Why was puffer swimming with curled tail?
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
-
bigpuff
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 122
- Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2015 6:07 pm
- Location (country): United States
Why was puffer swimming with curled tail?
I just walked in to one of my GSP's laying on a decoration with its tail curled up. It then swam into the substrate like that and even recoiled away in that same same curled position when I lightly touched it. Then about 10 seconds later it's swimming around the tank completely fine in a normal position. What is going on?
Last edited by bigpuff on Mon Sep 28, 2015 6:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.
-
bigpuff
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 122
- Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2015 6:07 pm
- Location (country): United States
Re: Why was puffer swimming with curled tail?
Just did a quick search on this site and it looks like other people's puffers sleep like that. But I also searched the web and it said it can be a sign of stress. Can you guys shed some light on this?
Tank parameters are fine (at least they were - safe start throws off readings so I can't be 100% but I'm very certain), both fish get along well and haven't nipped each other aside from the first 24hrs they were in there, theyre both very active and social, eat ferociously - no other signs of stress whatsoever.
I'm hoping the worst I did was piss off my puffer who was happily sleeping like a cat!
Tank parameters are fine (at least they were - safe start throws off readings so I can't be 100% but I'm very certain), both fish get along well and haven't nipped each other aside from the first 24hrs they were in there, theyre both very active and social, eat ferociously - no other signs of stress whatsoever.
I'm hoping the worst I did was piss off my puffer who was happily sleeping like a cat!
-
Welch4
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 698
- Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2014 5:22 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 1 GSP
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Abington,MA
Re: Why was puffer swimming with curled tail?
Puffer most certainly do sleep like this. In much larger species a permanent curled caudal fin can be a sign that it was kept in a tank far too small. The only other time I've seen mine clenched outside of sleeping was eight after it was stung by an anemone.
Last edited by Welch4 on Mon Sep 28, 2015 11:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Forget other advice about puffers you don't hear here - Pufferpunk
-
bigpuff
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 122
- Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2015 6:07 pm
- Location (country): United States
Re: Why was puffer swimming with curled tail?
Great news, thank you!