Help Theodore please!!

[heatherfish]

Help!!!! I have had my puffer Theodore for three weeks now. He hasn't really seem to ever adjust to my (55 gallon) tank. I do also have a Lion-Fish in there, but he really doesn't mess with anyone (two clown fish, three cardinals, and a couple starter fish from when I got my tank last year- i know I can't believe they have lasted this long! there are two anemones and one coral in the tank, but he hasn't even shown it any attention). Theodore doesn't eat, he doesn't investigate anything, he just hides. I have seen him eat a couple times when i first got him (mysis shrimp only) and doesn't go for any krill or clams that I try and give him. I have tried everything, from hanging food from a fishline, proping it on a rock, holding it up for him, dropping it in from of him. He just hangs out hidden in the leaves and doesn't seem happy. I have noticed however that if I stay up a little later than the fish, he is a little more active at night, but i don't know the extent as I usually go to bed around the same time as the tank. This morning I went to give Paula the lionfish her morning snack and Theo is in the corner of the tank. He isn't completely on the bottom, but a part of him is resting on a rock. I tried to drop some shrimp in front of him, but no luck. He just isn't happy.

I am hoping anyone with knowledge of these little guys can please give me some advice, I asked my LFS and they told me that Theo has always been a little picky and hidden. I want Theo to be very healthy and happy!

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. Nitrite level: 0.2 / PH: 7.8 / Nitrate: 10 / Ammonia: 0.0

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. 55 gal, 2 clown, 1 lion fish, 3 cardinals, 3 damsals, 2 anemones and one coral, 2 small snails, a couple crabs

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) I feed the lion fish daily, put out a clam for Theo, and feed the other fish a rotation between formula 2, flakes, and mysis shrimp every couple days or so. I tried to feed Theo Mysis daily, but he doesn't go for it. If he doesn't go for the first couple i throw in, i dont add any more. Water changes every two weeks.. We have live sand at the bottom.

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. None at all. Everyone but theo is doing excellent.

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. It has been set up for seven months. It was cycled during the first month w/ live sand, plants, and live rock. Lost a couple damsals, but after that, we added the snails and crabs and they keep everything under control along w/ water changes.

Please help!!!

Thanks!!
HeatherFish

[manutius]

Sorry for anothre question but how big is theodore? He may bee to small for full marine. These puffers are best kept in brackish and then slowly brought up to full SW as far as I know

[heatherfish]

Hi! He is about two inces long. I just checked on him and he is so lathargic and his tail is curved in to make his bod look like a J and his eyes are couding up. Poor guy. The LFS had him in a tank similar to ours with other large fish, so he is use to it (that tank also had one of the biggest lionfish I have ever seen). probably in a tank upwards of 200 gallons, but several large fish in there with him, so i thought he would like our tank much better and him and the lion fish have the same body size. I really thought he would like being one of the bigger fish since he always seemed a little skiddish........

I'm so sad. I dont want him to die, but if he does, I also don't want him to poison the tank. Should i remove him from the tank and put him in a smaller (if so how big??) tank? I am heading to the LFS to see if I can get some silversides to try and feed him today.......? Any help is greatly appreciated!!!

[manutius]

Righto do not feed silversides they are not nutritionally good for him. Mussels and prawns are a far better bet.

Hang on I think I may have made a leap here but what species id he? I thouht I read GSP but maybe he isn't?

[heatherfish]

He is a Valentini Puffer. His coloring is off too. He normally has a very bright yellow tail, and white belly w/ yellow spots on his brown saddles. Now, the yellow has faded and the white in between the brown is turning gray/brown.......This all has happened this morning...I know I can't treat him in the tank w/ the coral and live plants, so I am unsure how to help the little fella.

