New Porcupine Puffer

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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.
Post Reply
User avatar
Sooner_Reefer
Puffer Fry
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:00 pm
My Puffers: 1xPorcupine Puffer
Location: Oklahoma
Contact:
Contact Sooner_Reefer

New Porcupine Puffer

Post by Sooner_Reefer »

Well I got my little 3 inch Porcupine Puffer over a week ago. Then we got hit by the icestorm, and during the middle of that while the tank was with out power I noticed little white dots on his fins. Not small like ich, but still something was there. About that Thursday, I had a skimmer accident and I lost at least 20g all soaked up in the carpet. Friday we got power again, so we emptied the tank and moved it out so we could try and help the carpets and prevent anything funky from growing in the carpets. I moved all my fish into clear plastic containers, except my porcupine puffer. I moved him into a 20g tall I had laying around. I also figured this would give me a chance to treat whatever he has.
Anyways, I kinda guessed it was ich, so I've been trying to treat it with medication. Then I stopped for a reason I'll explain. I asked for conformation if my puffer had ich on another forum, and I got everything that it could possibly have but nothing for sure. They said it may be ich, lym...?.., bacterial infection(looks a lil pink under T-5's), or it could just dots.

So I figured I'll join this forum and get the right info from the experts. :) So, is it just dots? Is it ich? I'll post some pics in a second, but it's hard to tell from them. It's not small white stuff like ich, and it's not in just one area of the fins like lym...?..; Oh, and I forgot to mention, it's only in the back tail. I've read that they may try to shake it off, and I did observe Saturday the puffer going down to the middle of one wall, the quickly swimming up, and repeated this several times.
:?: :?: :?: :?: :?:
Top
crazedpuffer
Former Staff Member
Posts: 1755
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:57 pm
My Puffers: 1x Porcupine Puffer
1xValentini
Location: Long Island, NY

Re: New Porcupine Puffer

Post by crazedpuffer »

Welcome to the forum
What size tank was he in? How long has it been established? Any pics?
Sounds like it could be cysts cause from stress and/or bad water quality. Do a few 50%+ water changes over the next few days and see if it helps.
Top
User avatar
yunachin
Former Staff Member
Posts: 1753
Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2007 1:33 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: 1x A. Meleagris (Golden)
2x Tetraodon nigroviridis
1x Tetraodon lineatus
1x A. hispidus
2x Takifugu Ocellatus
9x Tetraodon biocellatus
1x Canthigaster solandri
1x Diodon Holocanthus
2x A. nigropunctatus
1x Tetraodon miurus
1x Irrubesco
Location (country): USA
Location: SC

Re: New Porcupine Puffer

Post by yunachin »

Seeing pictures will definitely help. The swimming up and down is called "pacing" and could be because he is stressed. Is he still in quarantine? Is he eating?
E.Ridgeway
Top
User avatar
Sooner_Reefer
Puffer Fry
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:00 pm
My Puffers: 1xPorcupine Puffer
Location: Oklahoma
Contact:
Contact Sooner_Reefer

Re: New Porcupine Puffer

Post by Sooner_Reefer »

Yes it is still in the 20g QT tank. It is eating frozen mysis shrimp and small pellets. I had difficult getting it to fed, so I tried everything.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Top
User avatar
Sooner_Reefer
Puffer Fry
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:00 pm
My Puffers: 1xPorcupine Puffer
Location: Oklahoma
Contact:
Contact Sooner_Reefer

Re: New Porcupine Puffer

Post by Sooner_Reefer »

also it's not as pink as it looks in the pics.
Top
User avatar
yunachin
Former Staff Member
Posts: 1753
Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2007 1:33 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: 1x A. Meleagris (Golden)
2x Tetraodon nigroviridis
1x Tetraodon lineatus
1x A. hispidus
2x Takifugu Ocellatus
9x Tetraodon biocellatus
1x Canthigaster solandri
1x Diodon Holocanthus
2x A. nigropunctatus
1x Tetraodon miurus
1x Irrubesco
Location (country): USA
Location: SC

Re: New Porcupine Puffer

Post by yunachin »

I really cannot see too well, to me he looks okay. If it is Lymphosistis virus, it is a very common viral disease. It is not usually a danger to any affected fish but it is highly contagious and unsightly. Although there is no treatment for this disease eventually the cysts will erupt and disappear and the fish develops an immune response to the disease. New fish placed in the same aquarium may suffer from it. Even fish that have had it in the past may get a repeat infection if they are subjected to stress. It is very rarely fatal.
If it was ich it would be all over his body. I would just do some water changes and keep him in quarantine for a few more days. I think as long as he is eating and he is acting social and hasn't lost coloration that he will be fine.
Check your parameters though to make sure everything is okay before you put him back in.
:D
E.Ridgeway
Top
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32979
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Greenville, SC
Contact:
Contact Pufferpunk

