markanthany
Mostly New Member
Hi all, I'm new here. I acquired three dwarf puffers three days ago and after a bit of reading, found that the vast majority of them come with internal parasites. However, I noticed that only maybe one out of the ten threads I had read of people treating their sickly puffers, actually ended with the puffer fish improving and not dying. So, I thought I would try to document my case of dealing with it in the event that I am successful, so that it could help others in the future.
So what I have right now is a cycled 5 gallon. The water tested with 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and extremely low nitrate. Temperature is around 75F, ph is 5.8, water is soft and crystal clear. Right now I have a small airstone with low flow for aeration, a peace lily in there and some rocks for cover/hides, a little duckweed, and half the bottom (floramax substrate) covered in an attempt at a dwarf hairgrass carpet. I am dosing 1/2 dose for a 5g of Seachem ferts once every two days. This is also a species-only tank with the exception of a ton of snails (food) and two ghost shrimp that they like to pick on now and then (also food). I've got a grow light on it about 8-10 hours a day that provides medium light.
Okay, so with all that covered, here's my situation:
Have always loved dwarf puffers, found them in stock at a LFS and happily picked out three. Whilst still in the bag on the way home, I noticed that one seemed significantly less lively than the other two and not as rotund. At this point, I knew everything that they needed to be cared for, but had no idea about the internal parasites. I kept an eye on them that night after they were released into the tank and noticed that this one was still staying near the bottom, swimming slowly, while the other two were much more lively and inquisitive and staying together in a pair. Their coloration was also brighter and their bodies more round.
Then the next day I decided to try to feed them frozen brine shrimp because we couldn't find any live foods at the LFS near us. (I still need to find one that carries some, no idea why it's so hard to find around here for some reason. We have a ton of LFS's.) As I kind of expected, they wouldn't go for the brine even though I tried to wiggle and circulate it in the water a bit with a turkey baster- they simply watched it float to the bottom and the ghost shrimp began clean up a little while after.
Then later that day I went out and was given a ton of pest snails of all shapes and sizes. The puffers immediately went after these and I continue to find large, upturned rotting empty snail shells. It's been really entertaining to watch them hunt and flip them over. As for the poorly one that by now I am sure has internal parasites, he is striking at the shells and I did see him eat some.
Then yesterday, I noticed that he seemed even skinnier and I didn't see him eating or as lively as before. He took to swimming slowly along the bottom and eyeing some snails, but not striking at them. I had read a lot about garlic and had already purchased some minced garlic the day before, so I put the poorly puffer in a small glass container with some tank water. I prepared some frozen brine shrimp by soaking them in garlic juice and then put them in the container with him, but he showed no interest. I even soaked multiple snails in the garlic juice, alive and whole and some partially crushed so he could eat them easier, but to no avail. I then added a bit of garlic juice to the main tank and returned him.
So later after much research, I went out and bought some API General Cure, and this is why: From what I can tell, there are really only 3 medications (and please correct me if I am wrong) that are effective in dealing with de-worming the type of worms that dwarf puffers and other fish commonly get; praziquantel, metronidazole, and levamisole. I decided to purchase API General Cure instead of Prazipro or others because it contains both praziquantel and metronidazole. I could not find any brand of levamisole in stores near me and as I hear it is very hard to obtain but very effective in treating camallanus worms, (which I understand can be extremely difficult to get rid of once in a tank) but I did find some on eBay for $27.00. I haven't ordered it yet, but may consider buying it in the future.
So now today, after dosing what was recommended for my tank of API General Cure, there seems to already be a significant difference. See, I began to suspect that another puffer may actually have internal parasites as well, but to a much less severe extent. This puffer has a more beige and washed out or dull coloration and his body is much less round than the third puffer I have. This other puffer is extremely healthy, with bright contrasted coloring and a nice smooth, round belly with plenty of energy. So in a way, this one will be my standard of health for monitoring the other two.
Today the poorly puffer is decreasingly active and I also have not seen him eat or show interest in the snails. However, he is floating around (not upside down, just lazily) around the surface of the water and occasionally sitting on the substrate which I have never seen him do. But the biggest change for him is that the lump of which I assume to be the worm, has moved from sitting just behind his jaw, to decreasing in size and moving down his belly. I am hopeful that these are signs that the medication is working and its taking some energy out of him to pass the worm(s). As I said I did see him eat when I got him, so he's only been two days or so since I've last seen him eat; the other threads I have read of sick puffer, they go ten days or more without eating before passing away, though my sick puffer is very skinny and concave.
The other puffer that I believe also has parasites but is in much better health, his coloration is drastically better, with darker black spots and brighter yellows rather than beige. His belly has also smoothed out, though I have not been able to catch them pooping (I've only seen the healthy one pooping before, and it was normal and brown.) The healthy puffer continues to remain very healthy active.
