Puffer Help

[hobbsthepuffer]

My poor figure eight puffer has been swallowing air when he feeds, at least I think thats whats going on. After feeding time he floats on his back with his belly distended for up to 3 hours. I am wondering if this is normal, or if poor Hobbsie is sick.

Is there anythign I can do to help my poor baby?

 

[divegirl]

No hun....that's not normal!!!

Question time!
How long have you had the fish?
How old/big is it?
Water stats...Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate etc?
What do you feed and how often?
Tank size?
What is the sg in the tank?
Tank mates?
What is the fishes behaviour like when it hasn't been fed....is it swimming normally?

If you can answer these questions we can start to help you out.

Lisa x

 

[hobbsthepuffer]

No hun....that's not normal!!!

Question time!
How long have you had the fish?
How old/big is it?
Water stats...Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate etc?
What do you feed and how often?
Tank size?
What is the sg in the tank?
Tank mates?
What is the fishes behaviour like when it hasn't been fed....is it swimming normally?

If you can answer these questions we can start to help you out.

Lisa x

I have had him for about 2 months. He is about the size of a quarter, and 1/3 the size of my other puffers. I have him in a breeding box right now so he isnt' griefed. I'm going to get my water checked today, but the other fish in the tank are fine, even after a transition to freshwater. I feed crushed up dried shrimp and dried blood wroms (going to get frozen food today, I haven't had these guys long, and I didn't want to buy food they wouldn't eat). The tank size he was in when this behavious started was 10gal, but I moved him to the warmer 20gal in a breeding box. His tank mates were baby guppies, now it's 3 more f8 puffers and a cat fish. about 4 hours after he eats he can start to swim normally, right now he is begging for food like any other morning. Should I go ahead and feed him floating food, or giving him sinking pellets?

 

[hobbsthepuffer]

As an update, I just fed him blood worms and he's swimming like normal...I don't know whats going on

 

[divegirl]

Hi, I can see a couple of issues here....

F8's really should be in Brackish water and it sounds like you have yours in fresh....that's not going to any good for them in the long term....they will live in fresh, but it will shorten their lifespan.
Secondly, [and I really am no expert on stocking levels, but your tank sounds over-stocked... I have just 3 F8's in a 40 gallon and for me that's going to be pushing it when they mature and maybe get a little more aggressive....what sort of catfish do you have in with them?

Back to your little one though....he could be constipated, you could try feeding him a pea, most Puffers will turn their nose up at it....but mine will attack one pea for a short time and eat a little! Definately try and get some frozen or live blood worm....do you soak your freeze dried ones before feeding him.....if not this could cause him to bloat up.

Lisa x