T. turgidus

Flusher · Post by **Flusher** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 5:04 pm

I just picked up a T. turgidus. That's my best guess, anyway. It's a Target puffer that looks a lot like a F8. Does this puffer have a common name?

It's about 3" TL, with a nipped up tail. It's also pretty thin. I suspect the LFS wasn't feeding it right, and there were, from what I gather, about a half-dozen of these Target puffers in the tank originally. This was the last one (probably the "runt"), and I just couldn't pass it up because most puffers are hard to come by locally.

My A. modestus' nipped each other up mildly before I moved them to a really long tank, and their fins healed up within a week. My T. miurus also had a piece of tail missing, and it has grown back noticeably within a week or two. So, I figure my water conditions must be pretty good; I suspect this puffer will heal up nicely.

I was hoping to get a smaller target puffer, because I know I could house one of them easily. For a 6" T. turgidus, can anyone tell me what size tank I should be looking at? (Please, no regurgitated vague answers like 30 gallons - I need dimensions.) I'm planning on putting this fish into a 14.5" x 17" tank (246.5 square inch footprint), which is the largest I will have available.

I'm not sure how active these puffers are, which is my only real problem (provided this fish heals up and adapts to my tank and feeding routine). My miurus and suvattii are in 14.5" x 17" tanks, but will each be moved within the month to 24" x 20" tanks. Would this new puffer be a better candidate for one of the larger tanks?

Woland · Post by **Woland** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 5:14 pm

Flusher wrote:It's a Target puffer that looks a lot like a F8. Does this puffer have a common name?

Pictures my good man...
Have you checked out T.turgidus in The Puffer Gallery?

Flusher · Post by **Flusher** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 5:53 pm

I really do need to figure out how to take detailed photos of my fish...

It looks a bit like that one, but it's hard to tell, since it is smaller and thinner. The colors are faded out, too. I can say that it doesn't have any evident small spots; it has larger, blotchier spots. I thought it had blue eyes, but I think they were just a bit cloudy. They've cleared up, and are now obviously red. (My suvattii's eyes also cloud over from time to time - a protective device?)

There is a good chance that it isn't a T. turgidus after all. It looks very much like a faded F8, but it is definitely not a F8. Maybe it will be more obvious when the puffer is in better shape.

It almost looks like T. cutcutia, but the underside on mine is plain white:

http://puffernet.tripod.com/cutcutia.html

It sure would be nice if more people posted photos of their confirmed species somewhere accessible...

Post by **RTR** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 6:00 pm

Most of us are accustomed to US-standard manufactured tanks, so routinely give those as suggestions. If you custom your tanks or are not USA, the standard manufcturers have web sites listing all the tanks sizes common in the trade here, some even offer down-loadable catalogs with the full info. Google on All-Glass Aquariums, Perfecto Aquariums, Oceanic Aquariums, etc.

That said, a standard 30-long is approximately 17" tall, 12" deep (front to back), and 36" long (or wide, depending on how you describe the long dimension). That is what I would suggest for any 6" puffer.

Woland · Post by **Woland** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 6:29 pm

Flusher wrote: It sure would be nice if more people posted photos of their confirmed species somewhere accessible...

That is the object of the Puffer Gallery.
Yet, since the new Pufferforum is a tad virginal we have not got into covering that many species yet.
It will come...

Have you looked around at The Pufferlist?
Also a real good site for Puffer ID, with advice on keeping etc.

Flusher · Post by **Flusher** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 6:45 pm

Since I'm not sure which type of puffer I have yet, sorting out a suitable tank is going to be problematic. With a bit of luck, I'll have an under 6" puffer. Since this fish is in my centralized tank system, it's the footprint that matters to me. There's more than enough water flowing through for these messy fish, which is why I'm more concerned with the footprint.

(I use length x width x height, but either way can have problems. Width and depth can also refer to length and height respectively.

)

I refer to pufferlist.com frequently, and I Google the heck out of puffer names. Usually, I find terrible sites with only names - no pictures or useful info - of puffers.

Would it be possible to post links to photos online, to supplement the actual forum member photos? I just can't find a confirmed image of many of the puffers on pufferlist.com who don't have photos. Most of the Target puffers fall under this category.

Flusher · Post by **Flusher** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 11:24 pm

This is really about as good a photo as I can possibly get:

Does this help identify the puffer at all?

Notice the white tail - it's pretty badly infected.

Post by **Pufferpunk** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 12:51 am

Poor thing really looks beat up. Maybe internal parasites too. What are you treating it with?

Looks like it could be a T cutcutia to me.

Flusher · Post by **Flusher** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 6:52 pm

I think it might be a T. cutcutia too. It has the markings of that fish, though its body shape is more like a F8.

The first day I got this fish, it seemed to perk up in its new tank. It even ate a bit (Krib fry and frozen krill). The second day, it was noticeably less active, and today it barely moves at all. It's whitened tail area (fungus I'm sure, but hopefully not columnaris) has crept up to the "target" spot about a quarter of the way up its body, and has become much more fuzzy.

Today, I moved it to a light brack tank that used to house some F8s. I've been very slowly reducing the salinity in this tank, but it's probably still around SG 1.004. I have a mangrove in there that I'm acclimatizing to FW. I figured the salt would help curb the fungal growth, and it seems to have had immediate, but only moderate effects.

I have a feeling this fish isn't going to make it. I think I knew that when I bought it, though...

Post by **Pufferpunk** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 10:29 pm

I would definately add Melafix & Pimafix to that tank.

Flusher · Post by **Flusher** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 10:48 pm

Yeah, I dumped some P/M-Fix, plus some other anti-fungal AP products into the water. The puffer is looking pretty grim. Oh well...

Mangroves can indeed live in freshwater, so my research goes. They are able to filter out salt in marine/brackish water, but do just fine without it apparently. (I think they might do better without it, since there's no salt crustifying on their leaves. I could be wrong.)

Flusher · Post by **Flusher** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 12:16 am

No joy - the little puffer died. I figured it had a better chance in my tank than at the LFS, but it was in really bad shape when I got it.

Post by **Pufferpunk** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 1:00 am

At least in his last days, he was comfortable & unbothered by tankmates. Poor thing...

rainmaker69 · Post by **rainmaker69** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 6:15 pm

Sometimes, you can only try. Sorry for your loss.

Flusher · Post by **Flusher** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 6:20 pm

Thanks for the regards. I obviously didn't get too attached to this fish, and I'm already on the lookout for some replacements. This time I'll try to narrow it down to under 3" puffers (that are in good health).

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