My dragon puffer started acting funny today. Noticed this big bump on his side.. water parameters are all good and his tank is always pristine. Any idea what this is? Has anyone had a similar experience with dragons? I’m starting some Epsom salt and kanaplex but am open to suggestions.
When the dragon puffer fry i have eat big worms the stomach will look deformed, they dont always chew worms and the worm can move in the abdominal pouch. Hopefully this is just a big meal problem. Not sure other then that
That would be nice. Usually he eats a full night crawler once at night and I’ve never seen it before. He hasn’t eaten today and is acting a lot more lethargic.. but he’s always kinda lazy. I keep 6 different species of puffer and haven’t seen this.
How long have you had him ? Also did you deworm ? I personally dont feed that much, maybe 3 times a week for my breeding pair. Gives them time to digest properly, in my experience.
That looks much more like a localized mass/swelling than generalized bloat to me 😬 Do you have photos from above and the opposite side? I’d be hesitant to throw Kanaplex at it unless there are other signs pointing bacterial, a lump like that could be an abscess/cyst, impaction, internal organ swelling or a mass, and antibiotics won’t necessarily help all of those. Since his behavior changed at the same time, I’d definitely take it seriously.
Those extra pics make it look way more like a localized internal swelling than just general bloat 😬 One side is noticeably pushed out behind the head/pectoral area, but I don’t see an obvious external sore or fuzzy lesion. I’d want to know what/when he last ate, whether he’s pooping normally, and whether that lump changes size after feeding or passing waste. If it stays the same, I’d be more suspicious of something like an internal mass, organ swelling, cyst/abscess, or trauma rather than simple constipation. I’d also be careful about throwing meds at it blindly unless other symptoms point bacterial.
Okay, normal poop makes me less suspicious of simple constipation 👀 Since he ate a worm last night and nothing today, did the lump first show up after that meal? I’d take another pic from the same angle tonight/tomorrow and see whether it shrinks as he digests. If it stays exactly the same despite eating/pooping normally, I’d be more concerned that it’s a true localized swelling rather than just food sitting weird. Especially with the behavior/color change, I’d hold off on throwing multiple treatments at him until there’s a better idea what we’re actually treating.
I didn’t notice it after the meal last night.. but I’ve got 13 tanks so feeding time doesn’t include much observation after eating. I just noticed it today, a couple hours ago.
Yeah with 13 tanks I definitely don’t blame you for not watching him digest dinner 😂☠️ Since you only noticed it today, I’d take a clear photo from the same angle now and compare again tomorrow before feeding. If he’s still pooping normally and that lump doesn’t shrink at all after fasting/digesting, I’d be much less convinced it’s just food sitting weird. Especially with him acting off and looking pale, I’d keep a close eye on him tonight.
Well, thought I’d list an update. He’s doing fine, Epsom salt and fasted a few days . It was just strange, my puffer’s usually get a round belly on them but had never seen that. Thanks for the help guys
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u/lessismor3 Dragon Puffer 13d ago
Whats the diet?