Dwarf Puffer with Internal Parasite?

[Big Vine]

Okay DP owners...I need your opinions please.

I've posted 4 pics of my male DP, who was purchased about a week ago. He seemed to have a slimmer profile than the 2 females, which I hear is normal for DPs, but his belly definitely seems somewhat "pinched."

Do you think it might be internal parasites causing this?

It seemed this way ever since the time I got him (only about a week ago). I haven't noticed any white stringy poop (then again, I haven't noticed the DPs pooping much at all). He's eating frozen bloodworms at feeding time. I feed once a day. He's not getting picked on. In fact, he was the one swimming to me and "posing" for the camera while the 2 females shyed away from it!

Please check out all 4 pics (1 & 2-from the side; 3 & 4-from below).

Thanks for your help.
Big Vine

 

[Limi310]

Hard for me to say since I don't have any experience with the internal parasite, I've been lucky so far.

But, IMO he doesn't look exactly healthy - his head area is bigger then his body - you can see a definite line that separates the 2. That's good he is eating. I'm not really sure what advice to give.......wait and see what Lotus says You could try a internal parasite food (maybe soak the bloodworms in it). I don't really have any brand recommendations though.....I've heard that the Jungle product was crap from other people, haven't ever used it myself.

Good Luck!!!!!

 

[Big Vine]

Thanks Limi.
I agree with you about:

he doesn't look exactly healthy - his head area is bigger then his body - you can see a definite line that separates the 2.

I was thinking that he might be skinnier than the other 2 DPs because he's a male (and I've heard that they're a bit slimmer), but I'm just not familiar enough with them to say for sure.

He doesn't look healthy, even though he's behaving okay for now. I don't wanna rush out and buy anti-parasite meds to mix with the worms unless I'm fairly sure that it is in fact internal parasites.

I'm at a bit of a loss here.

Lotus, I could sure use your opinions on this please.

Thanks.
Big Vine

 

[Big Vine]

I still need help!

But I just had to say...this is freaky. I glanced over the "Disease Forum" and still saw that my last post was made at 12:09...which was when I originally began this thread last night.

I then thought to myself, holy crap, here I just went and wrote a reply to what Limi said, and it didn't even get posted!

Turns out my reply happened exactly 12 hours after my initial post.

Hmmm....seems as though I'm babbling on to myself here...guess I should stop now. This isn't exactly 'Twilight Zone' material.

Big Vine *twirlysmi

 

[MOsborne05]

Yep, that looks like internal parasites to me. Pick up some Jungle medicated fish food for internal parasites, I got mine at Petco. They are little pellets that you feed them, which is a heck of a lot easier than soaking food IMO. It's probably a good idea to treat the other ones too, just in case. My puffs were captive bred but I treated them anyways once I got them. IP are like the number one cause of death amongst puffers, so its good that you caught it early. Good luck, let me know how it goes

 

[Limi310]

Yep, that looks like internal parasites to me. Pick up some Jungle medicated fish food for internal parasites, I got mine at Petco. They are little pellets that you feed them, which is a heck of a lot easier than soaking food IMO. It's probably a good idea to treat the other ones too, just in case. My puffs were captive bred but I treated them anyways once I got them. IP are like the number one cause of death amongst puffers, so its good that you caught it early. Good luck, let me know how it goes

The only problem with that MO, is that the dwarfs are extremely picky eaters, and I doubt they will eat a pellet, that's why I suggested the soaking. That's the problem with anti-parasite food, you actually have to get the fish to eat it.
F8's on the other hand pretty much eat anything.

 

[Big Vine]

Thanks MOsborne. And good point about the DPs being picky eaters Limi.

Does anyone know of some sort of other anti-parasite medication that is either liquid, or powder, that I could mix in with some tank water and frozen bloodworms in a cup?

Big Vine

 

[MOsborne05]

Ah, I didn't think about that. F8's are pigs so I just assumed the dwarfs were too. I know they make liquid internal parasite medication, but I don't know what is called or where to get it. Check out www.thepufferforum.com, they could probably help you.

