Lumpy puffer?

[sueandherzoo]

I just bought a porcupine puffer last night and keep thinking his body looks "lopsided". It's not a severe bump, but if you could imagine where his right "hip" would be, his body juts out a little there. If you look at him head-on, his right side is slightly larger/fuller than his left from the "waist" back.
I'm scared that it's an air bubble or something because when they were trying to catch him for me at the LFS last night he puffed up and floated on the top of the tank like a fishing bob. He finally deflated but I wonder if there's still some air trapped in there or something. Also, he is always at a slightly "head down" position, almost like his back end is more buoyant? I keep trying to capture it in pictures but it's so subtle that you really can't see it but please take a look.
Should I do anything about this or just wait it out for a day or two? If having air inside is life-threatening then I want to do something about it but I'm also afraid that anything I do while he's still so new might just stress him to death.
Your thoughts?

 

[jp30338]

Looking at your puffer, it sure does look a bit thin, I would not worry so much about a trapped air bubble... Also, it is perfectly normal for a puffer to swim in a slightly head down position.
I think once the little guy gets eating and fattens up a bit all will be ok, they are very hardy fish.

 

[sueandherzoo]

Thanks. Right after you posted I went and looked at him and he no longer looks "lumpy". Hopefully he'll be a bumpless chubby puffy soon, but most importantly a HEALTHY one!
Thanks for the response.
Sue

 

[aquaknight]

That has happened to my Spiny Burrfish before. What happens is one or a few of the spines either doesn't expand when the puffer inflates or retracts wrong when he deflates, and causes a lump. As soon as he puffs up again and deflates, he'll be back to normal.

 

[sueandherzoo]

Thanks - that's reassuring because I really didn't know if the condition was something life-threatening that needed immediate attention or not. I guess it could be like an ingrown hair, huh?

Sue

 

[ca161406]

i feed my puffers frozen peas in the skins when they get lumpy for more then 3 days at a time...it clears their systems..if its an air bubble you can massage it out though if the puffer lets you touch it

 

[sueandherzoo]

I've only had him 48 hours so I really didn't want to stress him by trying to touch and massage him unless the bubble seemed immediately life-threatening. Luckily today he looks fine. Now I just have to try and entice him into eating krill - going to hold off on the live food hoping he'll get hungry enough to try something new.
Sue
Peas, huh?

 

[unleashed]

periodically you may want to burp him when he gets like this its very simple to do and not always pleasant for you lol.. but the trapped air can make him uncomfortable when you notice him floating more tail up which is a sign of trapped air try to ... hold him tail down this will help release the bubbles.. careful as to not get bit..

 

[sueandherzoo]

Originally Posted by unleashed
http:///forum/post/2832200
periodically you may want to burp him when he gets like this its very simple to do and not always pleasant for you lol.. but the trapped air can make him uncomfortable when you notice him floating more tail up which is a sign of trapped air try to ... hold him tail down this will help release the bubbles.. careful as to not get bit..
The things we do for our pets. LOL