The Puffer Forum

*After a month of not eating I've got Huey feeling better and eating! Thanks for the input everyone.

*added a link to a video of me trying to feed him in reply below
I've searched several similar threads but figured I'd see if there were any other suggestions. These forums have always been great and I'm lucky to of found them.

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 80 ppm (I've had problems with Nitrates ever since I set up this aquarium, I'll admit I'm not the best at regular water changes)
PH - 7.8
Salinity - 1.018
Temperature - 80 Degrees (currently have sealed bags of ice in the tank to help lower it, I'm hoping this helps him feel better and want to eat)

There have been no additions or changes to this aquarium for 3 years. I did a routine water change yesterday to try to help him begin eating.

I've had my stars and stripes for nearly six years (he was 5 when I adopted him from my local shop). He is in a 125 gallon with a 3 year old Emperor Angel). Im just looking for some feedback on any suggestions to help him eat. He has ate a varied diet, but really enjoys mussels. I've read garlic can be effective, I'm going to pick some up tonight. Any other tricks that have worked would be greatly appreciated. He lost weight like this last year around this time, It could be related to the increase in water temperature during this time of the year.


If any additional information is needed on the tank parameters I will post them, but again this tank has been running with no changes. The latest change was 3 years ago when I added a baby Emperor.I didn't test the calcium levels, I read in another thread this could target this behavior, please let me know if I should test this and I'll pick up a calcium kit.

How much live rock is in there? You need to get those nitrates down to under 20ppm, under 10ppm is better

What kind of equipment do you have for controlling water quality? How often and how much water changes on a monthly basis? Any other tankmates besides the Emporer?

Not to add to the torrent of questions you're going to get, but what are you feeding this little guy? Garlic can help - puffs do seem to like garlic. You could also appeal to his natural desire to chase crunchy things down and devour them with some live shrimp, like ghost or cherry. This is how I kick-started my puffer's appetite when she quit eating.

Sorry for the delayed response. Thanks for the suggestions so far. My puffer is still showing no interest in eating. I've attached a link to a video on youtube of me attempting to feed him. I've also attached three pictures, not sure if they will be of any help. I'm starting to wonder if he has some type of swallowing issue. I will occasionally notice him looking like he is coughing. I'm no expert at telling if he has any air trapped in him but he doesn't appear to have any bulges on his underbelly.

bertie 83 wrote:How much live rock is in there? You need to get those nitrates down to under 20ppm, under 10ppm is better

I'm not sure how much live rock is in the tank. I'm guessing around 100 lbs between the display and the wet/dry.

Terrance wrote:What kind of equipment do you have for controlling water quality? How often and how much water changes on a monthly basis? Any other tankmates besides the Emporer?

Overflow box
Wet/Dry Filter (All Glass Aquariums Mega Flow Model 3)
Mag 12 return pump
Coralife 220 Skimmer
Koralia power head ( middle rated gph version)

As far as the filtration the water first enters the overflow box and hits two cylinder shaped sponges before entering the wet dry. I tried to turn the wet dry into a refugium two years ago. The first tray the water comes into contact with is a sponge filter, the water then enters the bio-balls chamber. I removed the bio balls years ago and replaced this chamber with live rock. The water then flows through the lower section. I added "live reef mud" to this lower section two years ago (cant remember the brand). It then hits another rectangular shaped sponge right before the return pump. I also have a small light over the wet dry with a cluster of cheato I picked up at a LFS years back in hopes to reduce nitrates.

I think from the start there has been a flaw in my filtration set up. The tanks been running for over six years and Nitrates have always been an issue. I tried doing weekly water changes, I noticed very little difference in my nitrates. Its been close to two weeks now since my puffer has ate, he still appears to have color and doesn't seem stressed, but his breathing seems heavy.

There are now no tank mates with the puffer. I had an Emperor with him for 3.5 years but just donated him to the Newport Aquarium in Kentucky.

El Scorpio wrote:Not to add to the torrent of questions you're going to get, but what are you feeding this little guy? Garlic can help - puffs do seem to like garlic. You could also appeal to his natural desire to chase crunchy things down and devour them with some live shrimp, like ghost or cherry. This is how I kick-started my puffer's appetite when she quit eating.

I picked up some garlic last week and soaked some mussels and raw shrimp in it with no success. His diet primarily consisted of mussels, but occasionally I'd feed him other meaty foods (squid, shrimp, oysters, scallops). I will try some ghost or cherry shrimp. Any other live food suggestions? Would I be better off with saltwater shrimp so my puffer has a better chance of catching them before they die? If he doesn't go for the live shrimp should I try live fish ? I'd hate to introduce disease to the tank but he has to eat.

I'd love to get him well and back on track to eating. Any more suggestions would be great. Thanks everyone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7hEnmNP ... e=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7hEnmNP ... e=youtu.be[/youtube]

Needs abit more room to swim, so removing some of the rock will help. And I think your ph and SG is a bit low. Try getting your ph around 8.2-8.4 and your SG around 1.023. Everyone else seems to getting you good advise on the rest.

Sorry, my bad about the rock. They background got me...lol. But even with his size, I would bring down some of that rock work towards the bottom so he could have more room. He is huge, even in that 125 gal...lol

I'm still not having any luck. It's been over two weeks and he/she is losing weight. Has anyone ever force fed a large puffer? I've been doing my research but any feedback would be appreciated. My puffers breathing has been heavy, I added air stones and will keep doing daily water changes down. Anything else I can do? Nothing has been introduced to this tank for 3+ years so I don't see how it could be a parasite, but maybe some type of infection?

Has anyone tried force feeding without sedating? I'm going to give this a shot tomorrow and will keep everyone updated.

Thanks.

Are your nitrates still high? Thats most likely the reason he isn't eating and we need to get that down first before the puffer will most likely eat. You said you have about 100 pounds of LR in the tank? Could you add some more? I believe you want 1lb for each gallon for the tank, it doesn't have to be all LR you can get base rock and seed some too. LR is really good at breaking down nitrates as the creatures that live inside do the work, do you have any powerheads blowing the water at the LR? that can help get the bacteria to process the wastes better.

Also idk if I would leave in that live reef mud, live sand is just a nitrate factory and that may just be doing the same.

I'm currently trying to treat him/her in a 46 gallon QT tank. Someone suggested trying antibiotics on another forum. I began treating with maracyn 2 but the second day I tested ammonia in the QT tank and moved him back to the display. I was doing a fishless cycle and was near week 3 but this puffer is huge, the filters must not be able to handle the bio-load. I feel really bad for this puffer, I've had him for six years, he/she hasn't ate for close to a month. I've tried two web browsers and am having no success with the puffer library for further research. When I click library a bunch of random text and url's appear on the page, could someone please direct me to the library articles?

His breathings heavy with occasional coughing, as if he/she is trying to dislodge something stuck or get out trapped air. In general where would the trapped air be on a puffer? There are two lumps on either side of him behind the gills but I seem to remember them always being there. I've attached a photo. This puffer is around 15" in length so if I was going to try to release trapped air it would probably require sedating him/her to prevent injury.

Also has anyone tried force feeding a puffer while sedated? If so, does the puffer have to stay in the water while sedated?

Thanks.

Try posting about it here: http://forum.marinedepot.com/Forum10.aspx

Pufferpunk wrote:Try posting about it here: http://forum.marinedepot.com/Forum10.aspx

Thanks, doing that now.

Please let us know what they say.

Any chance his beak could need a trim ?

Beak looks fine.