Hey I did a lot of reading on porcupines and bought a porcupine puffer!
He's in a 90 gallon tank with a sailfin tang, bannerfish, long nosed butterfly, lunar wrasse, coral beauty, and 3 pajama cardinals. I had him about 3 days now. The night I put him in he did great he swam around everywhere and ate food. Yesterday and today he just lays on the bottom not eating, and barely moving. I threw a snail in there but he didn't eat it. he wont eat krill live or frozen bloodworms either (he ate them all the first night) and I saw him move a little and he looked like he was going to puff! His stomach got big then small a few times and now he's laying down again. None of the fish have bullied him. So what can I do to help him?
Porcupine help.
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crazedpuffer
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Pufferpunk
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How did you acclimate him? Puffers are sensitive fish & do not move well--give him a little time. Maybe offer him a live shrimp or crab in a few days.
That tanK will be too small for him & all those fish at adult size.
That tanK will be too small for him & all those fish at adult size.
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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crazedpuffer
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Arothron Junkie
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Jager
mmm me thinks you have done a double whammy, not only did you add a new fish with no acclimation you did it with no quarentine so that it knows what foods you are going to feed it.
also being dropped in an overstocked tank isnt quite the best way for any fish to start out, drip acclimation or not.
I would set up another tank that is connected the the 90, and keep the pufer in there. that way you can moniter him and allow him to get used to the foods you are offering, also it keeps the other fish from stressing him. and he can and sounds stressed regardless of the tankmates lack of messing with him.
hope he pulls though, but if not, you will know the right things to do for the next one.
also being dropped in an overstocked tank isnt quite the best way for any fish to start out, drip acclimation or not.
I would set up another tank that is connected the the 90, and keep the pufer in there. that way you can moniter him and allow him to get used to the foods you are offering, also it keeps the other fish from stressing him. and he can and sounds stressed regardless of the tankmates lack of messing with him.
hope he pulls though, but if not, you will know the right things to do for the next one.
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Arothron Junkie
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Okay, the accilimation didn't go great.... So next step is what to do with him now?! Right...Sounds like he is stressed. Exactly what reading did you do to confirm you needed a diodon holocanthus? In any case, you can either do a separate tank for the short term or take stress as low as possible by keeping the lights off and feeding the snot out of the tank temporarily. A garlic and/or a B12 supplement may help. Just remember, food sitting on the bottom uneaten after 12 or so hours begins to rot. Remove as possible.
Remember, as absolutely precious as these puffers can be (everyone here will testify as to how cute porky's can be!), they will eventually require some serious displacement and/or filtration. Plan on doubling the tank volume every 6months to a year (200+ adult) and he should be okay. Diodon's are some of the most personable/cute puffers out there but they do have some expensive husbandry requirements.
Its not like you can just suck out the poo as puffers typically use their anal fin as a manure spreader. A good protein skimmer can be your best friend while he grows up. Everyone has their favorites skimmer wise but divide the listed tank volume by 2 at least (a seaclone 150 = 75 or less) and you may come up with a decent puffer tank load per skimmer. If nothing else, buy a good test kit if you don't have one and keep an eye on empirical water quality.
A water change of 30% every 2 weeks is not out of the question. When you see the nitrate/nitrites go significantly up time to do the change.
Hope this helps.....Lee
Remember, as absolutely precious as these puffers can be (everyone here will testify as to how cute porky's can be!), they will eventually require some serious displacement and/or filtration. Plan on doubling the tank volume every 6months to a year (200+ adult) and he should be okay. Diodon's are some of the most personable/cute puffers out there but they do have some expensive husbandry requirements.
Its not like you can just suck out the poo as puffers typically use their anal fin as a manure spreader. A good protein skimmer can be your best friend while he grows up. Everyone has their favorites skimmer wise but divide the listed tank volume by 2 at least (a seaclone 150 = 75 or less) and you may come up with a decent puffer tank load per skimmer. If nothing else, buy a good test kit if you don't have one and keep an eye on empirical water quality.
A water change of 30% every 2 weeks is not out of the question. When you see the nitrate/nitrites go significantly up time to do the change.
Hope this helps.....Lee
210: golden puffer, harley tusk, black dogface, juv emp angel, green wolf eel, purple tang
75/58: dogface, powder blue tang, longhorn cowfish, juv niger trigger
75/58: dogface, powder blue tang, longhorn cowfish, juv niger trigger
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Arothron Junkie
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Oh, as for live food....petsmart (insert local chain here) can do some good live food if he is hesitant to eat. Just remember to pull the large pincer off the crabs (fiddler less pincer = good live food) you offer him to make sure they don't damage your puffer. Gut loaded (use search function) ghost shimp are excellent. Garlic supplement (kent, about 2-3 pre-shaken drops are plenty) can work well.
NEVER neglect your local ethnic (sorry, best way I can describe it folks) seafood market for goodies for your puffer. If a frozen brick of mysis is $12 for a few ounces. Compare to a few lbs of mixed shrimp(w' shells please), squid, scallops, clams, etc. are the best private food you can find. Even if you take some ice cube trays and freeze your frozen mixed treats. Trust me, they will love/beg of you long term. (Please thaw before feeding....) Anyhow, sounds like you have a very sweet fish, I am sure all of us would like to see him/her do well.
Hope this helps...Lee
NEVER neglect your local ethnic (sorry, best way I can describe it folks) seafood market for goodies for your puffer. If a frozen brick of mysis is $12 for a few ounces. Compare to a few lbs of mixed shrimp(w' shells please), squid, scallops, clams, etc. are the best private food you can find. Even if you take some ice cube trays and freeze your frozen mixed treats. Trust me, they will love/beg of you long term. (Please thaw before feeding....) Anyhow, sounds like you have a very sweet fish, I am sure all of us would like to see him/her do well.
Hope this helps...Lee
210: golden puffer, harley tusk, black dogface, juv emp angel, green wolf eel, purple tang
75/58: dogface, powder blue tang, longhorn cowfish, juv niger trigger
75/58: dogface, powder blue tang, longhorn cowfish, juv niger trigger
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Jager
mmm, maybe a 150, if its lightly stocked with the porc included.....
as for foods, forget feeding the whole tank, unless you have no other option. the worst thing you can do is have ammonia problems and a stressed puffer. that together generally means death or a serious stress ich outbreak. or at the least a very shortened lifespan of the puffer.
I would pull said puffer ASAP into another container and do a proper isolation at least and give it the best chance it can get. You can connect the puffer container by drilling it near the top and running tubing out, then putting the container above the tank and using a powerhead or pump to circulate water up to it and it will drain down.
i would feed less food to the tank right now period as well as completely rearrange the rocks or major pieces that are the other tank mates territory, that forces the entire tank to start on more equal footing and you will have less aggression.
more food equals more fighting and more water parameter problems as above.
as for foods, forget feeding the whole tank, unless you have no other option. the worst thing you can do is have ammonia problems and a stressed puffer. that together generally means death or a serious stress ich outbreak. or at the least a very shortened lifespan of the puffer.
I would pull said puffer ASAP into another container and do a proper isolation at least and give it the best chance it can get. You can connect the puffer container by drilling it near the top and running tubing out, then putting the container above the tank and using a powerhead or pump to circulate water up to it and it will drain down.
i would feed less food to the tank right now period as well as completely rearrange the rocks or major pieces that are the other tank mates territory, that forces the entire tank to start on more equal footing and you will have less aggression.
more food equals more fighting and more water parameter problems as above.