The Puffer Forum

I have a hairy puffer that I got about 5 months ago. He has been acting strange. He hasn’t been eating I try to put food in and he won’t even look at it. I also try to get him to eat love fish and he won’t eat them either. So I have a couple of danios, rasboras and ghost shrimp In there and they have been doing fine. I don’t know what to do to help him feel better.

Parameters:

Ammonia-10ppm

NO2- 0ppm

NO3- 0 ppm

He is in a 50gallon tank. The other fish are all doing fine that have been in there have been doing fine. I

Ammonia 10??? How long has this tank been set up? How was it cycled?

The tank has been running for a couple of years. Here of some pictures of him recently.

https://imgur.com/gallery/z0ZJewy

I am sorry I looked back and it would be .1 ppm. It was late last me night

Do you think maybe he swallowed air? I'm curious, why ammonia & no nitrate?

How would I know if you swallowed air? Last thing he ate was a minnow fish. He seems very stressed out and has been breathing heavy. My water change day is today so maybe that is a reason why it is up. I am not that good with colors when reading the test so I could o misread it.

What test kits are you using?

library/hospital/help-my-puffer-is-air-filled/

I am using the api freshwater master test kit.

He was on frozen krill when I first got him. From the lfs I guess he could have air in him. Maybe I will try the get air out of him. He does look kinda bloated. For not eating for a 3 weeks.

Try live earthworms. That's the only thing mine will eat.

What kind of gloves should I use to pick him up with?

I'd use a large net. Make sure his head doesn't leave the water. You can also gently press his tummy from the tail up towards the mouth.

I didn’t see anything out but after I did it. He moved around slowly around the tank then back on the plants where he likes to sit. I have fed him a worm in the past and heaped that sucker up. I will try tomorrow and give him some to see if he will eat it. If not I can try to do the air bubbles again maybe it will better because I didn’t start from the tail I started from the belly. I am new to puffers this year and learning a lot thanks for the help.

I am posting a update I though he was doing better I did managed to get some air out. He still hasn’t got better actually seems a little worst. I don’t know what to do I really care for this guy. He has a weird bump in his stomach I don’t understand why he has it because he hasn’t ate in a month. Could he have parasites?

https://imgur.com/gallery/8WrnPLE

It's probably air, which is causing him not to be able to upright himself.

I was able to get more air out of him. He seem very stressed after I did it. I left him alone for a couple of days. Two days ago he ate the danio in there. He still can’t can’t the rasboras. I also put a golden shiner in there yesterday and he just ate it today. He left the head and I am surprise the rasboras started eating it. He still has air in him from what I can see. Is there a way he would expel it on his own. Should I try to burp him again or should I leave him alone because it doesn’t seem to be bothering him.

https://imgur.com/gallery/NIsuJ02 Took a little video of him after he ate.