Porcupine Puffer pooping problem

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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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weez1959
Puffer Fry
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:56 am
Location: Otterburn Park. Quebec

Porcupine Puffer pooping problem

Post by weez1959 »

Hi everyone,
I new here and I've read a few posts (lurking ) and find this forum very informative.
So on to my problem, We've had this little guy in QT for a few weeks now and he hasn't pooped that I know of. He didn't eat for the first 4-5 days I think because he may not have been feeling well because the second day in QT he had ich all over his fins. I dropped his sg to 1.009 and he's been clean for at least a week now. Anyways, he didn't eat like I said but quickly changed his mind about starving.
On to the real problem, I haven't seen him poop except the second day and this was yellowish. He's been treated with Prazipro and that finished the day before yesterday. I never see anything in the bottom of his tank either, could he be eating his own poop?
He's weighs in at 37 whole grams!! How old approximately would that make him? he's about 3.75" long. He eats 1 small silver dollar sized CS clam or about 2-3 grams of raw table shrimp a day. I'm trying him on other stuff but it's pretty hard, he was eating live fish at the LFS :cry:
Another question is since he's pretty small right now, am I supposed to open or break his clam? I have been opening it up to now but if there's a better way I'd like to know :P
Louise
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andy198712
Dwarf Puffer
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Location: Cornwall, UK

Post by andy198712 »

try feeding him a pea or part of a pea, i hear that helps move along the boul movements
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Phaedrus
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Post by Phaedrus »

An Epsom salt dip might help as well, or adding some Epsom salt to his tank water.
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Gomez
Dwarf Puffer
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Post by Gomez »

I wouldnt break open the shells for him he can bite thrugh them. Just thaw them first. Make sure you feed him a varied diet too. :D
What's the difference between a fish and a piano?
You can't tuna fish!
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Pufferpunk
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Post by Pufferpunk »

Definately open the shells for him. At that tiny size, he will not be able to bite thru them. You will see/hear him scraping the shells w/his teeth. Be sure to freeze everything you feed him & thaw in warm vitamen water. There are several articles on feeding in our Library.
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!"
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weez1959
Puffer Fry
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:56 am
Location: Otterburn Park. Quebec

Post by weez1959 »

I forgot to tell everyone.... he's pooping!! woo hoo
Louise
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Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32975
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
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
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Greenville, SC
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Post by Pufferpunk »

Yippee for pufferpoo!!! (only here... :lol: )
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!"
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spoot
Green Spotted Puffer
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Post by spoot »

Never though I'd be so excited to see fish pooop until we got out babies!
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manutius
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Post by manutius »

Yay!!!!!
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