Baby Fangs puff (likely) ate gravel

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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.
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Bleedingheartmommy
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 185
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 9:39 pm
My Puffers: Honey (SIP Cantaloupe): C. Travancoricus
Mad Max: P. Cochinchinensis
Apollo: T. Miurus
(SIP Bonnie) Clyde: C. Irrubesco
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Location (country): USA-Seattle, WA

Baby Fangs puff (likely) ate gravel

Post by Bleedingheartmommy »

I believe my puffer ate some small grain gravel. I did not witness the actual occurance, but my 5 yr old son said "Max was hunting a baby snail that was on the sand. The snail was the same size as the sands, I could barely see the snail only bc he was moving! When the puff went to get the snail he got a mouthful of substrate with it!" The only food source in Max's tank is what I drop in, save the possible snail here or there... so I know his belly isn't all lumpy bc he ate something while I wasn't looking. He can't swim upwards very well, it takes a lot of energy but he eventually sinks back down to the bottom, like he's being pulled back down by his bottom. He's hiding in all sorts of uncommon and unusual places, acting very skiddish and afraid. He's no longer excited by the sight of me, and will barely come out of hiding for food, let alone do his "happy dance" and begging at the surface like he did just hours ago. He's breathing heavily like after a meal, but no stress coloration.

Is there any way he will pass this, if it IS sand/gravel? Is there anything else it could be?What can I do, I feel so damn helpless... I was really looking forward to raising him from a baby and seeing him live long past his 10 yr expectancy, sure hope my puffer's hair-brained mishap isn't irreversible.

1.) Ammo: 0, Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: 5/10ppm
2.) 20 gallon Long w/juvenile Cochinchinensis (Fangs) puffer. Age unkn- size 1.5".
⚠️Substrate: CaribSea Super Naturals (Med grain) sand in "Peace River", grain size 1-2mm (to compare, fine/reg sand runs .25-.75mm).
3.) Food: blood worms, snails and ghost shrimp. H2O change schedule: 25% WC every other day for the last 3 weeks, alongside SeaChem Stability, to help keep ammonia down while the BB ramps up from the heightened bioload (also seeding a new spongefilter at the same time). This week I am implementing the new reg water
change schedule of 50% every 5 days. Adding only SeaChem Prime dechlorinator and reg Wonder Shells to the water.
4.) Tank Changes: Added floating plants (water lettuce) to the tank on Thurs 5/18. Added LED lighting and sponge filter to tank on Fri 5/19.
"Genetics loads the gun, and environment pulls the trigger."-Brené Brown
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Baby Fangs puff (likely) ate gravel

Post by Pufferpunk »

It should pass.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Bleedingheartmommy
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 185
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 9:39 pm
My Puffers: Honey (SIP Cantaloupe): C. Travancoricus
Mad Max: P. Cochinchinensis
Apollo: T. Miurus
(SIP Bonnie) Clyde: C. Irrubesco
SIP Orchid
Location (country): USA-Seattle, WA

Re: Baby Fangs puff (likely) ate gravel

Post by Bleedingheartmommy »

Thank you PufferPunk, you haven't been wrong yet (best I know)! I wanted to update to finish the thread with the solution.

lol I found him sitting atop his second filter (large sponge he only sleeps under) with his rear hanging off, and hanging from him I find...

...a Nerds Rope. It was nearly an inch long brown poop covered in red, clear, orange, white, and brown pebbles. I couldn't stop laughing, mainly from relief but also bc it so startlingly looked like a childhood candy. I bet that hurt to get out... 😂 I love puffers. It scared me to death, but I hope he learned his lesson.
"Genetics loads the gun, and environment pulls the trigger."-Brené Brown
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Pufferpunk
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Posts: 32773
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:
Contact Pufferpunk

Re: Baby Fangs puff (likely) ate gravel

Post by Pufferpunk »

LOL!
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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LadyHawk
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Re: Baby Fangs puff (likely) ate gravel

Post by LadyHawk »

So glad he's ok!! That's the problem with puffers! They're so curious and goofy that it gets them into trouble! Whenever mine eats, he gasps like he's dying! Gave me a heart attack until I realized he's just a pig and gasps while he's digesting! I panicked and went through the routine every time: check water params, adjust currents and lighting, make sure he's not eating too much, sit and worry until he calmed down. Turns out he's just a piglet and horks down food so fast he gasps for awhile. He was happy as a clam with his full belly and I was freaking out needlessly! Silly derpy puffs!!
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