This might help, but its hard to find http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7

 

[Lotus]

I'm not entirely sure he's got parasites, especially as he's so new ... it could just be he hasn't been eating well. However, you can treat with medicated or med-soaked food as a precaution.

I used AP Gel-Tek Ultra Cure PX and soaked bloodworms in it. My puffer turned out not to have internal parasites, but they definitely ate the food and there were no ill effects.

One thing to look out for is after you have fed him, look and see if his stomach looks lumpy. If it does, it's an indication of parasites (although it could be overfeeding).

 

[Big Vine]

Thanks Lotus, and thanks for the link MOsborne.

I'll keep a close eye on him and make sure he keeps eating...so far he's been eating the frozen bloodworms like crazy! His belly expands when he eats, but it isn't nearly as wide as on the female DPs.

Like you said though, it could just be that he was under-nourished at the LFS. But then again, I bought all the DPs from the same tank, so it would seem strange that he's thinner than the others.

Maybe he was just fussier with the foods they were feeding them at the LFS? Who knows?

I suppose I could analyze it to death.
I'll keep an eye on things, and then treat for IP, as suggested, if he gets worse. So far he seems happy...skinny, but happy.

Thanks again.
Big Vine

 

[jaglar]

When you feed make sure he gets enough food to round his belly out, then check him out in a couple of hours. He def looks really really thin, but like lotus said if hes new that could be your problem. Give him a little extra love! and see how he does.

My DPs poo little black turds (they are feed blood worms and what ever shrimp they decide to pick off that week lol )

 

[Salty Fishes]

Seachem Metronidazole is supposed to be very good for internal parasites. Its just a powder medication that you can add to the water. I've heard its very safe- okay around plants, and "sensitive" fish don't tend to be as sensitive to this medication as to others.

I got this stuff when some of my fish were showing signs of internal parasites. By the time I found out about the stuff and dosed it, it was already too late for my skinny fish (they were reeeeaaaallllllyyyyy skinny and hadn't eaten in a while), but none of my other fish ever showed any symptoms, so I guess it worked.

 

[Big Vine]

Thanks guys.

His belly fills up after feeding, but it's not very wide at all (like on the other puffers). It's still sort of 'pinched' on the sides, and there's a little blob in the middle where the bloodworms are that he just ate.

I think I'll go ahead and get some of that Seachem Metronidazole stuff and soak the frozen bloodworms in it prior to feedings for the next while. Hopefully that will help him.

Big Vine

 

[Big Vine]

I went out and bought some anti-parasite medication today. I couldn't find the Seachem Metronidazole, so...

you can treat with medicated or med-soaked food as a precaution.I used AP Gel-Tek Ultra Cure PX and soaked bloodworms in it. they definitely ate the food and there were no ill effects.

I bought the same stuff as Lotus, soaked some bloodworms in it, then sucked it up into an eye-dropper and fed it to the DPs.

One thing to look out for is after you have fed him, look and see if his stomach looks lumpy. If it does, it's an indication of parasites (although it could be overfeeding).

I watched closely for this, and the male seems to have one solid lump (where the food is), but it is much narrower than on the females, and he has some little lumps to the sides of this bigger lump---Whereas on the females, there is just one larger/wider solid lump.

Perhaps this is what you're referring to, Lotus. I know I overfed them , but like I said, the females' bellies have only one large lump where the food is, whereas the male has a large lump (which is smaller than on the females) with some smaller lumps to either side of it.
Hope that makes sense.

I'll try to feed small doses of med-soaked food two or three times a day. The bottle says to do "3 days" of feeding 5 drops directly to each fish, but obviously the DPs aren't being fed that much at a time.

How long should I keep this up?

Big Vine

 

[Lotus]

The lumpiness in the stomach could be from overeating, but if the females ate the same amount and didn't get lumpy in the same way, I'd think parasites.

I know I fed my puffers with medicated food for more than a week. I'd say a week is about right.

 

[Big Vine]

Thanks Lotus. I'll stick with it for a week and then report back on how it all works out.

Big Vine