[manutius]

aaaaah I see, ooopsy on my behalf about the full marine then I need a lie down I think

Its not my area of expertise as I have previously proven but my feeling is to take him out into a hospital tank and see if you can see up close anything? Is it possible he could have been stung by any corals? He could also be scared of the other fish? Its really hard to say sorry

[heatherfish]

Well, anything is possible, but i really dont think so. The clown fish live in one anemone and the other he has shown no interest in. I dont know. He has moved around a little more, but I am still going to go to my LFS today and get a "hospital" tank. I might take him to them and see about treatment. Poor guy. I really don't think he has ever adjusted to our tank, and he was hiding in the tank at the LFS, so it just may be his personality.

I will keep a very mindful eye on him and let you know. Thanks for trying to help me out!! Me and theo really really appreciate it!!!!!

[Happy_Puffer]

I don't have a saddle puffer but I do have a white spot toby and he seems to like frozen bloodworms, krill, squid, mysis, frozen shrimp (from the seafood counter) and I also feed him live brine shrimp as a treat. My toby likes to hide and his colors change a lot. Sometimes he turns from red to white and you can bearly see his white spots. I just got my puffer but at first he didn't want to eat. He only eats when hes hungry and likes to eat snails when I can afford them. Someone that has a saddle puffer will come help but I hope he eats soon and gets better.

[t1gerbee]

I was wondering how you knew what kind of puffer he was....!


I take it he wasn't quarentined at all?


Definitely get him into a hospital tank, are both his eyes cloudy? Maybe he/she can't see the food....

Any signs of white spots on his fins?

[heatherfish]

Hi, Let me just say I really apprecaite everyone's help.

He has been moving around a little more. I will definately try and get some bloodworms today (from the LFS????) Any other suggestions on tasty treats he might like the most would be great. He isn't eating: Mysis Shrimp, Krill, or Clams. I've even tried formula two cubes (broken in peices) and he's clearly on a hunger strike.

[Nick]

My guess:
Problem - Nitrite = 0.2
Solution - water changes.

[heatherfish]

Just got back from the LFS. Theo is in an isolation tank w/ some medicine. It is ick at the least, and something more critical at the worst. I am treating him for the ick in the seperate tank and here is a pic of my little guy in the "hospital"


On a side note, we also got an awesome new tank lamp. UV & Lunar. ITS AMAZING!! I am going to post pics of it tomorrow!!

Thanks so much everyone for all your advice. I really really appreciate it. I will definately keep you all posted.

HeatherFish & Theo

[Pufferpunk]

Find the threads here on adding vitamin C to the tank to help with this. You'll have to put all the fish in hypo & leave the tank fallow for 8 weeks, if you don't want anymore problems with Crypt in there. This is why QT is so important.

Is he eating in there?

[t1gerbee]

have you put cycled material in the hospital tank...?

how are you treating the crypt? Puffers are very bad at handling most medication...

use hypo as a treatment method... there is an article on it in the library i think....

[heatherfish]

We get our water for cycling from our LFS, we did a water change last night and used new water for Theo's "hospital". We also bought Nitrofuracin Green Powder and added it to his tank to treat him. He will be in there for 10 days at the least, but probably more like 14-21 days. Everyday I will add more medicine and do a 25% water change on the "hospital" tank. I threw in a calm for him just so he knows there is food in there and am going to try mysis in a day or so. I want him to get comfortable. He looks a little better color wise today, but thats about the only change I see (although it hasn't even been 24 hours).

I am concerned about out other fish getting ick and am going to do several water changes on the main tank to try and prevent it and I have turned up the temp on the main tank as well. I am going to do the water changes every other night. I can't treat the main tank unfortunately because of the live plants but want to make sure that Theo makes a full recovery and there are no signs of ick for a siginificant amount of time before he goes back into the main tank.

The new light is much brighter and it is an adjustment for the fish (although all the plants LOOOOVE the light, what a difference!) and I am trying to keep their routine as normal as possible for them to adjust. When we turned on the lunar light last night, the fish did enjoy swimming in and out of the lunar lights and that was really fun to watch.