Help.. Lifeless Puffer.. Please Help

[LittleL]

I just brought a puffer two days ago ( im not 100% sure what type.. all it said on the tank was 'pygmy puffer', although i thought pygmy puffer's where the really small puffers also known as dwaft puffers that don't get much bigger than 1"?) He is approx 2" long and is in a 34 Litre tank on his own. The problem is, he seems very lifeless and since i have had him, he never hardly ever moves but instead lays on the gravel at the bottom... Even when i feed him, he doesn't seem very interested, although he did eat a few bloodworm today, but apart from that, he doesn't seem to want to eat..

Im really worried that he won't last much long and he does not look good. I know you will all ask me to give you the water readings, but i ran out of 'test strips' and so i won't be able to give you the readings until tomorrow afternoon once i go to the fish shop after work (if i could get there sooner, i would)... I introduced him to the cycled tank slowly, as i do with all my fish and i added a teaspoon or so of marine salt (as told to do so by the local fish shop employee)

Without the water readings, i understand that not much can be said to help me out right now, but does anyone have any idea what might be the problem and what i could possible do?

Please help..im desperate and i don't want this little guy to die and i want to do all i can

if you click the link below, i have a picture of him, although it's abit blurry.. As you can see, he is just sat on the bottom of the tank by the filter, looking very sorry for himself does anyone know what type of puffer he is?

http/i13.photobucket.com/albums/a288/LauraN18/S6000873.jpg

 

[nmonks]

Hello,

First things first. Dwarf puffers are not brackish water fish. While they may *tolerate* salt they certainly don't *need* it, and your fish will be much happier in normal freshwater. So stop adding the salt.

When a puffer gets sick the three things to check are these: water quality, water quality, and water quality. Seriously, pufferfish are otherwise hardy animals that aren't very prone to diseases and respond well to good care. So if you are having problems, check that the nitrates are low (ideally below 20 mg/l) and that nitrites and ammonium are zero. Also check that there is plenty of oxygen in the water (i.e. the tank isn't overstocked) and that the pH/hardness levels are where they should be. Neutral to slightly alkaline water with moderate hardness is ideal for these fish. There's an excellent pinned topic on these puffers here:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=136616

STOP PRESS -- I looked at your photo. That isn't a pygmy puffer Carinotetraodon travancoricus. It looks like a juvenile Tetraodon mbu, Tetraodon lineatus, or something of that type. These are all potentially very large and sometimes very difficult to keep pufferfish. Again, none of these needs brackish water though Tetraodon lineatus is sometimes found in brackish water environments in the wild.

Please try and take some better pictures so we can ID the animal. The one linked here is a bit blurry.

Cheers, Neale

 

[LittleL]

Thanks Neale for the advise.

I appreciate that the picture isnt very clear, so i will try and get a better one tonight and post it on here, but He looks alot like the Tetraodon lineatus.

After work tonight, im going straight down to the LFS and im going to buy a 'water test kit'... Once i know what the readings are, i can then go from there.


I checked him this morning and he hasn't moved since last night.. Im real worried about him, but as i mentioned, without checking the water first, i can't really do much and there's not a great deal of advice anyone can give me im sure..

Please wait for picture and water readings later tonight and i hope you can help and advice me from there.

thanks
Laura

 

[Fella]

That's almost certainly a Tetraodon lineatus, but a better picture would suffice.

The initial recommendations to make for you for this puffer are thus

- 1 Check water quality. You want 0 Ammonia, and 0 Nitrate.

- 2 Make sure he has room to grow into his tank. They won't get huge overnight, but for the first 12 months they grow around an inch a month. They get as big as 20", but around 16-18" is more common in aquaria.

- 3 They don't play nicely with other fish. They're aggressive and among the most aggressive puffers (depending on the individual). They're recommended to be kept alone for this reason.

They don't live in brackish water, but, they do well in freshwater, with tanks of around 100 gallons +.

Also, they're brilliant. I keep one, and he's just plain great.

 

[mlawson]

That looks like a Tetradon Mbu to me.