Re: New Porcupine Puffer

Post by Pufferpunk »

I would just keep his water as clean as possible & be sure to feed him a healthy, varied diet soaked in good marine vitamins, like Selcon.
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!"
Top
User avatar
Puffer Queen
Mentor
Posts: 386
Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 10:35 am
Location: Louisville, KY
Contact:
Contact Puffer Queen

Re: New Porcupine Puffer

Post by Puffer Queen »

The fins appear to have "dusting" ....strongly suggestive of external parasites. This does not look like the viral disease process - lymphocystis.
Kelly
Top
User avatar
Agnate
Former Staff Member
Posts: 1203
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:44 pm
My Puffers: -

1 Abei Puffer [Monotrete Abei]
(Captain Abe)
Location: Ontario, Canada
Contact:
Contact Agnate

Re: New Porcupine Puffer

Post by Agnate »

He looks really cute, though! :D

Makes me want a Porcy... now if only I could afford a large tank and the space to work with. ;)
Did our staff successfully help you? The Puffer Forum is an incredible resource and is run completely on the donations of its viewers. Proceeds from the Puffer Forum store go towards future contests and keeping the site running. Donations may also be made via PayPal.

- Paul

40 gallon - Future home of Abei Puffer
28 gallon - 1 Abei Puffer (Captain Abe)
5 gallon - 1 Betta (Frederico)
Top
User avatar
Sooner_Reefer
Puffer Fry
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:00 pm
My Puffers: 1xPorcupine Puffer
Location: Oklahoma
Contact:
Contact Sooner_Reefer

Re: New Porcupine Puffer

Post by Sooner_Reefer »

Sooooooooooooooooooooo, what? What does my puffer have? My emperor angel got it too for a day then it went away. I added Rich Ich and it went away on the angel.
Top
User avatar
yunachin
Former Staff Member
Posts: 1753
Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2007 1:33 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: 1x A. Meleagris (Golden)
2x Tetraodon nigroviridis
1x Tetraodon lineatus
1x A. hispidus
2x Takifugu Ocellatus
9x Tetraodon biocellatus
1x Canthigaster solandri
1x Diodon Holocanthus
2x A. nigropunctatus
1x Tetraodon miurus
1x Irrubesco
Location (country): USA
Location: SC

Re: New Porcupine Puffer

Post by yunachin »

Treat him for ich and if that doesn't help then it could be Lymphosistis virus. And do what PP suggested, get him on some vitamins and keep his water clean. Like I said before it is not a fatal virus.
E.Ridgeway
Top
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32979
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Greenville, SC
Contact:
Contact Pufferpunk

Re: New Porcupine Puffer

Post by Pufferpunk »

Nothing on you Chin but I'd do whatever Puffer Queen says.
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!"
Top
User avatar
manutius
Former Staff Member
Posts: 1316
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:49 pm
My Puffers: RIP Clooney the Mbu :(
Location: Southend essex, UK
Contact:
Contact manutius

Re: New Porcupine Puffer

Post by manutius »

I agree. When it comes to marine's PufferQueen is the one to look too. Follow that advice if I were you
Top
User avatar
yunachin
Former Staff Member
Posts: 1753
Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2007 1:33 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: 1x A. Meleagris (Golden)
2x Tetraodon nigroviridis
1x Tetraodon lineatus
1x A. hispidus
2x Takifugu Ocellatus
9x Tetraodon biocellatus
1x Canthigaster solandri
1x Diodon Holocanthus
2x A. nigropunctatus
1x Tetraodon miurus
1x Irrubesco
Location (country): USA
Location: SC

Re: New Porcupine Puffer

Post by yunachin »

Pufferpunk wrote:Nothing on you Chin but I'd do whatever Puffer Queen says.
Sorry about that. Not a problem at all. I have no problem admitting that someone is more experienced. All that matters is the little fish get well. :D Good Luck!
E.Ridgeway
Top
User avatar
Sooner_Reefer
Puffer Fry
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:00 pm
My Puffers: 1xPorcupine Puffer
Location: Oklahoma
Contact:
Contact Sooner_Reefer

Re: New Porcupine Puffer

Post by Sooner_Reefer »

Yes I know to trust Puffer Queen. Seen her knowledge on other sites as well.:)
Ok I'll continue treating with Rich Ich and continue feeding enchanced foods. Hey Puffer Queen, I'm Charger21_SD on SRC and other sites if you didn't know.:)
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Hospital”