The Puffer Forum

Pufferpunk wrote:Shrimp shells should be fairly "soft" & easily digestable for a puffer that size. Nothing else in your tank, he might have eaten? Plastic plants?

That's what I though. No nothing else in the tank except some live plants and a fake drift wood decoration, but there's no chunks missing!

So far I have 1 1/2 TBSP of Epsom salt and now he's not on his back anymore. But I can't find any poop in his tank So he seems like he's getting better... I'm going to add a couple more TBSP of Epsom when I get home from work to make it 2TBSP per G and then do some water changes.

Well, he is on his back again I don't know what else to do so I'm going to wait another day and then go from there...

Is that 1 1/2 tbsp Epsom salt/5g?

Pufferpunk wrote:Is that 1 1/2 tbsp Epsom salt/5g?

No, 1 1/2 per 10G.

Does anyone have a chart or picture with the internal organs of a Fahaka puffer? It looks like the bump is centered in his lower left stomach and I'm wondering what's there?

Try upping to 1tbsp/5g (or 2 tbsp/10g). Seems like it helped a little. Do a 50% water change 1st & don't forget to subtract for the Epsom salt you already have in there. I wish we had a nice sectional of pufferorgans!

Pufferpunk wrote:Try upping to 1tbsp/5g (or 2 tbsp/10g). Seems like it helped a little. Do a 50% water change 1st & don't forget to subtract for the Epsom salt you already have in there. I wish we had a nice sectional of pufferorgans!

The only thing I'm worried about is I did some research on Epsom salt for fish and everything I have found say to do Epsom salt dips for no longer than 30min. I don't see anything bad happening and he has been in the tank with Epsom salt for over a day... I think I'm just going to do a 50% WC then get him in my hands like I'm going to burp him and drop a crystal of Epsom salt down his throat.

Do you have any idea what organ is on his lower left if your looking down on him?

I would recommend against dropping epsom salt down his throat.

The dips are for very high concentration baths. Adding it to the water in lower dossages acts more like a tonic than a bath. If you know what I mean.

Do not drop the salt down his throat! This is Pufferpunk here--please trust me. The amount you are putting in the tank is nominal.

x0rtrunks wrote:I would recommend against dropping epsom salt down his throat.

The dips are for very high concentration baths. Adding it to the water in lower dossages acts more like a tonic than a bath. If you know what I mean.

Oh, ok. Why would you recommend not to drop a epsom salt down his throat? Wouldn't it go to his stomach? I heard that peas help with constipation so could I drop some peas down his throat? Or is dropping things down his throat a no no, lol.

I don't think it would be a good idea to drop anything down his throat. There is already a blockage so the pea or epsom salt may not even get to where it is intended anyway.

At this point, the only thing you should be doing is maintaining good water conditions, continuing to offer him food, and monitoring his health. Hopefully the obstruction or whatever it is will be digested or loosened and can be expelled on it's own.

Maybe even try burping him every other day or so to check for changed in the lump. I don't imagine that grabbing him and shaking and squeezing him is a comfortable experience and is probably pretty stressful. Plus it opens you to risks of being bitten, and the puffer of jumping out of the tank, or puffing with air. I'd only want to do it as much as absolutely necessary.

x0rtrunks wrote:I don't think it would be a good idea to drop anything down his throat. There is already a blockage so the pea or epsom salt may not even get to where it is intended anyway.

At this point, the only thing you should be doing is maintaining good water conditions, continuing to offer him food, and monitoring his health. Hopefully the obstruction or whatever it is will be digested or loosened and can be expelled on it's own.

Maybe even try burping him every other day or so to check for changed in the lump. I don't imagine that grabbing him and shaking and squeezing him is a comfortable experience and is probably pretty stressful. Plus it opens you to risks of being bitten, and the puffer of jumping out of the tank, or puffing with air. I'd only want to do it as much as absolutely necessary.

That's what I was kinda thinking. He seems like he doesnt dislike me burping him, but he definitely doesnt like be shaking him! But I know what your saying, only do it as necessary. Thanks

I wish we can dose the fish and X-Ray it.. Could it be fish Cancer?

It sounded like it showed up pretty suddenly. You'd think a lump of cancer would take more than a night to pop up full size. Who knows though. It could be a swollen internal organ or something medical like that.

Too bad you can't take fish to the vet.

Might want to check with Local Vet that with Xray.. see who will do it.. last time on Discovery Channel, this guy take his Golden Puffer to the Local Dentis office to fix the bucktooth problem that the fish can't eat