My porcupine puffer won't eat

[fish head7]

I really need help bad. I think my baby is dying. "Frankie" is a 6 year old porcupine puffer, about 11" long. He lives in a 55 gal. tank by himself and he hasn't eaten in more than a week. He seems totally fine otherwise. He swims around, but he is a little lazier than normal. He looks good, no spots or anything, and his fins are okay.
When I feed him, he acts like he's hungry and goes up to the food, and then just turns back around. He has been eating krill for years, and has loved it. Won't touch it anymore. Now, I have tried squid, ghost shrimp, and those little rosy red goldfish. Not a bite.
Everything in the tank tests okay, except I think the nitrates and phosphate are a little high. Nitrates are 3, Phosphates are 3, Nitrites are .3, Ammonia is 0, ph is 8.2, salt level is at 1.021. I have been battling ph for quite a while now, since living in Ohio, but now it finally seems to be okay.
I really need some suggestions because he is my baby and I don't want to lose him.
Any help at help at all will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[fmarini]

Hi:
when predators go off feed its for a reason. Lets try to rule out some possiblities.
I see you've provided your water paramters but I still consider water quality issues a high probability, your Ph and nitrates aren't bad but what does 4 mean? 40ppm, or 4ppm or 400ppm?
have you done anything new to the tank?
what is the condition of the puffer?, any noticeble redness, spots lesions, defects, etc
What did you feed this fish how much and how often?
do you have anything in the tank w/ the puffers any inverts, corals, plastic plants fake anything?
I would focus on two things
1)- water quality issues and
2)-prior feeding, nutritonal problems show up after a few yrs of feeding poor quality foods.
I wouldn't worry about food at this point, lets start doing some water exchanges and get your tank paramters in line, clean your skimmer and any mechanical filitration. Lets figure out whats the basis of the problem
frank

 

[fish head7]

Thank you very much for replying! I have just tried everything. So, far, nothing has worked. I can tell you the whole story about "Frankie", my puffer.
First, I'll tell you this. Today he got 2 spots on his back fin today. About 1/4" round.
Anyways, we brought Frankie with us from Phoenix, AZ to Troy, OH. Now we are leaving to go back home to Phoenix in about 10 days. If he doesn't start getting better soon, he will not make the trip home.
In Phoenix he always ate Hikari frozen krill, and lots of it! Since we have lived in Ohio, we have only been able to find very cheap, and poor quality krill. We have been here in Ohio for a year and a half and he has always gone through periods of not eating, but never this long. Only a day or two. Since Ohio, I have also had problems with ph. I've been trying to keep it up, since it keeps dropping. I have tested the tap water here, and it tests very low.
Yes, I did change something in the tank. I had a Fluval 304 and Fluval 303(the old style) hooked up. And last weekend I took the 303 off because it wasn't working very good, and I figured I would just take it off to get ready to move. It had a spray wand that Frankie liked. I did just put a nice big bubble wand in there just a couple of days ago. I also just added a heater a few days ago, since the temperature of the water was starting to fluctuate.
One other thing, is that my skimmer barely ever works. I have a SeaClone, and I don't know if it's the water or the skimmer.
Anyways, I think I have answered all of your questions except about 4. I don't see where I wrote down 4.
Thanks!!

 

[gateshill]

My puffer is doing the same thing!! Last june it went a week with out eating, then it snapped out of it and was eating fine, then about 3 weeks ago it stopped and hasn't touch anyting since.

 

[fish head7]

Well, it's been a month now since my puffer has eaten! I just can't figure it out! I have tried everything. I have given him a bigger tank. Water quality is fine. I've tried every kind of food possible and still nothing.
The only other thing I can think of is that it may be intestinal problems. Have you heard of this?
I don't know how to treat this, if this is the problem, but I am going to make some phone calls tomorrow.
I wish you luck with your puffer and if I find out anything I will let you know.

 

[petekm1987]

I wish I had read this sooner! I had the same problem a while back and I also was only feeding it krill. It stoped of course, like yours. So I went to a local Deli and bought some roast beef! Yeah seems weird but it worked! Hope your fish is still alive and it helps!
Pete

 

[petekm1987]

I would like to know what happens to your puffer. So if you see this message please post a reply with an update.

 

[fish head7]

Well, I think I finally figured out what's wrong with my puffer! I think he may have swallowed some gravel! My husband saw him pass 2 pieces of gravel!
It has been over a month now that he has eaten.
Has anyone ever heard of this? Or does anyone have any suggestions to something that can help him?