Porcupine Puffer Swimming Erradically

[Ken Roane]

My @ 1 year porcupine puffer has been swimming at surface of 400g back and forth while seeming looking at self reflection in rear of tank and rarely swims around the tank surface to bottom? Has been a ferocious raw shrimp, krill, and squid eater but of late not consuming as much. Appears healthy but I've read their thyroid sometimes can be a problem.
Any thoughts? Thanks...Ken

 

[lion king]

Let's go through the basics first; water quality, any new additions to the tank. How does his eyes look, is he still eating, or has his appetite waned off.

The year mark is when nutritional deficiencies start to show up. Puffers seem to be effected by high amount thiaminese, which leads to vit B1 deficiencies. Krill has a high amount, and if feeding frozen shrimp and squid beyond the recommended shelf life or improperly frozen and stored, the amount of vit B1 would likely not be enough to counter balance the effects of thiaminese. You might try to offer some other foods. Salmon and mussels have a good amount of vit B1, the fresher the better. I would all together stop feeding krill. The other foods are best to freeze small batches yourself, purchased fresh. Many don't care for recommendations of feeding live foods, and it also depends of the other inhabitants. But live ghost shrimp and fiddler crabs may also help. If caught early you can reverse the effects of nutritional deficiencies. Vit B1 is usually the 1st culprit, and the one that needs immediate attention.

This is also the timeframe of issues related to previous copper, antibiotic, various meds, or other poisonings.

 

[Ken Roane]

Let's go through the basics first; water quality, any new additions to the tank. How does his eyes look, is he still eating, or has his appetite waned off.

The year mark is when nutritional deficiencies start to show up. Puffers seem to be effected by high amount thiaminese, which leads to vit B1 deficiencies. Krill has a high amount, and if feeding frozen shrimp and squid beyond the recommended shelf life or improperly frozen and stored, the amount of vit B1 would likely not be enough to counter balance the effects of thiaminese. You might try to offer some other foods. Salmon and mussels have a good amount of vit B1, the fresher the better. I would all together stop feeding krill. The other foods are best to freeze small batches yourself, purchased fresh. Many don't care for recommendations of feeding live foods, and it also depends of the other inhabitants. But live ghost shrimp and fiddler crabs may also help. If caught early you can reverse the effects of nutritional deficiencies. Vit B1 is usually the 1st culprit, and the one that needs immediate attention.

This is also the timeframe of issues related to previous copper, antibiotic, various meds, or other poisonings.

I appreciate your reply! Since ‘Puff’ was very small I have been feeding frozen raw shrimp almost exclusively because how much he loves it, frozen squid and krill. I’ll start feeding fresh salmon I buy and freeze in small batches. I can buy live mussels, all are closed, but how do I know the dead ones without boiling? The frozen shrimp comes deveined and shelled from a supermarket. Is this wrong? Besides the salmon, I don’t see how to feed the fiddler crabs as the puffer always feeds from my hand. Your expertise with this issue is again very much appreciated.

 

[lion king]

I appreciate your reply! Since ‘Puff’ was very small I have been feeding frozen raw shrimp almost exclusively because how much he loves it, frozen squid and krill. I’ll start feeding fresh salmon I buy and freeze in small batches. I can buy live mussels, all are closed, but how do I know the dead ones without boiling? The frozen shrimp comes deveined and shelled from a supermarket. Is this wrong? Besides the salmon, I don’t see how to feed the fiddler crabs as the puffer always feeds from my hand. Your expertise with this issue is again very much appreciated.

Mind you I'm just suggesting things I've seen in puffers after about the one year mark, as with this hobby there are many variables, and sometimes you just don't know.

Feeding fiddler crabs, get a small one and drop him in live. Sometimes the puffer may be shy if gotten used to being fed dead, but most go crazy, they love the hunt. Live food will contain nutrients that dead food does not and the shell helps with managing the puffer's teeth. the live food isn't absolute, it's just a suggestion, try the ghost shrimp. I'm just a strong live food advocate because I have seen the marked difference in health with many species afforded an inclusive of live foods. Puffers can live a very long life if fed the proper dead foods and live food really isn't necessary. Same said, the shrimp you feed should be shell on, the shell has concentrated nutrients like amino acids and minerals including ca and will help with managing the teeth. Many will freeze their fresh food from the market because of fear of parasites, I think this would address your concern with the mussels, you can also open them yourself; or get the Gamma Fish variety from your lfs. Fish like puffers do seem to effected by poor nutrition and paying attention to this is a good idea. Maintaining reef levels of mg is also a good idea as puffers also seem to occasionally have digestion issues. Mg has been known to help with digestion.

At this time you also see issues with puffers that have been treated with copper, antibiotics, ich x, or exposed to things like tank cleaners.

If your tank conditions work out and there are no bullies, these 2 issues are ones that I have seen. The poisoning issues is not something that can be fixed, it is only hoping for the best if that has been the case.

EDIT: digestion, another important possible issue in puffers. Some species when kept in fowlrs where the mg is not maintained, there could be digestion issues. I've found maintaining reef levels of mg to be beneficial. I actually maintain my mg at 1400ppm in my predator fowlrs. These digestion issues occur from a blockage or foods which cause constipation. I seen lions and puffers act erratically when digestion was an issue ands when mg levels were raised, the issue went away. Test your mg and this may also be a good start.

 

[Ken Roane]

Mind you I'm just suggesting things I've seen in puffers after about the one year mark, as with this hobby there are many variables, and sometimes you just don't know.

Feeding fiddler crabs, get a small one and drop him in live. Sometimes the puffer may be shy if gotten used to being fed dead, but most go crazy, they love the hunt. Live food will contain nutrients that dead food does not and the shell helps with managing the puffer's teeth. the live food isn't absolute, it's just a suggestion, try the ghost shrimp. I'm just a strong live food advocate because I have seen the marked difference in health with many species afforded an inclusive of live foods. Puffers can live a very long life if fed the proper dead foods and live food really isn't necessary. Same said, the shrimp you feed should be shell on, the shell has concentrated nutrients like amino acids and minerals including ca and will help with managing the teeth. Many will freeze their fresh food from the market because of fear of parasites, I think this would address your concern with the mussels, you can also open them yourself; or get the Gamma Fish variety from your lfs. Fish like puffers do seem to effected by poor nutrition and paying attention to this is a good idea. Maintaining reef levels of mg is also a good idea as puffers also seem to occasionally have digestion issues. Mg has been known to help with digestion.

At this time you also see issues with puffers that have been treated with copper, antibiotics, ich x, or exposed to things like tank cleaners.

If your tank conditions work out and there are no bullies, these 2 issues are ones that I have seen. The poisoning issues is not something that can be fixed, it is only hoping for the best if that has been the case.

I’m going to integrate the fresh food suggestions. There hasn’t been any need for copper or any antibiotics for the tank at any time so I’ll count that out as a potential issue. It’s helpful to have REEF 2 REEF as a forum, thanks!

 

[lion king]

The mg tip is a very important one also, I have found this helpful with many predatory fish I keep, and find that puffers may be in need of digestion help as well. That is a really easy fix, if it is a fowlr, keeping ca and mg at reef level is a good idea, as fish do use elements from the water column.