what can I do for my dwarf puffer?

[fishylvr]

Hi guys,

first of all I really hate that my first aa post has to be in the unhealthy fish section... at least i think that's where this should go....

i have a 5.5 gallon tank with three dwarf puffers - this morning when i woke up one of them was stuck in the filter intake - it's one of the wisper junior ones that fits entirely inside the tank (it came with the tank), but his back end was just stuck there and I could see him struggling to get out - no telling how long over night he'd been there - so i unplugged everything and gently had to remove him myself.

he's still trying to swim around the tank, but his tailfin in very bloody, and most of it looks internal....

is there anything i can do to help him? his color is horrible and looks like he's in so much pain, grrr and my mother has my qt tank.... should i worry about keeping him separate from his buddy, i know they can be kinda fiesty with each other...

i know melafix helped when my goldfish broke his dorsal, would it help in this case?

thanks in advance for any advice you may have i've been browsing this forum for a long time now and with so much great advice to be found i haven't had the need to post anything - you guys have helped me so much already

 

[Menagerie]

I'm no puffer expert, so you may want to change the title of your post to include the word "puffer".
I would try to isolate the little guy. There's not much that can be done for internal bleeding--your best bet is to keep him "comfortable". The other thing that may crop up is an ifection--it is bes to have some Kanamyacin handy. Melafix will help lower the chances of the fin getting infected.

BTW~ [center:0828fd30eb] Welcome to AA, fishylvr! [/center:0828fd30eb]

 

[fishylvr]

thank you menagerie i will be sure to pick some up on my way home

and thanks for thanks for the warm welcome as well

 

[Menagerie]

Keep us updated on his condition!

 

[fishylvr]

man today is just not a good puffer day....

buster - the one who i found this morning - is doing fine, he's swimming and eating, though his color is still not quite back to normal and his tail fin is bright red

but then i get home from work and i find that beaker - he's the smallest of the three and for some reason loves to make himself a cave and get lost in my gravel - anyway today he dug himself to a point where he was stuck between the gravel and the glass, and i noticed he had somehow managed to rip off his dorsal fin... maybe he had a little help from the other two, but there is just a huge gaping wound where is dorsal should be...

i'm so distressed, i've had these little guys for eight weeks now and then they decide to play out all their fishy drama the eve before i'm supposed to go on vacation...

can the Kanamyacin and Melafix be mixed? and do you have any advice on how to educate neighbors on how to medicate properly and feed the fish

i'm hoping for the best, they're pretty tough little cookies but any advice would also be greatly appreciated.

thanks

 

[krap101]

you could try changing to sand for that problem. put a cover of some sort on your filter intake (fish shouldnt be able to fit through there besides babies) give them lots of nutrition through bloodworms etc. like menagerie said make them comfortable. least stress avalable. excelent waterconditions and maybe they'll pull through *crosses fingers*

 

[Menagerie]

Sorry, I hadn't checked this thread!
Put a sponge over the filter--I use cheap air pump sponges (did that make sense?) and use them as a "prefilter" to keep sand out and fry. It sounds like that may help. I used both meds while my pleco was being treated and I was afraid of secondary infection.
A 5.5 gal maybe too small in the long run for these little guys (I don't keep them, so I'm not 100%). I was going to suggest buying a tank divider--plastic, cheap at the LFS and put the worst off puffer on one side so the others don't pick on him further as he heals.
Not only will you need to educate the neighbor on how to medicate your little friends, but frequent water changes will be necessary since Kanamyacin will kill all bacteria.

 

[Guest]

Do u keep ur puffers in a brackish tank? thats where they r supposed to live.
The salt will help the fin heal.

 

[LittlePuff]

No salt in a dwarf puffer tank! 8O

Kim

 

[Menagerie]

mollywolly has since moved on and her advice should be ignored.

 

[fishylvr]

oh good mollywolly scared me for a second there

well just got back and sad to say both have passed... buster tried to hang on till later this afternoon, but the ammonia and nitrate levels were through the roof - his color was getting better after i did a water change, but it was no use - let's just say my friend doesn't get to watch the tank anymore - either that or i'm gonna have to set up a fish tank maintenance and education course for my apartment building - it's tempting i must say, the people downstairs have their 10 gallon so overstocked it makes me sick... but that's for a whole new thread

anyway i went and got another puffer a while ago just cause the one left just looked so lonely and both of them are doing great- thanks menagerie for the sponge idea - it seams to be working quite well

and thanks again for everyone's advice - i'll definitely be around more !