Bloated Saddle Puffer,,help please!
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Bloated Saddle Puffer,,help please!
My saddle puffer, he's still pretty small, is in rough shape, his belly is just getting bigger by the day, he's very uncomfortable, won't eat, and is extremely lethargic. he is either resting at the top of the tank or the bottom, barely swims around at all. his stomach looks evenly bloated out to about twice the size it usually is. he is not just fat, and it seems impossible for it to be air, he doesn't float and its been increasing slowly, no air bubbles in my tank...any ideas? bacterial infection possibly? or worms? no weird poops though,,,
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Boxermom
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We need more information before we can help you out. Tank size, how long its been set up, how long he's been in the tank, if you cycled it and how, current water parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, SG), etc. Any information you can give will help.
Tina
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
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Pufferpunk
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T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
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burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
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Ok.
55 gallon in its 6th week of operation
44 lbs. live rock
2 blue damsels, 1 striped, 1 coral banded shrimp, several hermit crabs, and the poor little puffer (he's been in there about 4 weeks)
ammonia/nitrite = 0
SG = 1.024
pH= 8.2
temp=79-80 F
water changes every week
running two whisper 60s, a Seaclone100 protien skimmer.
55 gallon in its 6th week of operation
44 lbs. live rock
2 blue damsels, 1 striped, 1 coral banded shrimp, several hermit crabs, and the poor little puffer (he's been in there about 4 weeks)
ammonia/nitrite = 0
SG = 1.024
pH= 8.2
temp=79-80 F
water changes every week
running two whisper 60s, a Seaclone100 protien skimmer.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Nitrates are at 5. I did read the article. It says though that if he is filled with air, that he would be floating at the top and he certainly is not floating. Also, it is a gradual steady increase in size which seems sortof incongruous with what happens when they ingest air. Right now he is resting his belly on some rock and breathing very heavily.
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OraLacerta
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RIP: C. travancoricus, Chilomycterus schoepfi. Canthigaster jactator. - Location (country): USA
- Location: USA
Is it possible he could be constipated? Have you observed him going to the bathroom?
If you think the puff might be constipated, try to see if he will eat a pea.
If you think the puff might be constipated, try to see if he will eat a pea.
-Michelle
Prevent unnecessary deaths due to disease- quarantine ALL new additions at least 4 weeks in a separate tank before adding to your main display tank!
Puffers: Hindenburg the Figure Eight, 75gallon Brackish
Prevent unnecessary deaths due to disease- quarantine ALL new additions at least 4 weeks in a separate tank before adding to your main display tank!
Puffers: Hindenburg the Figure Eight, 75gallon Brackish
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Boxermom
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If he won't eat peas, you might want to try an Epsom salt bath. Do a forum search for the instructions, which should help with constipation. What do you normally feed it?
Tina
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
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Pufferpunk
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- Posts: 32979
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
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T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
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Puffer Queen
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What was the puffer eating?
Sounds more like a blockage (foreign body, worms, etc), kidney failuer or bacterial infection.
I haven't used epsom salts for constipation but have used cod liver oil per feeding tube.
Might consider treating in a separate container with an antibiotic bath - kanamycin, nitrofurazone or maracyn-2 (in order of preference).
Sounds more like a blockage (foreign body, worms, etc), kidney failuer or bacterial infection.
I haven't used epsom salts for constipation but have used cod liver oil per feeding tube.
Might consider treating in a separate container with an antibiotic bath - kanamycin, nitrofurazone or maracyn-2 (in order of preference).
Kelly
He was eating frozen tiny krill shrimp things that i would defrost by putting them in some hot water. Thats what all my fish eat, they luv it. But yeah, yesterday before he croaked the swelling had started to be all over not just his belly. If i have this problem again, I will surely try the antibiotics. I need to set up a hospital tank for this occasion I suppose right?
**Faye**
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Boxermom
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A diet primarily of krill isn't healthy and has been shown to cause problems with constipation and malnutrition I believe. Puffers need a varied diet and can be trained to eat a variety of heathy foods. Soaking the food in vitamins is also recommended.
Tina
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
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Boxermom
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- Location: Wisconsin
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There's an excellent food article in our Library, complete with photos of some of the more common foods for puffers.
Tina
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1