Forums / TEAM Marine Depot / Disease, Health and Wellness - by Kelly Jedlicki / Porcupine Puffer possible Lockjaw. Please help / Latest Posts

RE: Porcupine Puffer possible Lockjaw. Please help

jtesdall — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:13:41 GMT

Puffster,
How did your puffer come out?

RE: Porcupine Puffer possible Lockjaw. Please help

Puffer Queen — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 05:49:36 GMT

I have never used Garlic extreme so I can not say if this is a common problem.

I do use Vita chem and highly recommend adding it to all foods on a regular basis.

How is the puffer doing? Please read this thread:

http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic72164-10-1.aspx

Best of luck.

RE: Porcupine Puffer possible Lockjaw. Please help

puffster — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:29:25 GMT

I forgot to mentioned that he looks like he is gasping for breathe. Could this be from dosing to much xtreme garlic or is this more signs of stress? My GSP coral kind of shrunk after I added the garlic but it has opened again. None of the other fishes, inverts, or corals seem affected by the garlic and vita-chem.

By the way should I be dosing something different then vita-chem?

Please let me know.

Thanks!

RE: Porcupine Puffer possible Lockjaw. Please help

puffster — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:20:29 GMT

Thanks for replying. Today I tried to feed him dosed silversides (shreded and unshreded), he tried to eat by lunging at all sizes of silversides but again his mouth did not open. He gave up after 3-4 tries then went and hid in his cave. I am feeling very helpless...

I dosed the aquarium again with Vita-chem and xtreme garlic, since I have no idea what else to try. I have not yet moved him to a QT tank yet since he is still extremely fast and I built the tank with many caves for him to hide in. I really hate watching him like this, when should I consider euthanizing him? I want to wait for a miracle but at the same time I do not want the little guy to suffer. So far it has been 3 days without food...

I forgot to mention that I have a Xenia coral that has not been doing too well since I put it in. It looks deflated and possibly might be dying, is it possible that it could be affecting the puffer in any way? Grasping at straws here. Nothing else in the tank looks stressed.

Below are some pictures that I took, please excuse the bad shots, my camera is not the best. I hope someone can spot something wrong with him and maybe I overlooked something.

http://webpages.charter.net/puffster/DSC01559.JPG

http://webpages.charter.net/puffster/DSC01560.JPG

http://webpages.charter.net/puffster/DSC01561.JPG

http://webpages.charter.net/puffster/DSC01564.JPG

http://webpages.charter.net/puffster/DSC01565.JPG

Thanks again in advance.

RE: Porcupine Puffer possible Lockjaw. Please help

Puffer Queen — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 06:41:47 GMT

Thanks Frank.

Unfortunately I can't add much about this horrible condition. The problem is that once the symptoms become visible, reversal is not common.

One could try force feeding. Do not give any more krill at this point.

Here is a thread:

http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic72164-10-1.aspx

RE: Porcupine Puffer possible Lockjaw. Please help

FMarini — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 21:05:48 GMT

Obviously- I'm not Kelly--
but I will say your report seems like your puffer is experiencing the krill induced "lockjaw". While there have been many theories batted around as to why an exclusive diet of krill does this to fish, it does, and unfortunately, even thou you tried to feed this fish other foods, it refused. So your in a pickle.
I've always called freeze dried krill-"fish crack" becuase in my experiences once fish get hooked on this food, they refuse to eat other items.

AS to what to do next, I'm not sure, I've had many lions just not recover from this, but maybe Kelly has a different experience.
Besides the inability to eat- is the fish acting normal, and are any other fish exhibiting similar signs

Porcupine Puffer possible Lockjaw. Please help

puffster — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 19:56:18 GMT

Hi all

I have a porcupine puffer (porky) that seems to have developed "lockjaw". The LFS that I bought him from had him for 6 months and feed him only Freeze dried Krill, they also recommended I do the same. He was about 5-6" when I bought him and I housed him in a 55 gallon for about 3 months. We became quite attached to him so decided to upgrade to a 110 gal aquarium (30gal sump) just so he would have room to swim. I have had him for a year now, fed 3-4 freeze dried Krill/day which I rotate every day with silversides, frozen krill, freezdried krill, repeat. I always dose his food with vita-chem before feeding.

In the past I have tried feeding him shrimp, crab, and clams from the grocery store but he always ignored it and would rather starve for the day. So I decided to just feed him the food stated above and since the LFS said the same I never thought twice. From all the reading I have been doing I realize it was not the best decision.

Starting yesterday he has not been able to eat any food (Krill or silversides) my water parameters are good: 0 nitrate, 0 nitrite, 0 ammonia, and 8.2ph. He does not appear to be sick and actively tries to eat, he lunges at the food but does not seem to open his mouth. I usually feed him with large chopsticks (yes chopsticks) and I do not think he has overgrown teeth since 2 days before he can fit his teeth around the 1/3" chopsticks (also if it was overgrown teeth I should be able to see teeth showing right?). Would there be a reason why he can not open his mouth to eat, is this the "lock jaw" I have been reading about?

Today I started dosing the aquarium with Vita-chem and Kents xtreme garlic. I am hoping the Vita-chem has enough vitamin b-12 that Kelly mentions in her article and I plan on continuing with the dosing. The tank also has 2 tangs, 3 damsels, 2 clowns, 2 peppermint shrimps, 1 skunk shrimp, 1 sea cucumber, and various corals. None of the other inhabitants show signs of stress or diseases. Please help me out, I really do not want force feed him (I have no clue how to do it) and I do not want him to starve to death. Should I does the water with something else? Should I call all the local Vets? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.