So that's my case so far. Tomorrow it'll be time for me to do another dose of API General Cure as per their directions and then depending on how things appear Thursday, I may then begin another dose (I read that you can safely dose it for up to 10 days.) I will keep the thread updated with my progress and see if I can't successful treat these pesky worms.
So what I have right now is a cycled 5 gallon. The water tested with 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and extremely low nitrate. Temperature is around 75F, ph is 5.8, water is soft and crystal clear. Right now I have a small airstone with low flow for aeration, a peace lily in there and some rocks for cover/hides, a little duckweed, and half the bottom (floramax substrate) covered in an attempt at a dwarf hairgrass carpet. I am dosing 1/2 dose for a 5g of Seachem ferts once every two days. This is also a species-only tank with the exception of a ton of snails (food) and two ghost shrimp that they like to pick on now and then (also food). I've got a grow light on it about 8-10 hours a day that provides medium light.
Okay, so with all that covered, here's my situation:
Have always loved dwarf puffers, found them in stock at a LFS and happily picked out three. Whilst still in the bag on the way home, I noticed that one seemed significantly less lively than the other two and not as rotund. At this point, I knew everything that they needed to be cared for, but had no idea about the internal parasites. I kept an eye on them that night after they were released into the tank and noticed that this one was still staying near the bottom, swimming slowly, while the other two were much more lively and inquisitive and staying together in a pair. Their coloration was also brighter and their bodies more round.
Then the next day I decided to try to feed them frozen brine shrimp because we couldn't find any live foods at the LFS near us. (I still need to find one that carries some, no idea why it's so hard to find around here for some reason. We have a ton of LFS's.) As I kind of expected, they wouldn't go for the brine even though I tried to wiggle and circulate it in the water a bit with a turkey baster- they simply watched it float to the bottom and the ghost shrimp began clean up a little while after.
Then later that day I went out and was given a ton of pest snails of all shapes and sizes. The puffers immediately went after these and I continue to find large, upturned rotting empty snail shells. It's been really entertaining to watch them hunt and flip them over. As for the poorly one that by now I am sure has internal parasites, he is striking at the shells and I did see him eat some.
Then yesterday, I noticed that he seemed even skinnier and I didn't see him eating or as lively as before. He took to swimming slowly along the bottom and eyeing some snails, but not striking at them. I had read a lot about garlic and had already purchased some minced garlic the day before, so I put the poorly puffer in a small glass container with some tank water. I prepared some frozen brine shrimp by soaking them in garlic juice and then put them in the container with him, but he showed no interest. I even soaked multiple snails in the garlic juice, alive and whole and some partially crushed so he could eat them easier, but to no avail. I then added a bit of garlic juice to the main tank and returned him.
So later after much research, I went out and bought some API General Cure, and this is why: From what I can tell, there are really only 3 medications (and please correct me if I am wrong) that are effective in dealing with de-worming the type of worms that dwarf puffers and other fish commonly get; praziquantel, metronidazole, and levamisole. I decided to purchase API General Cure instead of Prazipro or others because it contains both praziquantel and metronidazole. I could not find any brand of levamisole in stores near me and as I hear it is very hard to obtain but very effective in treating camallanus worms, (which I understand can be extremely difficult to get rid of once in a tank) but I did find some on eBay for $27.00. I haven't ordered it yet, but may consider buying it in the future.
So now today, after dosing what was recommended for my tank of API General Cure, there seems to already be a significant difference. See, I began to suspect that another puffer may actually have internal parasites as well, but to a much less severe extent. This puffer has a more beige and washed out or dull coloration and his body is much less round than the third puffer I have. This other puffer is extremely healthy, with bright contrasted coloring and a nice smooth, round belly with plenty of energy. So in a way, this one will be my standard of health for monitoring the other two.
Today the poorly puffer is decreasingly active and I also have not seen him eat or show interest in the snails. However, he is floating around (not upside down, just lazily) around the surface of the water and occasionally sitting on the substrate which I have never seen him do. But the biggest change for him is that the lump of which I assume to be the worm, has moved from sitting just behind his jaw, to decreasing in size and moving down his belly. I am hopeful that these are signs that the medication is working and its taking some energy out of him to pass the worm(s). As I said I did see him eat when I got him, so he's only been two days or so since I've last seen him eat; the other threads I have read of sick puffer, they go ten days or more without eating before passing away, though my sick puffer is very skinny and concave.
The other puffer that I believe also has parasites but is in much better health, his coloration is drastically better, with darker black spots and brighter yellows rather than beige. His belly has also smoothed out, though I have not been able to catch them pooping (I've only seen the healthy one pooping before, and it was normal and brown.) The healthy puffer continues to remain very healthy active.
So that's my case so far. Tomorrow it'll be time for me to do another dose of API General Cure as per their directions and then depending on how things appear Thursday, I may then begin another dose (I read that you can safely dose it for up to 10 days.) I will keep the thread updated with my progress and see if I can't successful treat these pesky worms.
