porcupine puffer question

[tattoofishguy]

ok i just got this puffer. when the fishstore girl was taking him out of the tank and putting him or her in the bag it puffed up. and i was reading up on the puffer and it said if they puff up out of the water its bad for them. so i was thinking it might still have air in it cause the way its been swimming. its head is always down and its tail up. its like its floating and having trouble swimming. well atleast i think its swimming wierd.heres a pic oh and i got him yesterday.

 

[hunt]

a good pet store should know to never take a puffer of any kind out of the water. Puffing up out of water can be bad for puffers if any air gets trapped, they could die from it.
Dont freak out though, im not sure if air is trapped in it. I would wait for some mmore expirienced people to post

 

[aquaknight]

You got him yesterday, and as of tonight, he's still having buoyancy issues? Like he keeps float to the top of the tank? Or he's just swimming around in that tail up position?

 

[tattoofishguy]

well he stays in that tail up position. and mostly stays at the top of the tank my the filter tube. he does swimm down everynow and then and when he swimms up its head first. i have a hex tank so its more tall thanwide. i thought it might just be trying to stay away from the other fish but then i read that if they puff with air its bad. so now im thinking its cause it has air in him. but it dont look puffed.

 

[hunt]

what other fish are in the tank?

 

[aquaknight]

Just sucking air isn't a problem, it's when they can't expel the air that it becomes an [serious] issue. If he can swim around the tank, and he's swimming up to the top, not floating, I don't believe there's trapped air. The inflatable sac that puffers use to ingest water, is on their underside, and his belly looks fine.
I do notice that's his back is rather arched/looks like a lump. Sometimes when Porcupines and Burrfish deflate, their spines can catch the skin and not retract properly. That might have happened. Just give him more time.
Is he eating?

 

[tattoofishguy]

has not eaten yet. i tried to give him a jumbo krill earlier today but he wouldnt take it. and i have a lawnmower, and 3 damsels in there.

 

[tattoofishguy]

ok i was feeding the other fish mysis and small frozen krill and i noticed that he was eating some so i droped a jumbo krill in there and he took it. he looks to be doing better. hopefully it keeps up.

 

[crypt keeper]

stay away from krill. stick the mysis. I would look into PE Mysis. They are huge and loaded. Try a clam on the shell soaked in garlic once you get him eating like a monster.

 

[tattoofishguy]

anybody ever feed cooked seafood? im guessing bad right?

 

[rcreations]

I read that cooked seafood is OK as long as there are no additives. This is what I read, I never tried it myself.

 

[prime311]

Why cooked? I would think the nutrients would be cooked right out of em but I don't know. I feed my aggressives stuff mostly bought raw at the grocery store and frozen at home.