Porcupine Puffer Help

[sprieto]

Porcupine Puffer Help

[hr]
I have a concern for my new porcupine puffer fish I recently received.
After acclamation, and for the first day, the puffer fish seemed happy, floating and swimming near the top of the water, looking very active and mobile.
But he seemed not to want to eat any of the dry or cubed food products.
After the second day, I got him some guppies and white shrimp.
He devoured the shrimp like there was no tomorrow.
In fact, I worry he over ate since he is just a baby (about 2 1/2 inches) and he ate at least 9 shrimps.
His back got plotted (a bump on it) and I swear I saw him throw up once.
He has been laying on the bottom of the tank since, breathing very slowly, and looking lethargic.
After a day, the bump as gone down a little, and I think I also saw him spit out a rock (the day after he ate).
He is still laying on the bottom and moving around very little.
Did he just over eat and maybe he will get better?
Is there something seriously wrong with him?
How long until I try to feed him again, and with what?
Please help with any advise, I really don/t want to loose this fish.
Thank you,
SAP.

 

[scubadoo]

How is his coloration...does he look bleached out? Is his tail fin curled behing his body? If so he is stressed. He could have ate too much or he could have some trapped air.
You may need to burp him if he swallowed air....If your puffer does become inflated with air, there is a method of helping it release it. Which needs steady but gentle hands. You will have to hold the puffer with your hands, with it's head facing up, then begin to gently massage the belly of the fish upwards to it's chin. This will help the valves release and the air to escape from the upward facing puffer's mouth.

 

[ophiura]

Couple of additional things to help us out...
Can you tell us about your tank, other inhabitants, how old it is, filtration and specific water quality?
It is really important not to let these fish just gorge themselves...that was a lot of food at once. They can be fed meaty things like the shrimp, silversides, krill, squid, etc (not too many live guppies or freshwater feeders, IMO...but things like live ghost shrimp would be good). Also leaving the shell on will help with their teeth. But they are easy to over feed because they get very excited. Its important, IMO, to be controlled in the feeding.

 

[sprieto]

Thanks for the advice.
He is discolored and tail folded in.
The tank is a 30 gallon, w/ a undergravel filter, bio wheel power filter, and a protein skimmer.
I know the tank is small, but he is just a baby now, with not to many other fish.
There is a baby lion fish (who also ate the shrimp and is okay), and a small basslet, dottyback, and a clown fish (all small).
The salinity os okay, at 1.023.
Ammonia is not quite at zero, but it's low.
PH is okay, and the nitrite and nitrate cycle seems normal.
I'm a little scared to try the burp method.
Might he get better just left alone and with time?

 

[ophiura]

I hate to say, but you are set up for big trouble, most notably the lionfish eating the basslet and dottyback (do they fight?) as well as the clown. How long have you had the fish? If you had the clown, basslet, pseudo and one or two other SMALL fish, you would be at maximum stocking. IMO, you are overstocked in that tank with the lion and the puffer. Possibly overstocked with just one of them! Its not so much their size, but their eating habits, growth rate, etc.
Ammonia should be at 0. Period. "Low" IMO, is not good. :nope: It could be because it seems like you fed a lot the other day and it is a small tank with a lot of fish. But you've definitely got a stressed out puffer there. It might get better with time, but it might not. I would strongly encourage you to remove some of those fish and trade them back to the store. :yes:

 

[scubadoo]

The ammonia is most likely your problem. You need to get some of those asnimals out of your system.....it is too small.
If your tanks is new you may have started another mini cycle if you introduced the fish too fast. I assume your system has sycled once before. Did it cycle? Also, the overfeeding did not help as it does sound like you overdfed the tank...it added to the ammonia problem. You have some issues as Ophoura has pointed out.
How are the rest of the fish doing? Also, what is your ph? Not sure what okay means. What about nitrites? I am not certain what seems normal means. Ammonia and nitrite should be zero.

 

[sprieto]

Thank you again for your attention and advice.
As many a begginer do, we learn as we go, with our mistakes and successes.
It's good to know there are people like you two who are willing to share there knowledge and experience with others.
I knew I was pushing my bio load limits.
I also know the lion might eventually eat his tank mates once he was big enough.
He is so small he could barley fit one of the ghost shrimp in his mouth.
Ph is 8.4 and nitrite/nitrate is high.
The other fish have been acting normal and happy.
The psydo and basslet are hiding a lot, but come out to eat and swim every so often.
The clown and lion fish are active and vibrant.
The puffer, after not eating the first two days, and then gorging on the shrimp, had not eaten in the last two days.
Last night the puffer finally started to swim around again and acting normal (staring at the bubbles in the air lifts), he looked okay for about 2 hours until I went to sleep.
This morning he was back to laying on the bottom, but I can only hope know he will maybe get better with time (or not).
I have a 10 gallon set up as a hospital tank, that turned to be more of a jail for the aggresive damsels I first got.
I plan to remove (and return) the damsels, and use the 10 gallon hosptial tank to either move the psydo and basslet, or to move the puffer by himself.
If the puffer gets better, when should I try and feed him again and what?
Again, thanks for the time you took to read all of this and repley.
It is most appreciated........

 

[scubadoo]

I would think after a few days you should try to feed him again. Try doing a water change to address you ammonia issue

 

[sprieto]

Thanks again Scuba Doo (and Ophiura) for all the advice.
The has gotten better, started swimming more and a te a little.
I plan to do a cleaning and a partial water change this weekend.
Thanks again for everything.