Puffer Lock Jaw Help!!!!!!

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pcpope

Guest
For the last couple of weeks our porcupine has slowly been able to eat smaller and smaller pieces of food. Now not eating at all, think it may be lock jaw, what can we do to help him. QT him and try to feed alone or is it hopeless. 265 gal tank with 8 agressive fish.
Thank you
 

diane4

Member
Puffers teeth grow continually and they need hard snacks to keep their teeth filed back. For my puffer, I have live rock in the tank that he picks at, I also give him occaisional cockles/baby neck clams. Some people toss in a shrimp from the grocery store, still in the shell.
If the teeth are allowed to get to long, they will eventually starve to death because they can't eat or their mouth gets stuck.
I have read articles about some puffers needing emergency dental work to file down their teeth so they can recover.
I don't think a QT is what he needs right now. Post a picture please - if you can get a picture of his teeth and mouth, that would help - we can take a look.
Below is an article about puffer teeth, helping the fish keep them short and how to do emergency dental work for your fish. Good luck.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume...ry/puffer2.htm
 

unleashed

Active Member
what does his body coloring look like is it bright and bold like normal or more hazing in coloration .eyes also are they bright blue or less bold or clouded.how is he acting swimming in the open like normal or hiding a bit more often? i went through simular delema with my spiney boxfish puffer a few weeks ago ended up he had ich.
 
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pcpope

Guest
Ours does have ich is still swimming but laying around more, was told today lock jaw is usually mouth locked open ours is not looks, normal, not teeth had that checked. Did yours start eating when ich was gone?
 

razelynn

Member
Do some water changes and add poly filter or chemical absorbent designed to absorb heavy metals that accumulate due to evaporation and time
Check your entire tank for anything metal that could be in the tank.
I have seen two cases of this and with the porcupine puffers and this carrected the situation
 

unleashed

Active Member
Originally Posted by PCPope
Ours does have ich is still swimming but laying around more, was told today lock jaw is usually mouth locked open ours is not looks, normal, not teeth had that checked. Did yours start eating when ich was gone?
my lion and my puffer both came down with ich both stopped eating for about a week before the notice of spots they stopped swimming around as normal and loss of appetite I treated the tank with melafix for 2 days before noticing the spots my lion ate he same of the melafix treatment after a full week with no food.once i realized it was ich i coppersafed my entire tank(no i do not suggest you do the same unless you have no other choice.?puffers are copper sensitive, but I did find the coppersafe worked very well withough adverse effects withing 24 hrs both were eating as normal after 1 week did my normal water changes ich is gone and some traces of copper are left in my system but my fish are good as new.until your fish start to eat add garlic extreme directly to the tank thy will absorb the vitemins through the gills .this will help build imune system while the fish are not eating properly.coppersafe is a one time treatment that last for 30 days in the tank.I cannot say it does not effect bialogical filteration in the tank i realy dont know.I have no inverts in my tank to start with so saving my fish was my first priority and thats what i did.as i stated both were eating normally with 24 hrs of treatment .also with coppersafe carbons can be used with this product it will not be effected by the carbon like most medication.
 

unleashed

Active Member
if you have a quarentine tank available I would use this instead of treating an extremely large tank i personally did not have a large enough tank to be set up for a 12 in lion and a 7 inch puffer and some of my other fish were starting to show signs all of my fish are very large also.if starting up with a qt tank use water from your tank this will elliminate the need to acclimate him .good luck if you have any more questions.feel free to ask
 
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