Porcupine Puffer
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.
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crayfish
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 55
- Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2005 9:45 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): USA
- Contact:
Re: Porcupine Puffer
I picked up "Metro+" from my LFS. I think I will try to feed it to the fish but it can also be used for baths which seems to be a pretty good method. I'm going to go prepare some squid and clam right now...Edit: I am not sure how much to mix into the food. There are no oral instructions on the bottle, it just says that it can be mixed with food.
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mikeosoft
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 247
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:35 pm
- Location: Farmington Hills, MI
Re: Porcupine Puffer
I don't believe the bath method is effective for treating SW fish as they do not drink the water. The metronidazol that I get is in powder form, I scoop about 50mg out and put it in a little water with the food. I stir it up so the metro, gets disolved and let it soak for a couple hours before feeding.
I believe you would have to feed an aweful lot to cause an OD.
I believe you would have to feed an aweful lot to cause an OD.
Last edited by mikeosoft on Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Re: Porcupine Puffer
FW fish do not drink water--SW fish do.
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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mikeosoft
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 247
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:35 pm
- Location: Farmington Hills, MI
Re: Porcupine Puffer
My mistake, I got them mixed up!
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crayfish
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 55
- Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2005 9:45 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): USA
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Re: Porcupine Puffer
I have frozen clams and squid soaking in a mix of tank water, entice, and metro+. Ill feed in an hour or so. My experience so far with these is that he sucks them in and spits them out. It'd be easier if I could inject the medication into an earthworm or a shrimp.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32975
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
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burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Porcupine Puffer
Why not?
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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crayfish
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 55
- Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2005 9:45 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): USA
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Re: Porcupine Puffer
I don't have a syringe and needle or I would do it for sure. I'm not really sure how to go about getting one. Let's just say I've been off heroin for a while 
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32975
- 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:
Re: Porcupine Puffer
I get syringes from my vet or an addict on the street. (JK)
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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SpockthePuffer
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 334
- Joined: Sun Sep 23, 2007 8:24 pm
- My Puffers: A wee GSP named Milton
- Location: Connecticut
Re: Porcupine Puffer
Pufferpunk wrote:I get syringes from my vet or an addict on the street. (JK)
that killed meI would think the vet would be a good place to get a syringe they would understand the use better than a doctor probably.
"How inappropriate to call this planet Earth, when clearly it is Ocean." - Arthur C. Clarke
~Shannon~
10g betta & snail tank, 30g GSP named Milton, 55g sw fowlr
~Shannon~
10g betta & snail tank, 30g GSP named Milton, 55g sw fowlr
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crayfish
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 55
- Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2005 9:45 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): USA
- Contact:
Re: Porcupine Puffer
I'll see what I can do about the vet. It might be a few days before I can do anything though.
I just tried to feed clams and squid and he ignored them. Once he tried something but spit it right back out after.
I just tried to feed clams and squid and he ignored them. Once he tried something but spit it right back out after.
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Nick
- Former Staff Member
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Narrow Lined Puffer - Ulrike - Location (country): Northeastern USA
- Location: Middletown, CT
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Re: Porcupine Puffer
Go to any medical supply store and you can buy insulin needles quite cheaply and perfectly legally. I live in the boonies and I can get them right in town.
No matter how magnificent your successes or devastating your failures, the worlds' approximately 5 billion impoverished people could not possibly care less.
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crayfish
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 55
- Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2005 9:45 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): USA
- Contact:
Re: Porcupine Puffer
I'm also thinking pharmacies can sell syringes right?
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32975
- 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:
Re: Porcupine Puffer
I doubt it, you'd need a prescription for that. Maybe needle exchange?
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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crayfish
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 55
- Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2005 9:45 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): USA
- Contact:
Re: Porcupine Puffer
A friend told me she might have needles left over from when she had a diabetic cat. She'll let me know in the morning and I will shoot up some earth worms if all goes well.
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Jase
- Mbu Puffer
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- Location: Montana
Re: Porcupine Puffer
ask your dentist. I got a big awesome one when I had to rinse my wisdom teeth before they were pulled. 
-Jase
edmlfc1 wrote:A house without a puffer is not a home.