to death by another male

This may sound a little morbid, but if you have a pic of the deceased one it would help to narrow things down.

HTH

Don.

 

[Phreaxer]

I already sent her on her way... so I dont have a pic, but she was not grey, and her stomach looked pretty much normal... She was a dwarf puffer, and I specifically asked for 2 females and one male, per our conversation. I checked each one to the best of my ability for odd marks, and the make sure they were the right sexes. from my layman's perspective, I got 2 females and one male, like I was supposed too...


Also, How much do they eat? I have an UGF and they dont seem to want to go to the surface when the pump is running... and since the worms float, what should I do? turn off the pump for a few minutes when I feed them? leave it on and let them figure out how things work?

 

[Pufferpack]

When you say the worms float, does that mean you are feeding them dried bloodworm? Most dwarfs prefer to chase their supper through the water rather than snip it off the surface. If you are using dried bloodworms try soaking them in a shotglass of water before putting them into the tank so that the float through the water hopefully that will catch their interest. If you can get some frozen blood worm or frozen brine shrimp they should love that (same method, thaw in a shotglass of water and serve) A pinch should be lots for 2 dwarfs (10 or 15 little worms floating)

I got 2 females and one male, like I was supposed too...

...sometimes it is very hard to tell, especially when they are babies. I originally thought I had 4 females and 2 males, but after 3 months PP (the smallest) changed his coloring and took up a territory...his female coloring dissapeared and he is definately a male now (meanest one in the tank)

 

[Jamnog]

i havent found anything tho sometimes if they are dead they become sunken and posible the skin became wrinkled as the gases escaped or something. i havent found any diseases that match that description nor any parasites that would wrinkle the skin. if he was bullied and died of stress then at least it means he will be the last to snuff it unless you have three males. puffer knows more about puffers than i ever will i dont think its anything ive come across other than a "stress" death.

 

[Phreaxer]

Thanks you guys,


Puffer the food idea is a good one. I just have to find a place to get frozen food... I will be doing that today for sure. Thanks! Also I have noticed that as the worms start to sink, they catch the attention of the puffs, so at least now they are eating.

Thanks, you guys kick major ass!

 

[Pufferpack]

I'm so pleased to hear that your little guys are eating again . I have read in a couple of posts that if you put a bucket of water outside overnight, with a little grass sprinkled on the surface, mosquitoes will lay their eggs in it and bloodworms (larve) will hatch. I haven't tried it myself, but it sounds like a free food source to me.