The Puffer Forum

I just moved Pocky to a 30-gallon tank on Tuesday. It is cycled- ammonia-0, nitrites-0, nitrates~3. The salinity is 1.005, which is the same as it was in the old tank, pH 7.8, and temp has been a steady 80 degrees.

The past couple days he's been less energetic, and I find him sitting on his belly in the corner a lot or very slowly putting around. His belly is all white, but he has a dark mustache that comes and goes often varying from light grey to black. Also, he has what appears to be a small white spot on his top fin. I added aquarium salt in a water change yesterday along with the normal amount of marine salt because I don't want to raise the SG too much and kill the filter. Will the 6 tablespoons of aquarium salt for my 30 gallon tank be enough to kill ich (the box says 1 TBS per 5 gallons)? I'm not even sure it is ich though, it could be a scar-- his fins were pretty chewed up when I got him, and he's just had the one spot for awhile, not getting worse or better.

Also, should I treat for IPs? That is something I haven't done because he isn't skinny so I didn't think it was an issue-- but is it possible to suffer from IPs and still have a round belly? I have Prazipro on hand-- it wouldn't hurt to treat just in case, right?

I'm new to puffer care myself and can't help with the ick questions, but I can tell you that I wish I had treated my GSP for IP's while he was still eating. He was fairly thin when I got him but seemed to be rounding out and his poo was normal. However, only after he stopped eating did his waste show the classic signs of IP's. Now I can't get him to eat the medicated food and I fear he's not going to make it

The way I see it, if there is a chance he has IP's and you can get him to eat the treated food, then treat him. good luck!

Thanks Mookie, that is true- better sooner than too late. My bottle of Prazipro only says to add it to the water though, it doesn't say to soak the food in it... so I don't know the correct amounts to soak food in or if that is even necessary for this product. I've had luck deworming fish in the past with just having it in the water.

I think he's still in the adjustment period. Anytime I have to do anything with mine or moved them to new surroundings they pout for a few days and then all's well. If he hasn't shown signs of IP's in the past there is no real reason to treat him for them now. The white spot you are seeing on the back fin, can you describe it more? Ich looks like little raise spots, like he was sprinkled with salt.

It is about the size of a tiny grain of salt, but it's hard to see if it is raised or not because the fin is constantly moving fast. But from what I can tell it doesn't look raised.

Oh and thank you, you're probably right about him just needing time to adjust to the new surroundings.

Possible a little white spot from where a pore, like where a spine would be on the body. I'd just watch it and see if any others show up or if he starts acting like he's got ich. For right now I'd hold off on making any changes or adding anything else to the tank, let him settle for a while.

Ok, thanks for the good advice.

Pocky still isn't doing better, and I'm really worried... he spends all his time, aside from feeding time, laying on the sand, even curling up into a little ball, looking very unhappy. I've tested the water again and again and shows nothing wrong. He's been in his new tank now for about 6 days, and I would think he'd be settled in by now and really happy about having so much space and cool pieces of wood and plants and things to explore. I have nothing to update on the white spot on his fin, as it hasn't changed. What could be causing this behavior? I want my puff happy!

What's his diet like?

Live blackworms once almost every day, a snail once or twice a week when I can find a good-sized one in my community tank/snail breeder, and occasionally freeze-dried bloodworms and frozen brine shrimp (rarely). That has been it lately. I've been wanting to go get some ghost shrimp or something of the like for more variety.

Does he respond to food, as in get excited. When he's lying there is he behind something? I'm wondering if the space is still freaking him out.

Yeah he still loves food. It takes him awhile to notice it, but when he does he eats it up and looks around for more. He likes to lay in the corner or inside a cave mostly. I just fed him, and he is swimming around some now.