Hi I'm Kyle and I decided to not get a puffer for my 20 gallon tank I was talking about, but instead just use my bigger 100 gal tank that I have set up as salt water. It has been running for about a week now and I have fully cycled it quite fast thanks to live rock, live sand, and bio-spira. I purchased a little 3 inch porcupine puffer fish from my LFS 2 days ago. I tried to aclimate him as best I could. (I am hoping its a boy puffer fish) He seems to be doing fine but he will not eat. I have tried many foods such as raw shrimp, squid, formula one frozen, live feeder guppies (last resort). But he just ignored all of them. I sorta got him to eat today by taking a cocktail shrimp on a stick and placing it in front of him, he bit at it a few times but didn't really eat any more than the tail. The only other option I have that I can buy is brine shrimp but I doubt that he will eat them either. His only tankmate is a lunare wrasse. Here are my water parameters:
pH: about 8.0, I don't have the best test kit yet
SG: 1.022
Temp: 77 degrees F
Ammonia: None
Nitrite: None
Nitrate: 20 ppm
I use Instant Ocean salt and Seachem Prime water conditioner
I have noticed that he tends to stay in one corner most of the time, just swimming up and down the glass. The heater is in that corner but I don't think I have the water too cold. His tail is also curled a lot. Someone I talked to recommended I do a quick freshwater dip with some melafix and pimafix in there which I did this morning just to make sure he is not infected.
Please help me convince my fish to eat.
Kyle
New Porcupine Puffer fish not eating
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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kylockwood
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Myaj
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Re: New Porcupine Puffer fish not eating
How many days has it been since you broght him home?
Puffers are known for going on hunger strikes when moved or stressed. Many will refuse to eat for weeks at a time. Give him a few days to settle in, try not to bother him too much.
Your nitrates are a bit high for a saltwater fish, that may be due to the uneaten food rotting in there. Make sure you clean that up, and do a water change to get them lower.
I wouldn't stress him out with a freshwater dip unless you have a reason for it such as visable external parasites. He's just trying to settle in now, so let him do his thing. I would skip a day, then offer him some food the next day, probably the shrimp on a string or skewer, move it around so it looks tempting to him.
Puffers are known for going on hunger strikes when moved or stressed. Many will refuse to eat for weeks at a time. Give him a few days to settle in, try not to bother him too much.
Your nitrates are a bit high for a saltwater fish, that may be due to the uneaten food rotting in there. Make sure you clean that up, and do a water change to get them lower.
I wouldn't stress him out with a freshwater dip unless you have a reason for it such as visable external parasites. He's just trying to settle in now, so let him do his thing. I would skip a day, then offer him some food the next day, probably the shrimp on a string or skewer, move it around so it looks tempting to him.
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spoot
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Re: New Porcupine Puffer fish not eating
Try some snails if it is all possible.
Do you have a skimmer? Adding one will help your lower your nitrates and increase water quality dramatically.
Also, is the live rock you added cured? If not be prepared for a nitrate spike and a possible mini cycle as there may be a large amount of die-off from the rocks.
Do you have a skimmer? Adding one will help your lower your nitrates and increase water quality dramatically.
Also, is the live rock you added cured? If not be prepared for a nitrate spike and a possible mini cycle as there may be a large amount of die-off from the rocks.
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crazedpuffer
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Re: New Porcupine Puffer fish not eating
Was he eating at the store?
Try live blackworms, frozen mysis, or live shrimp.Also try soaking the food in garlic.
Try live blackworms, frozen mysis, or live shrimp.Also try soaking the food in garlic.
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kylockwood
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Re: New Porcupine Puffer fish not eating
This morning I tried the shrimp on a stick except it was cut up smaller. He seemed to like it and his belly looked full. Yes the live rock I bought was supposed to be cured. I have a question about the protein skimmer though. I have seen many online but the only one I can find is for a nano reef. Is it better to have a surface skimmer or the ones that suck up water and blow bubbles through the water?
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OraLacerta
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Re: New Porcupine Puffer fish not eating
The live rock you bought pre-cured should have been allowed to cure again before you added it to the tank. If it was from a local store there may not have been too much die-off, but if it was shipped to you then it will most likely cure again creating nitrates in your tank.
-Michelle
Prevent unnecessary deaths due to disease- quarantine ALL new additions at least 4 weeks in a separate tank before adding to your main display tank!
Puffers: Hindenburg the Figure Eight, 75gallon Brackish
Prevent unnecessary deaths due to disease- quarantine ALL new additions at least 4 weeks in a separate tank before adding to your main display tank!
