can anyone help witha issue with my puffer?

Garoux · May 25, 2017

Hello again everybody!

So got some issues starting to happen with my porcupine puffer had him for a couple of months (my longest fish) i know they go on and off of eating and he has done that but he hasn't for two months hes interested in everything that goes in but when he trys to open his mouth he statts spazzing out like twitches sometimes those twitches makes him hitting the glass or runs into a coral.
Dont think its a beak issue because im assuming i could see it. I believe it has to do with that hump on his back in the picture.

He swims fine and all nothing has changed nobody is able to pick on him. His last meal was a banned goby.

And quarantine him if it comes to chemicals or a medicine maybe out of the question but can be possible.

HE has been on krill the whole time i had him tried
Silversides (he runs away even if its free floating)
Squid
Clam on a half shell even tho theres a clam in my tank not interested.
Clam again
Worms like nightcrawlers (runs away)
Doesnt eat inverts shrimp had a coral banned and just sat next to him to get cleaned clearner and fire shrimp.
Emerald crabs once they put there claws up he runs hermit crabs nope anything they can eat ive tried. Lately he's been interested in mysis shrimp since i've been feeding other fish but when im feeding that and he opens or anything to try and eat it he spazzs. Like at this point i think he just wants to eat something

melypr1985 · May 25, 2017

His diet of krill may be part of the issue, but the hump probably isn't. Let's page some preditor people.
@Lionfish Lair #reefsquad @evolved @eatbreakfast

Katrina71 · May 25, 2017

He is a cutie.

Garoux · May 31, 2017

^Bump^

Paul B · May 31, 2017

Very hard to tell without seeing him swim but the hump is normal. Porks have that. The food you are giving him seems fine especially the clams.
In the sea they eat mostly small crabs. I know yours doesn't which is weird. I feed mine fiddler crabs which they bite through and don't seem to mind getting bitten. There is definitely something wrong with yours and I am sorry I can't help you from here. But keep in mind that we can't cure everything just like we can't cure everything in humans. Sometimes it's an internal problem that drugs won't fix. I would not dose him with anything until you find out what is wrong with him. His eyes are clear and he doesn't have ich which would not cause that symptom. I have had puffers many years ago that did that and if I remember there was nothing I could do for them.
Have you tried force feeding him an earthworm?
I used to gently grab mine and while underwater, stick an earthworm down his throat. Push it far in or he will spit it out. They bite so be careful.
But only do this if he stopped eating completely as it is the only way to get them to eat.
Many new puffers have to start eating like that for some reason if they don't find the food they are accustomed to.
Like I said, hard to tell from here

Garoux · May 31, 2017

Yeah i understand he doesnt even eat clams i have two clams in there doesnt even look at them. I havent tried force feeding have no experience doing so.

Paul B · May 31, 2017

If he doesn't eat anything you may have to try to force feeding him. But I can't say what is wrong with him from here and I won't guess.

Garoux · May 31, 2017

ANy tips or forms on force feeding?

Garoux · May 31, 2017

Because he does looks like he wants to he chase it but bugs out when his mouth opens

Paul B · May 31, 2017

Like I said in my last post. He has to open his mouth to breathe. Be ready with some clam, earthworm or some meaty food firmly stuck on a toothpick. If he bites down on the tooth pick, just hold it until he again opens his mouth. Their gut is straight so you won't hurt him by sticking it into his throat about an inch or so. He may thank you and get better. Of course he also may die but if he doesn't eat, that is his fate anyway.

jasonrusso · May 31, 2017

I've had a porcupine puffer for the last 5 years so I'm familiar with their behavior.

Stop feeding him fish. Puffers aren't supposed to eat a diet of fish. It can give them liver problems. Also, an exclusive diet of krill can give them lockjaw.

In the 5 years I've had one, I can count on one hand the number of days he hasn't eaten. It's very uncommon. Maybe he ate a coral that has upset his stomach?

It's kind of confusing, but you say he was eating and stopped?

Garoux · May 31, 2017

Yeah he was only eatting krill and just stopped thats all he ate ive tried everything they list they can eat and krill was the only thing he ate. No corals he ate not even my clams ive had cleaner shrimp and banned shrimp he didnt touch either.

Ive fed him fish never ate it so i stopped

Garoux · May 31, 2017

ITs been two months or so last meal a banned goby was jusy adding a fish and it was a week or two he didnt eat and ate him in 2 min because i got a chance to turn around even since then nothing at all

jasonrusso · May 31, 2017

Can you get live ghost shrimp? Gut load them with pellets and then feed. I've never seen a puffer resist that unless he has lockjaw.

Maybe add some vitamins to the water (Boyd Vitachem). I'm not sure how much will get absorbed by his gills, but it can't hurt.

Garoux · May 31, 2017

ANd that vitachem will help with lock jaw? And is the ghost shrimp good in the long run?

jasonrusso · May 31, 2017

Krill isn't that great as a staple food, more of a treat. He likely has a vitamin deficiency and that is why he can't open his mouth.

Google "puffers lockjaw krill."

Gut loaded ghost shrimp is pretty nutritious. Plain ghost shrimp is not. Get him eating again, then worry about long term.

Of course, this is all speculation because you are the one who knows him best and can see him.

Garoux · Jun 1, 2017

Second day with force feeding with small pellets and mysis shrimp dipped in garlic since thats all i have unless try other frozen food.
He eats some and some shoots back out but some progress.

jasonrusso · Jun 1, 2017

Any progress is good progress. Puffers are something else. Most fish are just fish, puffers are a pet.

Mike N · Jun 1, 2017

jasonrusso said:
Stop feeding him fish. Puffers aren't supposed to eat a diet of fish. It can give them liver problems.

Can you provide more information about this?
They aren't supposed to eat fish AT ALL?
Does this apply to canthigasters as well?

jasonrusso · Jun 1, 2017

Mike N said:
Can you provide more information about this?
They aren't supposed to eat fish AT ALL?
Does this apply to canthigasters as well?

This is just one article that states it, but I have read it in several places. Puffers are designed (with their teeth) to eat shelled animals like crabs, clams, etc. Mine can crush a shell up at will.

I do feed Larry's chunky food which does have some fish in it, but it is the 6th ingredient after scallop, squid, shrimp, etc.

Scroll down to What do porcupine puffers eat.

https://pethelpful.com/fish-aquariums/porcupine_puffer_basics

I can't give you much advice on canthigasters. I've only had porcupines (which are actually a different genus mistakenly called puffers), but I would think that would hold true for all puffers.