I am a sucker for sick/injured/neglected animals -there is a little (about 2.5") porcupine puffer at a local petstore that isn't really being well cared for. She's very thin and really looks miserable. I don't see signs of an actual illness -I just think she needs tlc. (my specialty)
I don't have a huge tank for her at the moment but do have a small tank she could have all to herself until I could get a large tank set up for her.
My problem is that getting the big tank could take a couple of months - how fast will she grow? Speaking in terms of normal average growth-she may be stunted because of her lack of care. Poor thing.
She really needs to be in a calmer environment - I had to yell at an idiot working there to not whack on the glass to get her to puff. I suspect she's not eating due to stress.
I've got a Eclipse6 that I started cycling last week for a micro-marine tank (was going to do some live rock, a bit of coral, and a couple of shrimp) Its just got water and sand in it at the moment. The water numbers all look good. My thought would be to grab some marine Bio-Spira if I got the puffer to help speed things along.
I also have another 20g tank available that isn't set up yet that I could get going as well.
I do have plans to do a much larger built in tank in my living room - but we aren't doing the remodel until the beginning of summer so she would have to stay in the smaller tank (or the 20g) at least until June.
She really needs to get out of that LFS or she's going to die. And she still has a little spark of curiosity in her - but she's very very stressed and they aren't helping her at all.
~CynJ
20gal Freshwater with a variety of fish & snails
6gal Eclipse 6- freshwater planted dwarf puffer tank (4 pea sized DP's)
20gal currently cycling - will be bigger home for the DP Peanut gang
30gal hex on the way (gotta love freebies!) -will be home to a pair of Panda Oranda
1 goofy spayed female brindle boxer named Myra with natural ears and a nubbie!
Go with the 20 gallon if anything. The eclipse is WAY too small. A thimble for this fish.
Marine bio-spira would be a good idea. And do plan to move her asap. I don't doubt that living well in a 20 gallon for a little bit of time wouldn't be as bad as staying at the LFS. Maybe use the live rock and such in the 20 gallon instead.
The bigger the tank you can snap in the meantime the better though. If you could pick up a 30 or 40 or even 55... etc etc.
i do not think a porc that size will survive for even he 2 months well in that 20 gallon. i think you would probably see stunting issues in that. the 6 is way too small.
as much as it pains to say it.. passing up on fish so that LFS's learn to take better care of them is also our responsibility.
i know that a porc would do better in a 40 gallon rubber maid tote than that 20 gallon.
I don't think I can get the 20g set up for another week. So she would have to stay in the 6g for a bit if I went and bought her tomorrow. I don't think its going to work.
I think I am going to try calling one of the managers at the other P***o store two towns over that is a fantastic fish person and tell her about the puffer- maybe she can do something - they are one company after all.
Normally their tanks/fish at this particular store are very good and healthy. I don't know why all of a sudden they have gone downhill. Maybe a staff change or something.
I hate not being able to fix it.
~CynJ
20gal Freshwater with a variety of fish & snails
6gal Eclipse 6- freshwater planted dwarf puffer tank (4 pea sized DP's)
20gal currently cycling - will be bigger home for the DP Peanut gang
30gal hex on the way (gotta love freebies!) -will be home to a pair of Panda Oranda
1 goofy spayed female brindle boxer named Myra with natural ears and a nubbie!
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
I suspect she's not eating due to stress.
