The Puffer Forum

guys need some help and advise on my mbu puffer..

this guy has been with me for about 9 months now and is currently about 7" tip to tip (from about 4") feeding on shrimp with shell, raw mussels (i open it up since he can't break it yet if they are closed) and boiled mussels removed from shell.. tankmates are 3 moba frontosas and a couple of freshwater eels..

everything was fine until about a month ago he suddenly stopped eating, doesn't color up and beg for food (just stays on the bottom of the tank lying in the sand). before when i get home and turn on the lights he would color up and beg for food now he stays pale and on the bottom of the tank.. it looks like he's banging on some of the decor rocks and the tank wall on occasion so there are times when i wonder if he's gotten blind but i couldn't confirm this since when i turn on the lights he seems to know it and shy away.. i tried putting food on his face but he just ignores it..

I've researched on what possible causes it could be and some have said internal parasites so i treated with tetra tabs (previously jungle tabs) but no change in its behavior.. could it be that his beak has over grown? it doesn't seem like it since i couldn't see his beak other then when he yawns, so i don't think that's the case..

I also thinking of trying to treat with epson salt but he doesn't look bloated so i'm having second thoughts about it..

need help guys, he's really getting thin now not having eaten for the past 3-4 weeks

any idea and suggestions on what to do?

The tank is 100 gals.. water changes at 50% per week.. I've check water parameters (using API) on occasion and it has always shown good results: ammonia - 0 ; nitrites - 0; nitrates - 40; PH - 7 to 7.2 .. I usually check after 1 week when I'm about to do my water change.. I'll try to check again later..

If your nitrate is 40, either you're not doing large enough weekly WC or your tank is overstocked or both. My guess is both. 40 is not "good". It should always remain <20.

Please answer ALL the above questions.

He's going to outgrow that 100g very quickly. What are your plans for upgrading the puffer?

+1 to all Pufferpunk's comments above.

Thank you both your inputs..

Answering the question above:

1. Just checked my parameters and results are as follows: ammonia - 0, nitrite - 0, nitrate - 10, ph - 7.4
2. Tank size is 100 gal (60"x20"x18"). Now with 1 moba frontosa, 2 freshwater eels. 2 fronts died a week from each other, not sure is due to treatment of tetra tabs but was normal and eating before treatment.
3. I feed 3 times a week. On Fri, Sun, Tues. Assorted food: raw shrimp, raw and cooked mussels. When he was acting normal he was eating 2pcs of large shrimp or cooked mussels, when i feed raw mussels he would eat about 3 (open shell) per sitting. He usually stops are that and leaves any food in tank to tankmates.
- I don't add anything in the tank normally, 3 months ago I did add a pack of mineral salts that was given to me: http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc4 ... 888-1b.jpg.. 2 weeks ago treated with terta tabs for possible internal parasites..
4. Tank has been up and running for 2 years, cycled with plecostomus while using test kits 2 years ago.

I do water changes every Wed, 50-60% which is when i usually check parameters on occassion. The reading of 40 nitrates is on Wed just before doing water changes, usually before that results are below. Will keep on checking to see when it reaches 40 in a week..

With regards to upgrading, I have 180, 300 gallon tanks running with ny arowana, tigers for further growing him out until they need something bigger which I will have made when the time comes.. right now he`s too small to join the fish in both those tanks...

Yesterday i placed 1 big piece of shrimp in front of him, he wasn`t doing anything until i hid on the side of the tank then he bit it but just one bite then left it alone, could it be that his teeth are overgrown? How do I know if that is the case?

FW puffers are generally not a community fish. IMHO, T. mbu is never a community fish.

With that bioload, the parameters are pretty much as expected for that bioload, but at that level you likely need to do the same volume 2x per week and/or isolate the puffer. The later would be my choice.

FWIW, YMMV.

Did u do any thing to the tank? Change Deco and stuffs? Mine hate changes. And, he goes into mood swings pretty often and would refuse food.

From my experience, 3" growth in 9months is extremely slow. Mine had explosive growth before it hits about 15" then things slowed down. Appx 1"/month. From what I have read and think, are u treating the water with the med rather than food? And dun feed cooked stuffs to them.

At the moment, there's nothing u can do other than keep trying with its favourite food. I would remove all the tank mates though.

RTR wrote:FW puffers are generally not a community fish. IMHO, T. mbu is never a community fish.

With that bioload, the parameters are pretty much as expected for that bioload, but at that level you likely need to do the same volume 2x per week and/or isolate the puffer. The later would be my choice.

FWIW, YMMV.

Thanks, will try to do my water changes 2x a week and move the tankmates..

scpion wrote:Did u do any thing to the tank? Change Deco and stuffs? Mine hate changes. And, he goes into mood swings pretty often and would refuse food.

From my experience, 3" growth in 9months is extremely slow. Mine had explosive growth before it hits about 15" then things slowed down. Appx 1"/month. From what I have read and think, are u treating the water with the med rather than food? And dun feed cooked stuffs to them.

At the moment, there's nothing u can do other than keep trying with its favourite food. I would remove all the tank mates though.

I didn't really do anything, no changing of decor and stuff.. just used the azoo mineral salt once and tetra tabs meds after about a month of him acting this way..

Yes I did treat the water using tetra tabs once, i have not yet use any meds on food, what meds would you recommend me use to dab on its food before feeding?

about the growth, been wondering about that .. when he was ok, i usually feed 3 times a week, feeds well not pigging out but eats until his stomach looks full, maybe one to 2 cooked large mussels (meat only) / 3 to 4 non-cooked mussels / 1 to 2 shrimps with shell (no head).. he stops eating and moves away when i put in more food so the other fish usually just eat whats left.. i'm not really sure if he has any natural disease but i've treated with tetra tabs (previously jungle tabs) already, no change on his behaviour, still sulks in a corner on the sand..

Couple things
Where did you get the food at?
Anything that was raw could have carried some disease that he is fighting.
I would look into possible internal issue.

But what you can also try is the garlic route. see if he will eat the shrimp with a bit of garlic on it.

Please to not feed any more cooked foods--difficult for your fish to digest. Try live foods.

library/category/feeding/
viewtopic.php?f=56&t=150