New Porcupine Puffer

[stephycpd]

I just got a Porky from the LFS today :jumping: and want to make sure everything is okay with him.
When I got him home and released him after a two hour drip acclimation, he swam around for about 15 minutes then went over to a rock and perched himself there. He's been there for about an hour, just looking around at everything. He's not breathing abnormally or anything. Is this normal, did I just get a lazy puffer, or is something wrong? :help:
Tank info:
75 gallon (soon to be 125)
Nitrates: 20 ppm
Nitrites: 0
Ammonia: 0
Alkilinity: 250 ppm
pH: 8.4
Temp: 76 F
Thanks for any information!!!!

 

[emeralcrab]

My porky pine only swims around when its feeding time, I think they are all pretty lazy. Reba will also go into a rock hole and sit. They can be kind of shy when you first get them.
When I was gone for a week and had my neice feed for me, Reba wouldn't come out when she stood by the tank. After about 4 days she finally warmed up to her enough to come out so she could see her.
Did you QT her?

 

[mess88]

My old puffy, RiP(PUFF DADDY) was real lazy . but when you went to feed him he would get real crazy. usally only time he swim is when he was hungry. Please never feed him live food, that's what killed our puffy.

 

[leftyblite]

My porc puffer tends to be on the lazy side. He usually rests on the bottom or a cave except when he thinks he going to get fed, and then he is all over the tank pushing everything else out of the way. Every now and then I catch him exploring the tank or swimming alogside my foxface. They usually rest really close to each other at night.

 

[b0bby1]

they all are lazy, at my LFS, hes got about 4 of them in one 40 gallon tank. and wen ever im ther (once a week) to get my water sample check, i take a look around for stuff to buy. i always look in that tank cus theres an eel in ther to i like and every time so far the 4 of them have been lying on their sides. ive never seen them swimming

 

[leftyblite]

I forgot to add that when ever my 5 year old comes to the tank he comes right to the front and follows her all over the place. I thought maybe it was because he was hungry, but one time right after I fed him, she came up and he followed her back and forth across the tank for about 5 minutes.

 

[larryndana]

My lfs has a display with a puffer thats about 6 inches long. He doesn't stop swimming. I've never seen him on the substrate at all. I'm wondering why the difference here. They are slow swimmers, if you have strong currents in the tank this may make them not swim as much. Also, they enjoy swimming with tank mates....do your tanks have many fish? well, maybe just a mystery. i'm in the process of getting a bigger tank, about three weeks away. The whole reason is to get a porcupine puffer.

 

[stephycpd]

Thanks for all the posts.
Here's the latest. I think my puffer might be a little shy. When the lights went out the first night I had him, he came out in like 30 seconds, guess he's just a little scared. Every once in awhile now he'll come out, but if I get up to get a closer look at him, he gets back in his rock. I tried to feed him some shrimp tonight by placing it in front of him on his rock, but all he did was "one eye it". Hopefully once he gets a little more settled in he'll start eating.

 

[leftyblite]

Give him a couple of days on feeding. When he gets really hungry he will eat. Mine didn't eat for 3 days when I first got him. Now he just takes the food right from my hand.

 

[boozzbro]

when i first got min he swam up and down int he corner of the tank for about a week. Since then the only time he swims is when someone walks past the tank. He thinks hell get food. also dont tease them with food or else youll end up with a facefull of water. funny at first but sometimes its annoying like when you are going out then all of a sudden get blasted with water and have to change.

 

[leftyblite]

Boozzbro, I thought I was the only one that the spitting of water happened to. Mine does it if he doesn't feel like I'm feeding him quickly enough. He is pretty accurate and can get some distance even though he is only about 5in long. Figure by the time he is full grown he will be getting it across the room. :happyfish

 

[stephycpd]

Okay, today he's out running around and picking at the rocks, so I decided to feed him a small piece of shrimp that I bought at the grocery store. He took it, chewed it a few seconds, spit it out, took it again, chewed, spit it out. He probably only ended up eating about a pea size of it. Did I just feed him too big a piece? Also, I feed mysis shrimp to some of my corals and he would take one, taste it and spit it out, not eating any of it. Is this something they normally do?
Thanks for all the help!!!!

 

[campbellson22]

What is the smallest tank you would recommend for a Porcupine Puffer?
Thanks for all the :help: