Hi
this is my first post, I figured it would be a hello one not a help one.
But last night Sid a medium sized stars and strips puffer.and an issue with a small red clawed crab, He went after it head on and ended up with both claws attached to either side of his face. Trying to dislodge it he smashed it into the side of the tank killing it and knocking it off, but leaving both claws still attached to his face. Using the net we "pinned" him against the side of the tank to try and remove it. As he spun around in the net he dislodged one but the other we had to actually grab ahold of and gently (as possible) with a puffer trying to bite it off, bite the hand helping it and get away from the net at the same time. The second one left a small puncture site on the side of his face where his cheek area is. He was livid he puffed half way up and deflated several times. we offered him a crab afterwards and he was really scared of it. It was horrible he took one look and swam and hid in under the rocks as far away as he could get. Did however end up eating a piece of shrimp later.
This morning it looks like a small chunck is missing from the cheek area and he is under the rocks hiding still, not normal behavior. Is there anything we should do for him?
Thanks in advance
Puffer injury
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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lovinpuffers
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Puffer injury
![[welcome]](./images/smilies/welcome.gif "welcome")
Sorry for laughing but I'm picturing your puffer hiding from the crab. I've had this happen to my larger faghaka puffer several times. Their skin is very tough--like leather with spikes all over it. I'm afraid you may have torn his skin by trying to grab the claw off of him. It would have let go eventually. You should keep the water very clean & add SW Melafix to help the healing.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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jtbadco
Re: Puffer injury
Happened to my F8 with a crayfish too,....now I euthanize them b4 feeding to the puffs.
+1 for the clean water and a little Melafix....should heal fine.
....and eventually he may stop being scared of crabs...
+1 for the clean water and a little Melafix....should heal fine.
....and eventually he may stop being scared of crabs...
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Dadof4
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Re: Puffer injury
Heh, I had a crab grab on to my Turgidus' face and ride him like a bull. Had a few marks after he ejected the crab and ate him. Healed nicely with some melafix. Make sure if you add it to a marine tank that you turn off your skimmer or it will foam up.
"Darwin swings...annnnnnd a miss. Boy Jim, Chuck's suffered at the plate tonight. He's 0 for 3 and I'm not sure he's recovered from that shoulder pull a few weeks ago. I'll bet the front office is re-thinking that contract."
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lovinpuffers
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Re: Puffer injury
Poor Sid is very disgruntaled still. He is in a corner and is bullying anything coming near him.
He did eat a crayfish this evening, after watching it very carefully and suspiciously for several minutes, he slowly inched closer and closer. After his meal he went back to his corner to pout. The wound site is a small indentation on one side and a smaller one on the other. Looks fine so far, will treat with melafix as soon as we can dig out after mother nature finishes dumping 20 inches or more of snow due between now and Thursday am, to add to the 6-8 inches we got today.
Is there a difference between freshwater and saltwater melafix?
Thanks to all who answered
He did eat a crayfish this evening, after watching it very carefully and suspiciously for several minutes, he slowly inched closer and closer. After his meal he went back to his corner to pout. The wound site is a small indentation on one side and a smaller one on the other. Looks fine so far, will treat with melafix as soon as we can dig out after mother nature finishes dumping 20 inches or more of snow due between now and Thursday am, to add to the 6-8 inches we got today.
Is there a difference between freshwater and saltwater melafix?
Thanks to all who answered
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lovinpuffers
- Puffer Fry
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- Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:33 pm
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Re: Puffer injury
jtbadco wrote:....and eventually he may stop being scared of crabs...
i can just see it now, he's gonna to suffer post tramatic crab attack syndrom, and swim away and hide from any little crab he sees. lol
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Puffer injury
I don't believe the SW version of Melafix foams like the FW does.
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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lovinpuffers
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Re: Puffer injury
Thanks, I have melafix purchased for my freshwater aquarium, wanted to check before I used it for saltwater (sids tank)Pufferpunk wrote:I don't believe the SW version of Melafix foams like the FW does.
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Pufferpunk
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T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Re: Puffer injury
It'll make bubbles galore & your skimmer go insane! Probably bubble over the rim of your tank too, if you have any powerheads in there.
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!"
-
lovinpuffers
- Puffer Fry
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- Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:33 pm
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Re: Puffer injury
I think I'll skip the mess and wait for the roads to be plowed.Pufferpunk wrote:It'll make bubbles galore & your skimmer go insane! Probably bubble over the rim of your tank too, if you have any powerheads in there.
Thanks for the info
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Pufferpunk
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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
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Re: Puffer injury
Yeah, it's not like it's life or death with him.
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!"
-
lovinpuffers
- Puffer Fry
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Re: Puffer injury
Thanks again everyone for your help and susgestions.