Dwarf puffer not moving much

[jenny6500]

Hi guys!
I got a dwarf puffer off craigslist a few days ago and brought (her i think) home. The first few days she was cruising around killing the little snails I gave her but now she just hangs out at the bottom. Her only tank mate are two ghost shrimp and they seem fine. Her tank is kept at 78 degrees with live plants and a few other decorations, she hides in her little cave sometimes but mostly just sits around now and hasn't eaten her new snail. Any idea whats wrong? She also has something on her back, you can kinda see it in this photo.

 

[FishFinatic77]

How big is the tank? How long has it been set up for? Did you cycle the tank before putting her in? What are your water paramters, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, gh, and kh?

 

[Colin_T]

Besides what FishFinatic said, the first thing you should do if a puffer fish is sick, is a 75-90% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week.

Puffer fish can release poison into the water when stressed and it will kill them as well as anything else in the tank. Low levels of poison won't kill them straight away but after a couple of days of stress, there can be enough poison in the water to kill everything.

Big daily water changes will dilute any toxins released by the fish, as well as any chemicals from the filter process that might be causing problems. When the fish is well you can reduce the water changes back to once a week.

Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

 

[vanalisa]

Hi guys!
I got a dwarf puffer off craigslist a few days ago and brought (her i think) home. The first few days she was cruising around killing the little snails I gave her but now she just hangs out at the bottom. Her only tank mate are two ghost shrimp and they seem fine. Her tank is kept at 78 degrees with live plants and a few other decorations, she hides in her little cave sometimes but mostly just sits around now and hasn't eaten her new snail. Any idea whats wrong? She also has something on her back, you can kinda see it in this photo.

I don't know a lot but I have a Pea Puffer named Niblit. I can't discern anything on your Puffer's back.
The one thing that stands out to me is that your fish has its mouth open. I've never seen Niblet like that.
Maybe this information will help someone else to figure out what's wrong.

 

[jenny6500]

How big is the tank? How long has it been set up for? Did you cycle the tank before putting her in? What are your water paramters, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, gh, and kh?

It's a ten gallon that I had set up with the shrimp for a little over a month. I did an 80% water change and she is more active this morning, but still hasn't eaten her snail. Ph 7.2, ammonia was zero, 10 ppm nitrate, nitrites 0, kh and gh were both 4. I'll do another water change today as well and see if that helps. Does anyone have any other food suggestions I should try?

 

[jenny6500]

I don't know a lot but I have a Pea Puffer named Niblit. I can't discern anything on your Puffer's back.
The one thing that stands out to me is that your fish has its mouth open. I've never seen Niblet like that.
Maybe this information will help someone else to figure out what's wrong.

Whatever was on her back fell off, must have been a piece of food. Her mouth isn't open currently

 

[jenny6500]

Besides what FishFinatic said, the first thing you should do if a puffer fish is sick, is a 75-90% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week.

Puffer fish can release poison into the water when stressed and it will kill them as well as anything else in the tank. Low levels of poison won't kill them straight away but after a couple of days of stress, there can be enough poison in the water to kill everything.

Big daily water changes will dilute any toxins released by the fish, as well as any chemicals from the filter process that might be causing problems. When the fish is well you can reduce the water changes back to once a week.

Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Oh wow okay I didn't know that, she did seem better after the water change so maybe the stress of the move was it, or she doesn't like the shrimp?

 

[Colin_T]

Does anyone have any other food suggestions I should try?

You can feed them on any type of frozen fish food including: brineshrimp, daphnia, mysis shrimp, prawn, fish, octopus/ squid, bloodworms, etc.

Snails are also good for them to help keep their teeth in good shape.