New puffer not eating or swimming
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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Moe Sizlack
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Jun 10, 2009 6:58 pm
New puffer not eating or swimming
I bought a hairy puffer 6 days ago and he isnt eating and barely swims. He doesn't swim more than about 6 inches every couple of hours. He just seems to want a new place to lounge. I have tried everything i can think of as food and he doesn't seem interested in any of it. I've tried Ghost shrimp, blood worms, earth worms, snails, and crabs... and no luck? Should I be worrying yet or is this a normal part of his getting settled? I tested the water and everything checks out... any ideas?
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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 puffer not eating or swimming
Hairy puffers lurk most the time, so the swimming (or lack thereof) behavior is normal. It can take up to 2 weeks for a puffer to start accepting foods, so I wouldn't worry just yet if I was you.
What size tank is he in? Also what were your perameters and did you use liquid test kits or strips?
What size tank is he in? Also what were your perameters and did you use liquid test kits or strips?
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Sponge bob
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1185
- Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:50 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): United States of America, North America
- Location: Long Island, New york
Re: New puffer not eating or swimming
Please answer questions in red. Hairy puffers(and lurker speices)
Dont swim much. Is there gravel? They really love sand. They spend 99.9% of there time under the sand. They only come out for food;)
Welcome to the forum
Any pictures by the way?
Dont swim much. Is there gravel? They really love sand. They spend 99.9% of there time under the sand. They only come out for food;)
Welcome to the forum
Any pictures by the way?
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Moe Sizlack
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Jun 10, 2009 6:58 pm
Re: New puffer not eating or swimming
Ammonia:0
Nitrates:0
Nitrites:0
Tested using liquid tests
50gallon species only Tank
The tank has been set up for 4-5 months
Sand substrate though he just sits on top of it... no effort to bury himself
Nitrates:0
Nitrites:0
Tested using liquid tests
50gallon species only Tank
The tank has been set up for 4-5 months
Sand substrate though he just sits on top of it... no effort to bury himself
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Moe Sizlack
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Jun 10, 2009 6:58 pm
Re: New puffer not eating or swimming
Not sure if it's relevant but I had an algae bloom 2 weeks ago and bought a UV sterilizer to get it under control
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Myaj
- Tech Team
- Posts: 4587
- Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 12:27 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Bubba, turgidus
Paris, lined burrfish - Location: SE Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: New puffer not eating or swimming
That's what lurker species do.. they lurk. Some bury themselves, some don't.
It will probably take him a little time to settle in, maybe even a week or two. Then try a nightcrawler and see if he's interested
It will probably take him a little time to settle in, maybe even a week or two. Then try a nightcrawler and see if he's interested
Re: New puffer not eating or swimming
Moe,
How's the Baileyi doing?
How's the Baileyi doing?