My puffer fish puffed up and now he's paralyzed. I know they can live through it but it is rare! He also puffed up air which is even worse! What do i do to insure his existence??
2006-12-29 15:40:15 · 8 answers · asked by lindsay g 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
There are not vets that will take fish around and pet store is closed! The only thing i do know is that puffers need to "swim out" the air they puffed. But i want to help him along.
2006-12-29 15:48:56 · update #1
He puffed air by swimming into the filter while we had the little capt thing off for cleaning. We didn't know he got in there and took the filter out of the tank to clean it. We were funning water through it and noticed it was clogged.
We were very upset to know that it was clogged with a puffed up puffer. We're so sad and hopes he makes it cause we didnt everything we could to make sure he WOULDNT puff when we put him in a new tank!
2006-12-29 16:04:27 · update #2
I dont think people realize that puffer are used to unpuffing themselve with LOTS of room and they ususally dont puff up with air like mine did
2006-12-30 14:35:08 · update #3
I dont think people realize that puffer are used to unpuffing themselve with LOTS of room and they ususally dont puff up with air like mine did
2006-12-30 14:35:09 · update #4
If your puffer takes in air or you find one that has, find either a glove or a net to hold the puffer. Take the puffer in your hand using a net or glove, to protect the puffer from oils and other undesirables. You want to position the puffer underwater with its head pointed toward the surface of the water. Carefully take hold of the puffer supporting its entire body. To do this and restrict the movement of the fish, hold the head and body, the bones of your hand parallel to the fish’s spine and along its back and the fingers wrapping the head , avoiding the eyes as much as possible. Use your other hand to gently nudge the stomach to help the puffer release the air. Throughout the process, the puffer may attempt to reinflate. This is okay because the puffer is underwater and will refill with water, further helping to expel the air. If you need to “burp” a puffer larger than 6 or 7 inches, it may be necessary to enlist the help of a few extra hands. Also, with a large puffer, gloves will work better than a net to hold the puffer.
Fortunately, this problem is completely preventable. The easiest way to prevent it is to bag the puffer while still in the tank. Basically, place the bag in the tank with the puffer. Roll down the sides of the bag. This process helps the bag remain open and if done right, allows you to remove the bag with the correct amount of water. Using a net, gently guide the puffer into the bag. Once the puffer is in the bag, lift it out of the water and unroll it. Close and seal the bag as normal. It may not be easy at first, but with practice it is a lot less stressful for both you and the puffer.
It should also be noted that puffers should not be allowed to eat freeze-dried food that has not been thoroughly soaked. Freeze-dried foods are full of air and the eating habits of a puffer can easily lead to a puffer becoming partially air filled from the food. For this reason, it is important to soak all freeze-dried food, for at least 10 to 15 minutes before a feeding. If medicine soaking the food, use cold tap water and refrigerate the food for the longer soak to minimize the possibly of contamination.
Practicing the methods mentioned above to prevent an air puff is the best way to keep puffers from going through the highly stressful experience. However, should you encounter an air filled puffer somewhere in your journey, succesfully saving that puffer will be a rewarding experience!
(i got this from the site that guy suggested...just incase your kinda lazy to read the whole darn thing)
2006-12-29 15:58:08 · answer #1 · answered by Rawrr 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
What kind of puffer is it? Is it puffed with air or water?
If it is puffed with water then it will unpuff on it's own. If it is puffed with air, you have to help it because most puffers have trouble getting air out of them.
If your puffer puffed while out of water it is filled with air. If it never left the tank it is probably filled with water.
Either way, turn off your lights and try not to scare it for a while.
Hang on a minute while I find the article on how to unpuff a puffer.
2006-12-29 23:48:17 · answer #2 · answered by fish guy 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Holy smokes, just goes to show you how much I don't know about puffers ( why i don't own one). I never knew it was fatal for them to puff up...Sorry i couldn't help, i'm sure it will eventually unpuff, not sure if there would be anything that you could to do move it along faster without scaring him more.
2006-12-29 23:47:19 · answer #3 · answered by Flames Fan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not really sure if there is much you can do for it. Do not unpuff him. Cover the aquarium with a towel to make it dark and make things as quiet and nonthreatening as possible. If you can, isolate him from any other fish so that he will not be picked at. Good luck! I hope he makes it!
2006-12-29 23:47:56 · answer #4 · answered by AK 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know how to unpuff them but I do know that they can kill themselves and every other fish in the tank. Because my brother had two, and every time they were in stress they would release poison in the water. Killing off the Fire-mouths, and then later killing themselves, they were together when they died.
2006-12-29 23:53:56 · answer #5 · answered by robinson 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
unpuff him... i don't know how but i assume it can be done. Hope Mr. puffer fish is ok.
2006-12-29 23:43:05 · answer #6 · answered by help:) 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
is there a good fish store near by, maybe you could give them a call, or maybe even try a vets office?
2006-12-29 23:46:03 · answer #7 · answered by Lil lady 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
don't they unpuff themselves? with millions years of evolution, I think he can unpuff himself.
2006-12-30 01:25:53 · answer #8 · answered by professorminh 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