Something Wrong With My Dwarf Puffers?

[timmystood]

I have 4 Dwarf puffers in my office in a tank that has been established since last year. They are the usual temperamental but nosey and active little things that we've come to expect from Puffers.
However, 5 days ago I did a little aqua-scaping while doing my water change. Ripped out the old plants, kept some in there and put some new ones in... nothing major just a couple of minutes (certainly no more than I've done before).
I completed the maintenance and carried on with my day. I only noticed something was wrong when it came to feeding time. My little guys weren't anywhere to be seen! Normally they love food and also know when it's feeding time. I didn't think much of it and just put it down to stress for my aqua-scaping earlier in the day. Then another day passed and then another. Yesterday I saw 2 of them gingerly swimming under the filter. I popped a little food in yesterday but no takers. Today all 4 are out in the tank but not in the open, they don't want to come out from the plant cover and have no interest in food. It's been nearly 6 days since they last ate.
It's completely confused me! Water parameters are fine and apart from the aqua-scape nothing has changed... any ideas???

 

[myenigmaself]

What are you feeding them? You may want to try some frozen bloodworm for a treat. It sounds like they're just scared to me, but not eating is a big problem for those little guys. Also, you may want to try putting some cardboard or paper on the sides of the tank and maybe even the front, just temporarily, so they don't see so much movement outside the tank.

 

[iSnail]

It always worry me when mine don't come up to beg at dinner time. They are permanent beggars. You could have disturbed the substrate too much when re-scaping and caused a slight ammonia spike OR could have gotten some unknown chemicals into the tank without knowing maybe? The only thing I can suggest is to do some large water changes and see if they perk up. Hope they recover soon

 

[lilacamy931]

Perhaps they are just disturbed by the way you changed the tank, I did this once with mine and they weren't too happy for a little while. I would definately test the parameters of the water and perhaps get live food to tempt them out. They can be a bit fickle at times, fish in general can go up to a week on average without food, if really worried try soaking their food in essence of garlic as this is meant to be irresistable. Best of luck with them, it is really worrying, especially as all four are behaving weirdly.

 

[timmystood]

Thanks for your replies Guys:

myenigmaself: I am currently feeding them a nice mixture of frozen & occasionally live foods. They get bloodworm very regularly and it's normally this that they go crazy for. I'm gonna try paper on the tank for today but I really need them to start eating!!

iSnail: I didn't think about disturbing the substrate problem. It hasn't caused an Ammonia spike because I've been testing every day... however, as you say, there could be a chemical in the tank now which I can't test for. I haven't done any water changes since they went all shy because I didn't want to scare them any more, but I will try one today.

lilacamy931: I've checked the Parameters of the tank and they are all superb & I tried live food yesterday (which then had to be fished out when the Puffers weren't interested !). I relise they can go this long without food but with their quick processing of food I would have wanted them to be eating again by now. Didn't think about the esscence of garlic, good idea! I might try some of this today.

I really think that once they get eating again they will be fine. Hopefully I can keep them alive until that stage.
Thanks again for all your help. I'll let you know how they get on.

 

[divegirl]

Nothing more to add to the advice you've received....all very good advice I might add

Hopefully it's just a protest against your aqua scaping skills Have you tried them with live food? Or failing that dead food that looks live! I syringe feed my Dp's and if I get a bloodworm to hang out of the tip of the syringe and then wiggle it around.....one of mine will try to jump the surface of the water to get to it!!!!!

Good luck....let us know how you get on!

Lisa x

 

[timmystood]

Bless 'em! You should film your feeding! Sounds funny!!

I have tried live food and no takers at all. Then spent ages trying to fish it all out

I've put paper all round the tank today to keep it sheltered from any onlookers. Hopefully, this will solve the problem. Will be taking the paper off soon to try feeding... again. It needs to work today because they are all looking very thin, dark and weak.

 

[timmystood]

Just tried feeding again. Tried their favourite of bloodworm and no joy at all. They all come up to the top like they did before but then they let the food sink down to the bottom. Hmm... really need them to start eating.

 

[myenigmaself]

Hmmm, if you're feeding live bloodworms you can try leaving them in the tank. They'll go into the substrate and the puffers can suck them up when they poke their heads out. Other than that I can't think of anything to entice them to eat. Have you tried snails too?

 

[timmystood]

Hmmm, if you're feeding live bloodworms you can try leaving them in the tank. They'll go into the substrate and the puffers can suck them up when they poke their heads out. Other than that I can't think of anything to entice them to eat. Have you tried snails too?

Yeah, I've tried the snails. In fact there are quite a few in the tank enjoying the algae without being eaten!!
Tried a little bit of live food again today but the Puffers just look at them. It's almost like they've forgotton how to eat.

 

[iSnail]

aww... poor things. They have to be quite unwell or full to not want to eat live food. My DPs' top favourites are live brine shrimps and snails. Always go berserk over them

iSnail: I didn't think about disturbing the substrate problem. It hasn't caused an Ammonia spike because I've been testing every day... however, as you say, there could be a chemical in the tank now which I can't test for. I haven't done any water changes since they went all shy because I didn't want to scare them any more, but I will try one today.

I didn't think it would be problematic for DPs but was thinking more from a shrimp keeper's perspective especially the more sensitive shrimp species. Any large re-scaping in a planted tank can cause the slightest but enough "undetected" ammonia to kill shrimps. The reason I think it's the water is that all of them are showing the same symptoms. It's strange. Anyway, hope they improve soon

 

[divegirl]

So sorry to hear they're still not eating The only other thing I can suggest [but don't hold much hope for if they are already 'stressed'].... I used to have one Dp that was a real little one compared to the others....so I used to net him and put him in a bowl of tank water [resting in the tank] and feed him live brine shrimp. Other than that I'm really out of ideas!
How long have you had them?

Lisa x

 

[timmystood]

...How long have you had them?

About 4 months

 

[divegirl]

Ok....let's look at it form a different point of view!

Have they ever been treated for internal parasites? [I don't know a thing about the life cycle if IP, about could be worth looking into]! Have you tried Melafix?
Last idea....have you pm'd Jennybugs or Nealemonks....they really are the puffer experts on here and may think of someting that we haven't!

Lisa x

 

[timmystood]

Ok....let's look at it form a different point of view!

Have they ever been treated for internal parasites? [I don't know a thing about the life cycle if IP, about could be worth looking into]! Have you tried Melafix?
Last idea....have you pm'd Jennybugs or Nealemonks....they really are the puffer experts on here and may think of someting that we haven't!

Lisa x

Never treated them for internal parasites and I doubt that this is the case as the 'symptoms' came on all of a sudden after a water change/aquascaping.

I'm gonna have a chat with Nealemonks today and hopefully can get to the bottom of this!