# Help My Dwarf Puffer



## lakai536 (May 24, 2006)

one of my dwarf puffers seems really sick, he is sitting on the bottom of the tank, almost lifeless and has gotten a very bright yellow tint to his coloring, anyone know what may have happend?


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

co2 poisoning?

what are your water parameters, temp, etc.


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## Felf808 (Mar 21, 2006)

i have had this happen to several puffers right from the store and none of them survived. all of them would hover just above the substrate and sway back and forth. it could be caused by internal parasites because all of them had sunken stomachs. how long have you had it? does it have a sunken stomach? has it been eating at all?


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## lakai536 (May 24, 2006)

yes he has a sunken stomach and he has not been eating, all my other dwarf puffers seem perfectly fine.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

I have no experience with Puffers, but I have some friends with a Puffer specific forum and they may have help for you.
The Puffer forum


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

lakai536 said:


> yes he has a sunken stomach and he has not been eating, all my other dwarf puffers seem perfectly fine.


This means it has internal parasites. If one has it, all the puffers need to be treated. Use a medicine call "Gel Tek". The food has to be soaked in it, then feed to the puffers. I hate to say that once the Dp stops eating it is hard to cure them, since the meds have to be injested.


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## Muirner (Jan 9, 2007)

lakai - do you find the DP's to be calm fish or do they bother your others?


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## lakai536 (May 24, 2006)

Muirner said:


> lakai - do you find the DP's to be calm fish or do they bother your others?


They seem pretty calm and dont seem to bother my tetra or betta

but i am now having another slight problem... my dwarf puffers only seem to like eating the snails, i have tried to feed them dried bloodworms, but they dont seem interested, nor do they seem interested in flake food, the only thing i seem them ever eating are the snails that used to populate my tank, but the problem is is that the snails are running out... any suggestions?


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## toddnbecka (Sep 20, 2006)

They may eat frozen bloodworms and/or brine shrimp, but dwarf puffers are notorious for ignoring flakes and other dried food. I just got one for my 10 gallon to control the ramshorn population. They've been running amok, and I can't crush enough of them to keep the population in check. I was tempted to get several puffers, but was afraid they may eat all the snails, then start on the cherry shrimp. I figure a single little puffer will take longer to slow down the snails, but won't run out of them anytime soon.


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## KYCox (Jan 19, 2006)

sorry for your DP


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

lakai536 said:


> They seem pretty calm and dont seem to bother my tetra or betta
> 
> but i am now having another slight problem... my dwarf puffers only seem to like eating the snails, i have tried to feed them dried bloodworms, but they dont seem interested, nor do they seem interested in flake food, the only thing i seem them ever eating are the snails that used to populate my tank, but the problem is is that the snails are running out... any suggestions?


It is very rare that they will flake or freeze dried foods. Try feeding frozen bloodworms, add a garlic if needed to entice them to eat. Live foods such as blackworms are readily accepted and brine shrimp (not nutritious).

Most fish stores will give you pest snails (pond or ramshorn)for free or you can try breeding snails for your Dp.


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