Puffer Newbie: Is my Stars and Stripes Puffer Healthy?

[Pufferpunk]

I'd get some Selcon & Vita-Chem to soak his food in.
Some reading for you:
library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=192
library/puffers-in-focus/big-marine-pufferfish-care/

[SkullV]

I'd get some Selcon & Vita-Chem to soak his food in.
Some reading for you:
library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=192
library/puffers-in-focus/big-marine-pufferfish-care/

Thanks for the resources! I already read all three and will continue searching through the library. Any insight into the poop pellets?

[Nick]

If anything, it sounds like he might not be digesting as fully as he could because he's very well fed.

[Pufferpunk]

Yep, a sure sign of overfeeding. Easy to do with those cute, begging faces.

[SkullV]

I just did a water change today and he seems SO unhappy. All hiding in his coral.

[Pufferpunk]

How much did you change? How did you premix the salt?

[SkullV]

25%. Salt premixes overnight in 5 gallon buckets with a powerhead in each one. Salinity 1.020. He seems fine this morning, I think he just didn't like the siphon tube stirring up sand in his house!

[SkullV]

I'm still worried about this little guy. He eats whenever there is food present, but other then that he is very rarely active. The water conditions are perfect (0,0,<10) temp is at 77, plenty of rocks and hiding places, plenty of swimming space for his size, but all he ever seems to want to do is lay on one of the branches of the fake coral and sleep until food gets dropped in. He also seems to get very splotchy in color when he is laying around (sleeping?) is that normal? I did drop some live little neck clams in last night though and it was pretty cool to see him pick at it, but I think he is still to small to crush the shells so I eventually took them out and busted them open for him.

Am I doing something wrong or am i just a paranoid puffer parent? Are they just this shy? He has been in the tank a few weeks now and still seems extremely shy and inactive.

[jus85411]

if hes still fairly new to the tank and home i wouldnt worry too much if hes eating and all poop looks normal. some people might not like the idea of putting live clams in the tank. i did before i really knew better and they are still living in my sand bed. but you never know what might come in with those clams(bacteria/parasites/etc) so we suggest freezing them and thawing in tank water with vitamins for a while whenever your going to feed. are his poops still looking the same as with the green/red pellets? how often are you feeding him?

PP - would you suggest maybe a preventative IP med just incase and maybe some epsom salt to help pass the undigested foods?

[SkullV]

if hes still fairly new to the tank and home i wouldnt worry too much if hes eating and all poop looks normal. some people might not like the idea of putting live clams in the tank. i did before i really knew better and they are still living in my sand bed. but you never know what might come in with those clams(bacteria/parasites/etc) so we suggest freezing them and thawing in tank water with vitamins for a while whenever your going to feed. are his poops still looking the same as with the green/red pellets? how often are you feeding him?

PP - would you suggest maybe a preventative IP med just incase and maybe some epsom salt to help pass the undigested foods?

Haha when I say live clams I meant that loosely, they are from whole foods fresh seafood section so they have been on ice but have never been completely frozen I guess? His poop is sometimes the little green/red pellets but today it was more of a chunky white slime which he proceeded to eat immediately after it came out of him and not spit out which leads me to believe it was just undigested clam? He has no other signs of IP, and remains plump even after pooping/not eating for a day (I was gone for 1 day this weekend). I never feed him directly but he does get some food every time I feed the tank which is twice a day in the morning and evening. Generally they get PE mysis at least once a day and some sort of other chopped meaty seafood the other feeding.

[jus85411]

yeah they are still alive. they will make it into your sand bed or relocate to a spot with a current and feed. mine are in my sand bed and when i stir the sand bed i check to make sure that they are still alive and doing well. i would try a little epsom salt if PP suggests it. it should help him pass anything that is backed up. when i got my GSP i didnt see any signs of IPs but i treated a little anyway as a preventative with jungle fizz tabs

[SkullV]

Here is a little video that I took of him today. He hasn't eaten in about 24 hours so I'm assuming that most food has passed and this is his "empty" state. It doesn't seem like he has a concave stomach or anything, but what would be the best way to treat for IP without taking him out of the display tank?

[jus85411]

i would wait for PP to comment on the IP treatment. my only fish was my GSP at that time when i treated him. i dont think it would have an effect on other fish, but if you have inverts it may. im not as familiar with meds as a lot of other people are and certain things it would effect in your aquarium

[jus85411]

i cant see the video at my work computer, they load up youtube extremely slow for some reason. from the still picture for the video though see seems to have a belly on him. IPs might not be a concern at this point, just getting him to pass whatever food might not be digested properly. maybe try and distract him somewhere else in the tank so that he doesnt get as much food, letting him have the off day. generally feeding is suggested for baby puffs 6 times a week once a day with an off day. and need even less as they get bigger. my GSP is 5 inches and i feed him about 4 times a week full meals just about every other day

[trekenk]

Couple comments. First off make sure to freeze all food bought at the grocery store before feeding. Just from watching that video it looks like your puffer might be getting intimated at bit from the trigger( hence the curled tail). Would explain the lack of movement around the tank you have explained, although he is still fairly new. He doesn't have the pinched IP look to me, but chunky white slim poo certainly does say IP's.