Sick puffer
Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2023 8:53 pm
About three weeks ago I purchased a young ~4" porcupine puffer. I added him to my 40-gallon aquarium which I have had running for the past two years. The tank only has two other fish, a clown fish and a flame hawk. I also have a turbo snail. The tank has lots of live rock, a penguin biowheel filter, and live sand. All tank inhabitants are healthy and have been fine for two years. My water chemistry as of 10 minutes ago was 8.2 pH, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 5-10 nitrate. I have been doing 5-gallon weekly water changes every Saturday morning ever since I got the puffer. (I'm in the market for a larger tank .....) The current water temp is 81F.
The first week I had him he was very active but would not eat the clams or shrimp that the pet store gave me to feed him. He didn't eat for a week. I got some dried krill online, soaked it, and he has been eating that like crazy. (I know I need to wean him onto other food). So, for the past two weeks he has had a voracious appetite and has been very very active. However, I came home from work and found him resting (I've never seen this). He still raced up to the tank to eat and is currently swimming around, but it still is a behavior change. If I look hard I think there is something on his fins and I worry that it is ich (see photos). Also, he eyes sometimes look cloudy eyes, depending on the light. I want to be really proactive if something is going on and would be SO grateful for any advice.
The first week I had him he was very active but would not eat the clams or shrimp that the pet store gave me to feed him. He didn't eat for a week. I got some dried krill online, soaked it, and he has been eating that like crazy. (I know I need to wean him onto other food). So, for the past two weeks he has had a voracious appetite and has been very very active. However, I came home from work and found him resting (I've never seen this). He still raced up to the tank to eat and is currently swimming around, but it still is a behavior change. If I look hard I think there is something on his fins and I worry that it is ich (see photos). Also, he eyes sometimes look cloudy eyes, depending on the light. I want to be really proactive if something is going on and would be SO grateful for any advice.