Need Puffer Help

[mgmparrothead]

I have a dogface puffer that I have had for about an year and a half. He stopped eating 5 days ago and is doing really poorly. Two days ago... a hermit crab was attached to him and we had to pull it off. The skin was not damaged, but since then he has not "laid down" like Puffers do. He is getting really bad looking and needs to eat. Any ideas? I have tested the water and it is fine. The other fish are fine and eating well.

 

[VolitanLioness]

What has your puffers diet consisted of?

Do you soak your foods in vitamins?

Kaye

 

[kraig m.]

Dog face puffers and also other puffers have a problem with their teeth growing to big and will cause them to not eat. That's why they need to eat foods that are hard on occasion or have something in the tank in order for them to grind their teeth down. I don't have a dog face puffer but do have a porc. puffer, and he had a spell where he wouldn't eat also. I believe he had a condition called lockjaw which is usually caused by a deficiency of vitamins. I actually forced him to eat food with a pair of tongs. Force feeding your puffer is something you can do as a last resort of him not eating. It works until you get his strength back up in order to eat on his own.
I was feeding him freeze dried krill and since have still been feeding him the krill, but now dip it in zoe and another vitamin supplement, cant remember the name right now, and it worked. He now is back healthy and doing great. I also feed him live snails at least once a week to give him extra nutrition and to keep his teeth grinded down.
Also you can dip the food in garlic guard or another garlic supplement and sometimes will entise the puffer to eat.

You can go to the site www.thepufferforum.com and ask someone their what you should do. They have been very helpful to me in the past. If your puffer does have a problem with his teeth being overgrown there is information on how you can grind your puffers teeth down yourself if you do not have a vet you can take him to. Good luck and I hope you find out what the problem is in order for him to get better.

 

[LittlePuff]

Site's down.

Kim

 

[kraig m.]

When was it down. I checked right before posting and again a few minutes ago and it was working. I actually hadn't been on the site in a while so I don't know about before today.