The Puffer Forum

Our GSP, under 2", looks and acts fine, but last night I noticed this odd poop -- a blob-like feces suspended by a thin, white filament. What's wrong? Is this normal? What should I do?

Does he have a sunken belly?
Does he stay full for a while after feeding, or does he lose his belly quickly?
What do his feces usually look like?
How long have you had him?
What are the tank parameters?
Size, sg, filtration, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, etc

I just took some photos of Puffer, and would like to know where to post them so you can see him. He had eaten recently, so you will see his belly in full mode.

Answers:

No, his belly is not sunken. It expands and contracts per his feedings, but is always rounded.

His belly stays distended for at least a few minutes after eating. Longer if he eats more. I am not positive, but I think his feces is usually a solid tube -- like normal small fish poop only somewhat larger in circumference.

We have had him 3 weeks. Got him at a Petco, from someone with little knowledge. We care about his well-being, and are learning fast, and working as quickly as possible on improving his habitat and care routine.

Feedings are fine (he gets small snails, live rollypollys, slivers of shrimp w/shell on - a variety, trying not to overfeed). Won't eat frozen brine shrimp.

We know that his tank is too small, and about the upcoming need to transition to BW. Tank details:

Sz: 10 gal
Salt: Yes, some - but it's aquarium (not marine) salt at about 1 tsp/gal, know we need marine salt as well as a meter
Filtration: small filter with a sponge and bag of carbon, 1/3 water changes and gravel cleanings weekly - tank is clear and clean
pH: 7.5 - 8 - need to get a test that refines that
Other: buying the n. tests today -
Tankmates: 3 guppies, 2 platys and a mollie - all active, look good, no aggressive behavior by or toward GSP.

Really appreciate your help on the poop question.

You could host your pictures at flickr.com or photobucket
You could even try the personal gallery associated with your forum profile.

Keep an eye on his future poo (oh boy!) and see if it is stringy or loose. That could mean problems.

Glad to hear you've been doing some research.

A 30g tank of his own with overfiltration would be ideal.

He may be docile now, but as he warms up to his surroundings, he will likely become more territorial and aggressive. I fear your other fishes days are numbered.

Getting some decent test kits is a must. Without them there will always be doubt about water quality.

Good luck! Keep us updated. We'd love to see pictures.

Thanks. Will do. But if you have any preliminary reactions to my observation about his poop, I would really appreciate it. Internal parasites? Watch him, but don't treat him just yet? Purchase something to have on hand if it recurs? These are my questions.

Thanks!

If it is a one off thing, it could be nothing. It's a little too soon to draw any conclusions just yet.

If it reoccurs and he shows other symptoms like sunken belly, stringy feces, and he can't seem to stay full for long, then internal parasites could be likely.

Treatment for internal parasites is usually done with levamisol. check this link out. http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7

Many thanks. I just created a personal album with a picture of our Puffer. The cite is: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/alb ... ?pic_id=42

He is a fascinating creature, indeed, and I hope his problem is just a one-off thing, perhaps due to not fully digesting after a feeding.

He looks very healthy. Very round and plump. Keep an eye on him, and try to get him into proper conditions as soon as possible and he should do fine.