PUFFER STOPPED EATING - WHAT TO DO?

[EASTERN INDIGO]

Arothron hispidus. Don't know common name. I've had this fish for about six months. No problems. Normally he eats thawed krill or chopped mixed fish from my hand. Great appetite. I had him in a tank that slowly grew an ammonia problem, and over the course of a week he lost his appetite. I moved him to a 55 gal tank with new water, two days ago and he still doesn't seem interested. Zero ammonia now. His eyes are clear, skin looks good, pooping well, but has not eaten for over a week.
I have Chloroquine phosphate, metronidizole and other common medications. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Has the fish been exposed to any new fish or invertebrates? If not, then it is unlikely that this is due to a parasite problem. Could still be a reaction to the high ammonia, or a bacterial disease. Did you see the fish take in food and spit it out? Puffers are notorious for developing overgrown teeth which then causes them not to be able to feed properly.

Jay

 

[Sharkbait19]

I agree. Especially if this puffer is a less common species, it could be the kind that needs a teeth trimming.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ammonia in a fashion is poisoning in the water. Ammonia, (NH3) is an invisible chemical that is highly toxic to your fish. Unfortunately, it also occurs naturally in every aquarium… As organic waste begins to break down, it releases ammonia.
Levels above 0.1 ppm are a problem and should lead to an immediate investigation and remedy. It is however not unusual for a tank to temporarily ‘spike’ as high as 0.2ppm after a large feeding but the spike should quickly subside. Ammonia can be introduced into an aquarium in several ways, two of which are overfeeding and dead fish. It is also introduced through the metabolic activity of your tanks inhabitants. Decaying vegetation such as algae can also release ammonia. Additionally, tap water and even some salt mixes can introduce ammonia.
A healthy and well maintained marine tank normally does not have problems with ammonia due to its massive quantities of beneficial bacteria ingesting and converting it to less dangerous substances. Beneficial bacteria resides in filtration and on sand, rocks and the tank’s glass.

** Just because the ammonia reading in a standard ammonia test kit is at a high level, does not mean the fish are actually in danger. This is because of the powerful interaction of ammonia compounds with pH levels **

 

[EASTERN INDIGO]

FIRST REPLY ABOVE: Yes, he gradually started spitting and then stopped eating. I can't tell if they are actual teeth. This one appears to have bony upper and lower "plates" that act as teeth. However, how would I go about trimming? This fish has soooo much personality. It would be a shame to lose him. What medication do you suggest in case it's bacterial? I doubt if it's parasitic, but maybe I should put him in Chlor Phos for ten days. Should I treat for possible bacteria first. Can I mix them.

 

[EASTERN INDIGO]

SECOND REPLY. Thank you for the ammonia lesson. I knew all that, but it never hurts to review. One question I do have, though. I have been reading that "free" ammonia is the dangerous component of the compound. I have a hanna checker, Seachem, Api and Salefert test kits. The API and Salefert show no color change. However, the Seachem, which tests for both free and total, always shows zero free but high total. Every one of these tests shows different results. This spike I experienced was do to a two day equipment failure that I could not repair for two days. I keep ammonia down by keeping limited inhabitants and trying to feed cautiously. That's why I started hand feeding the puffer. Thanks again.

 

[Sharkbait19]

FIRST REPLY ABOVE: Yes, he gradually started spitting and then stopped eating. I can't tell if they are actual teeth. This one appears to have bony upper and lower "plates" that act as teeth. However, how would I go about trimming? This fish has soooo much personality. It would be a shame to lose him. What medication do you suggest in case it's bacterial? I doubt if it's parasitic, but maybe I should put him in Chlor Phos for ten days. Should I treat for possible bacteria first. Can I mix them.

You would likely have to use a sedative on the fish. Some people often use clove oil, though I find it to be a risk if overdosed. Then, when the fish seems “asleep” you can pick it up and use something like nail trimmers to clip the teeth. Again, this is only necessary for some puffers, I am unsure if yours is one of them. When you are done, place it in aerated water and watch it wake up. It is crucial not to overdose on sedatives so it recovers quickly. Some don’t use sedatives if their puffer is calm and don’t need any.

Do you feed it anything like snails or clams to file down its beak?

 

[vetteguy53081]

SECOND REPLY. Thank you for the ammonia lesson. I knew all that, but it never hurts to review. One question I do have, though. I have been reading that "free" ammonia is the dangerous component of the compound. I have a hanna checker, Seachem, Api and Salefert test kits. The API and Salefert show no color change. However, the Seachem, which tests for both free and total, always shows zero free but high total. Every one of these tests shows different results. This spike I experienced was do to a two day equipment failure that I could not repair for two days. I keep ammonia down by keeping limited inhabitants and trying to feed cautiously. That's why I started hand feeding the puffer. Thanks again.

I never trust API results . Once in a blue moon , they are semi-accurate but not a majority of the time. A little addition of liquid bacteria does not hurt. Say, , , Every Sunday, add 1ml per 10 gallons during the day. Will help cultures active.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I never trust API results . Once in a blue moon , they are semi-accurate but not a majority of the time. A little addition of liquid bacteria does not hurt. Say, , , Every Sunday, add 1ml per 10 gallons during the day. Will help cultures active.

