Expert Advice Needed re: Very Emaciated Puffer

[Happy_Puffer]

Myaj how is Paris doing? Those are such cute fish! I don't think I could have a fish that always looks so thin though. I freak out because my gsp isn't fat enough for my liking. My boyfriend has one that is always so fat it looks pregnant! That would be cool if she was but I know shes not. I call her rolly like form the 101 dalmantions the one thats aways hungry! Because when I go up to the tank she dances around and I know she saying " I'm hungry Mother I really am!"
FishFan have you named him yet? I am really pulling for him I know what it feels like to try and save a puffer!

[Myaj]

She looks pretty good now and eats like a horse.. I'll get some photos up once I'm done moving. Possibly some of her puffing a few days ago, I don't know how they turned out yet (just grabbed the camera quick and snapped a few shots while she deflated).

She's got kind of a lard butt.. no pot belly, but is definately heavy in the rear end!

[Happy_Puffer]

Is that kind of puffer marine? I didn't see it in the pufferpedia. I just like knowing about all the puffers so that when/if I see them I know if I can take them home or not . I never see any neat puffers around here in nowheresville! I can only get dwarfs/gsp/f8/and porcs. I would really like to find an Abei but can't. (Sorry to be off topic)

[Myaj]

Yes, its a marine burrfish, needs a minimum of 75 gallons. Doesn't get quite as big as a porcupine.

There are a lot of saltwater puffers and puffer relatives we hope to get into the Pufferpedia at some point, but its a lot of work. Especially since there are so many "branches" off the puffer family, tobies, boxfish, burrfish, cowfish, etc..

[Happy_Puffer]

Ohh I see and understand! I want a 75 gallon tank so bad but I just got laid off from my job at the lfs and I am sad. It was the best job ever! But I am getting a 55 gallon for free, it comes with tank,stand,heater,and filter yay at least some good news after losing my job. It just makes me mad that I will have an empty tank since I am moving my gsp to the 55 gallon once it cycled but I think I might get some dps. Are those fish aggressive? I hate only having one fish per tank!

[FishFan]

Mayj,
We'll look into the pig meds you mentioned.

What's the difference between a spiny box fish, spiny box puffer and a burrfish? We thought these common names were used more or less interchangeably. Here is some of the information that is the source of our confusion:

From cowfish.com
http://cowfishes.com/burr.html
Bridled Burrfish or Spiny Boxfish = Chilomycterus antillarum

From Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
http://www.floridamarine.org/gallery/im ... p?id=23958
Striped burrfish = Chilomycterus schoepfii

From Drs. Foster and Smith Divers Den a fish currently offered for sale.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/It ... ddid=38885
http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ (more generically if the above fish has sold.)
Spiny Box Puffer = Chilomycterus schoepfi

From WetWeb Media
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/diodontpuffers.htm
Webbed Burrfish= Chilomycterus antillarum
(Note: the photos here aren't helpful. The photo for Webbed Burrfish is the
same as one shown for Stripped Burrfish which they say is Chilomycterus schoepfi)

We think Kiwi, the fish in our avatar photo, is a Webbed Burrfish (Chilomycterus antillarum) because the lines on his face form a net pattern. He was sold by Drs. Fosters and Smith as a Spiny Box Puffer with the taxanomic name Chilomycterus schoepfi. We think the new guy discussed in this thread is a Stripped Burrfish or Chilomycterus schoepfi. He looks the same as Paris. What genus and species is Paris?

BTW, our new guy definitely puffs up, he did it in the 5 Gallon bucket we used to transport him from the store. Also, Kiwi came from Drs. Foster and Smith Diver's Den but looked a bit different from their current offering under the same name.

[Nick]

This guy, who is very friendly, has flubendiazole available. 5% is a bit on the weak side, you'd have to use a pretty high dose, but I'm pretty sure he can send higher concentrations.
http://www.inkmkr.com/Fish/ItemsForSale.html

[Happy_Puffer]

Is he eating better I am worried about him since he is so cute! I know he is much happier and I hope he gets better soon!

[Myaj]

When I think of a boxfish I think of the type of fish that has a square shaped body, not a long body like a puffer or normal fish. More of a cowfish type of a body. To me, saying "box puffer" is combining two different "families"... puffers and box (cow) fish.

Just your usual common name problem, no big deal, its much easier to go by scientific names to avoid confusion as far as species. In this case, cow/boxfish can release a toxin when they get really scared that can wipe out the entire tank, them included, so its a good idea to differentiate that that is NOT what you have.

Paris is a "lined burrfish" or Chilomycterus schoepfi, the same as your new one.

[FishFan]

We think Myaj is correct, our new fish is a Lined Burrfish (C. schoephi). Those of you who have posted on this thread and those following it silently are invited to help us choose a name for this very cute little fish.

Here's a quick update: He's already taken food offered by hand, chased ghost shrimp around his QT, and bites/chases fingers touching the glass. He gets excited when we approach his tank. His QT is a bare 29 Gallon with one piece of lace rock (a place to hide). The filter is a Magnum 350 with the carbon module filled with live rock rubble. He has an 18" bubble stone powered by dual output Whisper 30/60 air pump.

The main problem we have to solve is that he can't swallow his food. The effort he makes to swallow after chewing is obvious and considerable. After several attempts to swallow most of the food pops back out, is chewed some more and he again attempts to swallow. He gives up after a while and swims around with the food in his mouth. After as much as 15 minutes he spits it out and begins looking for something else. Somehow he remembers which pieces he's already tried and doesn't often go back to one he's already tried.

We treated him with Prazipro yesterday. We've seen worms passed within 12 hours or so after treating with Prazipro, but haven't seen any so far. Today we attempted to get him to eat dried krill softened in garlic and Gel Tek's parasite meds. This was refused. Tomorrow we'll try dried blood worms instead. We also have some nightcrawlers in the refrigerator so shooting up earthworms is another possibility.

Nick, your idea that the swallowing problem could be cause by a protozoan infection is being taken very seriously, but we've so far been unable to find/decide on the medication and/or can't figure out how to administer the meds. We're wondering if we should make a slurry of vitamins, food, and medication and force feed it by syringe. We don't have a good anesthesia and worry that restraining him for a forced feeding could cause him to stop trusting us. Then again, we could inadvertently injure him internally or the slurry could end up regurgitated so what is retained is a sub therapeutic dose. The bottom line here is that we are suffering paralysis by analysis.

[FishFan]

Myaj,
Do you have an opinion on the species for our other "Burrfish", Kiwi. His photo is at
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug. ... i.jpg.html
He was sold as a C. schoephi, but we don't think that is correct. His body shape is more rectangular and his lines form a web pattern on his face. Kiwi also has very distinct "antennae" we don't see on any examples of C. schoephi. We think Kiwi is a C. antillarum webbed burfish, but this may also be wrong.

[Pufferpunk]

Here's Devlin:


It doesn't seem that Puffer Queen is scanning the hospital posts here lately. I would contact her in her forum at Marine Depot.

[Nick]

I don't believe flubendiazole needs to taken orally to be effective.

[FishFan]

Pufferpunk, we took your advice and a thread is underway at Marine Depot. Devlin looks very cute and very comfortable.

[FishFan]

Yay! He is eating progressively more and pooping. It also looks like he may have passed some parasites presumably due to treatment with Prazipro. White worm-like objects were found stuck to the input of the tank's filter.

If you are interested in Puffer Queen's comments or details about the above such as photos of the parasites check out the Marine Depot thread at http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic84787-10-1.aspx