 

[kpintheshed]

i use to have one. but i gave it back mine got lifeless like it was depressed. wouldnt eat and layed on the gravel or on the plants. think u might have to give it live food or small snails.

 

[chris_1127]

i'm with those who say linneatus/fahaka rather than mbu though again its a bit difficult from the pic. Either way good old lfs's - how much further from a "pygmy" puffer could a fahaka or a mbu get??

as above, if it is a fahaka/linneatus theyre great fish - get it a nice big tank (and certainly something bigger than 6gal ASAP) and you'll both be happy.

my fahaka did tend to sulk a bit when I first picked it up and stayed on the bottom of the tank for a few days - it still does sink to the bottom now if I approach the tank too quickly and startle it. you may find that the moving experience has just unsettled it a bit and it picks up and becomes more active in a few days.

 

[LittleL]

right... well i have moved him into a slightly bigger tank now (approx. 40 gals) and i have not added any marine salt to the water this time. The nirite is still to high but im doing everything i can to get it down to 0. He seems alot happier now that i have moved him to this tank and he is swimming more (though he still sit's on the gravel alot of the time). He seems to be eatting more and i have also added a air pump to his tank which he seems to like...

Fingers crossed, aslong as i keep an eye on him, im sure he will be ok now.... just have to get the water stats correct now.

I have managed to get a few more pictures, although, once again, there not that clear but hopefully there better than the last one so you can identify him now.. what puffer is he? (i've called him Gus!)


Thanks for everyones help.

Laura

http/i13.photobucket.com/albums/a288/LauraN18/S6000883.jpg

http/i13.photobucket.com/albums/a288/LauraN18/S6000908.jpg

http/i13.photobucket.com/albums/a288/LauraN18/S6000910.jpg

 

[DarkEntity]

Its a Tetraodon Lineatus - Fahaka Puffer (Nile Puffer) Fresh Water. Be prepared for a 100-150 gall tank for him alone when he grows up.

PS

your avatar looks to me like a Pygmy/Dwarf Puffer (should you take back the Fahaka for something you have space for)

 

[LittleL]

i've done my research on the nile puffer so im already expecting to get him a bigger tank when he grows!

thanks

Laura

 

[nmonks]

Definitely Tetraodon lineatus, usually known as a the Fahaka puffer in the hobby. A nice, rather variable species with a reputation for being a biter. Regional variations have their own colouration and maximum size, and these have sometimes been given their own species name (e.g. T. fahaka, T. strigosus). Occurs in a wide variety of river habitats including brackish water mangroves* but is generally considered within the hobby as a strictly freshwater fish. Certainly doesn't need brackish water. Not especially difficult to keep, but big, and requires ample filtration and regular water changes. Makes an excellent "pet" being among the smarter, more interactive puffers.

Cheers, Neale

*For the doubters, see for example: Dankwa, H.R.; Gordon, C. (2002), The Fish And Fisheries Of The Lower Volta Mangrove Swamps In Ghana, African Journal of Science and Technology (Science and Engineering Series), 3 (1), p. 25-32

 

[LittleL]

Yes Dark Entity... my avatar is of a pygmy puffer.. i got the picture off a website and i put it as my avatar as it think its a cool picture! I don't want to take the Nile puffer back to the LSP. At the moment the tank is big enough for him and when he grows, i'll get him a bigger tank anyway, so i'll have the space! thanks for the advice aswell.

Thanks Neale for the help and advice, must appreciated.

Laura

 

[mlawson]

Yes, from the latest picture it does look like a nile puffer as the striped markings go across the body, not random like the Mbu.

 

[DarkEntity]

Yes Dark Entity... my avatar is of a pygmy puffer.. i got the picture off a website and i put it as my avatar as it think its a cool picture! I don't want to take the Nile puffer back to the LSP. At the moment the tank is big enough for him and when he grows, i'll get him a bigger tank anyway, so i'll have the space! thanks for the advice aswell.

Thanks Neale for the help and advice, must appreciated.

Laura

Kewl, good luck with the Fahaka, i will have one once we move house and get stuff sorted (tis a mission)