+1 on the API. I always read 0.5 ppm ammonia by API’s tests, but based on how well my inverts are doing, I’d have to guess the API tests are wrong.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

FIRST REPLY ABOVE: Yes, he gradually started spitting and then stopped eating. I can't tell if they are actual teeth. This one appears to have bony upper and lower "plates" that act as teeth. However, how would I go about trimming? This fish has soooo much personality. It would be a shame to lose him. What medication do you suggest in case it's bacterial? I doubt if it's parasitic, but maybe I should put him in Chlor Phos for ten days. Should I treat for possible bacteria first. Can I mix them.

Can you get a clear photo of the puffers mouth? I don’t know what clorphos is. I don’t see clear symptoms that would indicate the need for an antibiotic quite yet.

Jay

 

[Sharkbait19]

How are your other fish? If it’s just the puffer it seems very likely that the beak needs a trimming, so a pic would be useful. I also know that puffers, being scaleless, are more sensitive to the small things that other fish would not be.

 

[EASTERN INDIGO]

Can you get a clear photo of the puffers mouth? I don’t know what clorphos is. I don’t see clear symptoms that would indicate the need for an antibiotic quite yet.

Jay

zs`

 

[EASTERN INDIGO]

Chloroquine Phosphate, "Miracle cure", mostly parasites, but all kinds of claims.

I willtry to get a picture of it's mouth, but even so what is the procedure to trim it? You can usinetunes kill puffers just by taking them out of the water. I'm think thinking of going to the LFS for snails as food, but I hate putting new moisture in an otherwise healthy tank. Even assuming I can get him to eat them, it'll take a lot of small scales to wear down those chompers. This is another fish that is sold by irresponsible LFSs, but shouldn't be. Filing teeth, either naturally or manually, is a HUGE special need, I should have researched first. I'll try for a pick tomorrow, Thanks again,

 

[EASTERN INDIGO]

Chloroquine Phosphate, "Miracle cure", mostly parasites, but all kinds of claims.

I willtry to get a picture of it's mouth, but even so what is the procedure to trim it? You can usinetunes kill puffers just by taking them out of the water. I'm think thinking of going to the LFS for snails as food, but I hate putting new moisture in an otherwise healthy tank. Even assuming I can get him to eat them, it'll take a lot of small scales to wear down those chompers. This is another fish that is sold by irresponsible LFSs, but shouldn't be. Filing teeth, either naturally or manually, is a HUGE special need, I should have researched first. I'll try for a pick tomorrow, Thanks again,

Pardon the autocorrect. One of these eons I will finally learn to proofread BEFORE hitting send. SNAILS, and SOMETIMES kills puffers by taking them out of water.

 

[EASTERN INDIGO]

Can you get a clear photo of the puffers mouth? I don’t know what clorphos is. I don’t see clear symptoms that would indicate the need for an antibiotic quite yet.

Jay

I'm relatively new to R2R. Yesterday I had trouble finding the POST button, and today I can't find it at all. All over the web it says hit POST NEW THREAD BUTTON, but I can't seem to figure out how to find it, except by accident, as happened yesterday. Thanks
p.s. Still trying to get a pic of the open mouth. very difficult

 

[Sharkbait19]

I'm relatively new to R2R. Yesterday I had trouble finding the POST button, and today I can't find it at all. All over the web it says hit POST NEW THREAD BUTTON, but I can't seem to figure out how to find it, except by accident, as happened yesterday. Thanks
p.s. Still trying to get a pic of the open mouth. very difficult

Scroll to the bottom, there should be two buttons—New post and Post thread. Hope this helps

 

[lion king]

How big is he, from the pic he looks way too small to have teeth issues. The common name for this fish is stars and stripes, in 6 months time he should be getting pretty hefty. If krill has been his main diet, it only takes several months for it to present a serious problem. Krill contains a high amount of thiaminese which binds vit B1, spitting out his food and attempting to get food but not following through is sometimes the 1st sign. I would suggest offering him other food like clams on the half shell, squid, or even something live like ghost shrimp. Puffers seem to be especially effected by high amounts of thiaminese. I would stop feeding him krill altogether. I always nurse fish back from thiaminese poisoning with a live diet until eating well again, then managing food that is high in thiaminese, dead shrimp should also be fed sparingly.

 

[sc50964]

How big is he, from the pic he looks way too small to have teeth issues. The common name for this fish is stars and stripes, in 6 months time he should be getting pretty hefty. If krill has been his main diet, it only takes several months for it to present a serious problem. Krill contains a high amount of thiaminese which binds vit B1, spitting out his food and attempting to get food but not following through is sometimes the 1st sign. I would suggest offering him other food like clams on the half shell, squid, or even something live like ghost shrimp. Puffers seem to be especially effected by high amounts of thiaminese. I would stop feeding him krill altogether. I always nurse fish back from thiaminese poisoning with a live diet until eating well again, then managing food that is high in thiaminese, dead shrimp should also be fed sparingly.

My puffer has stopped eating & isn’t actively swimming. I’m afraid he ate too much krill and is affected by thiaminese poisoning. Any suggestion on how to nurse him back to health?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

My puffer has stopped eating & isn’t actively swimming. I’m afraid he ate too much krill and is affected by thiaminese poisoning. Any suggestion on how to nurse him back to health?

Thiaminase breaks down vitamin B1, and if that happens in excess, the fish will be Thiamin/B1 deficient, but that doesn't happen suddenly, but is more of a gradual issue. Lack of thiamin causes edema, poor growth, and convulsions.

I would look for other causes for this. Can you post a video of the fish?