The Puffer Forum

I just got a new Porcupine Puffer, pretty cute little guy(or girl)
at first, it looks fine, and then I feed it some blood worm, and ghost shrimp.
test the water, everything is fine
pH: 8.2
AM:less than 0.02
Nitrite, Nitrate: 0
but later, it start laying on rocks and sand.
It looks like it dying T-T

tank side: 50gal (probably too small, but i am getting a 100 gal soon)
clean shrimp and dragon goby are inside with the puffy
add salt and bacteria
aquarium been side up for about 2 weeks
water change every week, water test every 3days (water change after test if parameters get too high)

here are two picture that show where it lay on for the last 5hours



please help T-T, i don't wanna kill it
tysm

I replied to your other topic.
It looks like he might have vibrio, or some other bacterial infection. It could possibly be do to the uncycled tank.
Personally I'd try to bring him back and get a refund. IME if your puffer starts unhealthy, there will be continuous health problems throughout it's life.

I will try get an exchagne tomorrow then. T-T

My gf really wants to keep this one, is there a way I can safe itT-T???

If it is already sick, adding it to an uncycled tank will definately do it in.

Pufferpunk wrote:If it is already sick, adding it to an uncycled tank will definately do it in.

T-T, so nothing i can do except return it?

Pretty much. Just make sure the store will take it back.
You could try to treat it using antibiotics and large daily water changes, but there is still no guarantee that it will live.
Remember that an unhealthy puffer, is an unhealthy puffer and not much can help that, so if it's starting out sick, you could be in for trouble as it gets older.

do i have to do a BIG water change after i return the puffer?

I'd leave it fallow for 6-8 weeks, to make sure the bacteria is gone. You can also make sure the tank is completely cycled for next time.

.....what if the store won't let me exchange or refund.......
any other place will take sick puffer?

Probably not, your gonna have to try to treat it.
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7900&p=81305#p81305
That's the topic from when my old porc had it. It should help you, a lot.

I had read it, it is exactly what's happening to my puffer, spreading around its mouth now, and it not eating even i put food in front of it.


Nitrofurazone (gram negative antibiotic)
Dose: Bath – 100mg/l for 30 – 60 minutes

Kanamycin (antibiotic)
Dose: Oral- 50 mg/kg of body weight per day
Prolonged immersion: 50-100 mg/liter (190-380 mg/gallon) every 3 days for
3 treatments.

can i buy those in LFS, or i have to order them online?

I'm not sure, I know Maracyn 2 is available at most LPS and LFS.

tysm crazedpuffer, I think I am gonna talk to the LFS and return the puffer to them. since I don't have much time to do the bath, work like 12 hours everyday T-T

question for cycling the tank(I read the link you gave me)
Right now my tank still have snails and cleaner shrimp, I will return my puffer to LFS later, and then I will leave the tank alone for the next 8 weeks,
but do i have to remove my live rocks, snails, and shrimp, oh and a dragon goby too? Do I need to use filter(I m using a protein skimmer, is that ok for cycling? or just use a regular filter)

or should I just redo the cycling? remove most of the water, and start all over again

I don't want my future puffer to get sick T-T
once again tysm

I don't think that goby belongs in SW either, it is a BW fish. I'd return him too. At this point, even if you don't get a credit, chalk it up to not doing research before buying fish & take the loss, rather than losing their lives. The snails/shrimp may or may not survive the cycle, I suggest returning them too. After doing a 50% WC, leave the tank alone, while testing the ammonia/nitrite & they they are 0, you test the nitrate & do a 90% water change. When that is down <10, then you are ready for fish.