New Puffers Need Help.

[Marine/Freshwater?]

Do not put this in the brackish forum. Need help this species is primarily saltwater.

I was down in Cape Canaveral this weekend and i saw a lot of dead puffers smashed into the ground. People aparrently think it is funny to catch puffers by the hundreds, throw them on the ground and let them afixciate. Then for more fun drive over them with your car. I was outraged. I scooped up a few "fresh ones" and put them in my tank. They are both Southern Puffers (Sphoeroides nephelus). They are a saltwater/high end brackish species. They are both eating but... one is laying around a lot more. They like to burry themselves. Anyway I need advice from somebody. I am only keeping one, i am donating the other to my lfs. I plan to add more sand to improve things but i am still worried, i have one of those really, really bad feelings that something is about to go awry. they are about 8 inches each and are in a 75 gallon brackish tank with a 90 gallon filter. I want this rescue to pull through.

 

[Lynden]

I am not familiar with the species you mention, but most puffers are mostly similar, as you probably know. If the were on land or beaten up at all, it may be worth adding a non-toxic fungicide, such as melafix. In addition, feed plenty of spirulina enriched meaty foods. Not much else I can think of.

You should try to report this massacre to the SPCA or the police. If torturing those puffers is some kind of deranged festival, perhaps they could set up some sort of "watch" to try and stop this mass slaughter from happening again. Behaviour such as that is truly inexcusable.

 

[fishwatcher]

I agree.... I'm not a PETA person or any such thing, but this sounds just horrible!
I know nothing about sw puffers, so I'm of no help, but I wish you the best of luck!!!

 

[Lynden]

This really doesn't have much to do with PETA. Don't call them, either, they'll probably just throw cyanide into the water and say they've dealt with the problem.