Puffers: Hindenburg the Figure Eight, 75gallon Brackish
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spoot
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C. travancoricus - Location: Vancouver
Re: New Porcupine Puffer fish not eating
A surface skimmer is not actually what people call a skimmer in the saltwater trade. What I was referring to is the thing that makes bubbles and has a collection cup for gunk. It is used to remove organic compounds form the water.
Take a look at this link for various skimmers. There are many styles and sizes.
http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/stor ... gory_ID=90
(not affiliated with above store)
Take a look at this link for various skimmers. There are many styles and sizes.
http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/stor ... gory_ID=90
(not affiliated with above store)
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kylockwood
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Re: New Porcupine Puffer fish not eating
A few minutes ago while I was trying to get him to eat again I noticed white spots on his tail and fins. I am pretty sure this is ich since I saw a picture and it looks just like that. The only medication I have now is melafix and pimafix and the petstore isn't open until tomorrow. I don't really know which medicine I should buy. Please help.Kyle
and I guess this is the reason he is not eating good
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Boxermom
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Re: New Porcupine Puffer fish not eating
There is an article on treating saltwater ich in our library.
Tina
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
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Pufferpunk
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Re: New Porcupine Puffer fish not eating
I would wait a few days before treating, if there are just a few spots. It may go away. It's like having a slight case of the sniffles.
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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kylockwood
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Re: New Porcupine Puffer fish not eating
He has a lot of spots on his fins and tail, he is breathing heavy and has his tail curled tight against his body. I am getting very worried about him because this is probably the reason why he was being such a picky eater. He keeps puffing up too.
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Pandora114
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Re: New Porcupine Puffer fish not eating
Ok then follow the SW ich article in the library.
And PM PufferQueen if you need more help. She's the authority on SW puffers
And PM PufferQueen if you need more help. She's the authority on SW puffers
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Pufferpunk
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Re: New Porcupine Puffer fish not eating
That's: Puffer Queen
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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OraLacerta
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- Location: USA
Re: New Porcupine Puffer fish not eating
That hopefully taught you the importance of quarantining fish before adding them to your main disply tank. In order to get rid of the infestation in your main tank you now need to remove the lunar wrasse and the puffer and leave the tank fishless for at least 30 days. This can easily be prevented by quarantining all new fish for at least 4 weeks.
This will work in your favor as the LR will now be able to fully cure without stressing the fish.
This will work in your favor as the LR will now be able to fully cure without stressing the fish.
-Michelle
Prevent unnecessary deaths due to disease- quarantine ALL new additions at least 4 weeks in a separate tank before adding to your main display tank!
Puffers: Hindenburg the Figure Eight, 75gallon Brackish
Prevent unnecessary deaths due to disease- quarantine ALL new additions at least 4 weeks in a separate tank before adding to your main display tank!
Puffers: Hindenburg the Figure Eight, 75gallon Brackish
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kylockwood
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Re: New Porcupine Puffer fish not eating
update on porcupine puffer:
It turns out this is a more severe case of ich than I thought. My whole tank is very sour and the water in it has gone to horrible levels, this was probably caused by the medicine I used, ich attack by kordon. My porcupine puffer and lunare wrasse are in a QT. I have been giving the puffer freshwater dips, this seems to weaken the ich and increase his appetite. I can't get him to eat anything else except cooked cocktail shrimp. My wrasse isn't doing very well as he has caught the ich too. I have a feeling I am going to have to restart my big tank. I have live rock in it and live sand. How do I get the ich out of them? I know they will die if I use coppersafe or any of the other more powerful ich medicines. I have bought a bottle of ich attack by kordon. It hasn't proven itself very effective. In my QT, what medicine can I use for the wrasse and the puffer? Someone at my LFS suggested hyposalinity. Would this be a better option than medicines? The cheapest option would be best. I have throughly learned my lesson about quarantining fish.
It turns out this is a more severe case of ich than I thought. My whole tank is very sour and the water in it has gone to horrible levels, this was probably caused by the medicine I used, ich attack by kordon. My porcupine puffer and lunare wrasse are in a QT. I have been giving the puffer freshwater dips, this seems to weaken the ich and increase his appetite. I can't get him to eat anything else except cooked cocktail shrimp. My wrasse isn't doing very well as he has caught the ich too. I have a feeling I am going to have to restart my big tank. I have live rock in it and live sand. How do I get the ich out of them? I know they will die if I use coppersafe or any of the other more powerful ich medicines. I have bought a bottle of ich attack by kordon. It hasn't proven itself very effective. In my QT, what medicine can I use for the wrasse and the puffer? Someone at my LFS suggested hyposalinity. Would this be a better option than medicines? The cheapest option would be best. I have throughly learned my lesson about quarantining fish.