The Puffer Forum

OK, I need some help!


There is something wrong with my puffer fish. He has been laying on a rock for the past three days.
Today I noticed a lump on his left side. Pic attached.

More details:
Tuesday-Did routine water change. Noticed my salt was maybe a bit 'old'? it wasn't dissolving well. All tank inhabitants appear all ok at this stage. Just did routine W/c
Came home later that day to puffer on the rock! Not moving a lot. Seems to be panting.
Assumed he would die overnight-He didn't.

Wednesday, saw puffer was still alive, so bought some fresh salt and did a W/C just in case the old salt was the problem.
Noticed my other fish- a bicolour Blenny dead- and half eaten.
Saw a large snail was dead-took that out. Has possibly been dead a while!
Thought puffer might die that night but he didn't.

Thursday-Today. Puffer is still alive. Now I see a lump on his left hand side.


Water parameters- Ammonia-0 Nitrite-0 Salinity 1.025 Temp- 24 celcius
Tank size 50L i think? It only 19inch x 13in x 13 in
Inhabitants- Bicolour Blenny,(Dead) Valentino Puffer, 1xPeppermint shrimp, 2x Red clawed shrimp, 1 crab(came with the rock) 1 crocus? Snail (dead)
Feeding : New Life Spectrum Marine Formula. Few pellets every 2nd day. A treat of frozen brine shrimp once a week.
W/C- Once every 2-3 weeks.
No changes to the tank in the past week. This all seemingly started with the Tuesday W/C
Aquarium has been set up for over a year. Cycled with Live rock.


OK thats as much info as I can think of. I hope its enough for you guys to help me save him!!!!

What are you measuring the SG with? Has it been calibrated recently? Unless you are keeping corals, 1.020 is fine for any fish. How long are you mixing the salt before you add it to the tank? What are you using to mix it?

how are his teeth?
Your puffer eats crustaceans. Feeding mostly pellets (brine shrimp is worthless), is not a healthy diet for a puffer.

Sorry, what is SG?
Is that salinity? I'm reading that with a floating salinity+Temp gauge.
No corals.

I mix up my water+ salt in a bucket. Mix it all up then measure salinity. Once its reading ok and I don't feel that 'saltiness' at the bottom, then I add it so the back section of my tank, so it goes through the filter before it goes in the tank.

He has managed to eat most of the smaller snails in the tank! The big one I suspect he took a peck at, which is why it died?

ok, his teeth look slightly strange to me at the moment. Usually his mouth is closed. His mouth is open, so his teeth are protruding past his 'lips' Is that a teeth abnormality, or just because he is panting?

What would you suggest I get for him to eat?


Thank you for helping Pufferpunk!

----New photo. Showing teeth.

He needs teeth trimming asap!

library/category/feeding/

The pics keep showing your Valentini puffer's mouth slight open in all of them, which shows his teeth may be so long, he can't close it properly. library/hospital/dentistry/

SG = specific gravity, the measurement of salt in your water. Salt MUST be mixed thoroughly with a powerhead, overnight. I highly suggest getting a refractometer (around $25 on Ebay) & calibration solution for it.

Ok, thanks for the advice. I will get some cloves and nail clippers. I just have another pic.... He was swimming around in the evening yesterday. Not interested in food, so its been a few days without food now, so thats another issue.

But see how funny his stomach looks. Its very lumpy...