Spiny Box Puffer

[LouisianaReef]

I picked up a spiny box puffer from my local petco when I went to pick up salt mix. Normally I don’t buy fish from them but they told me that they ordered it for someone and they couldn’t get it to eat so they gave me a good deal on him. He is very skinny and so far I have been unable to get him to eat either. Tried shrimp, shrimp soaked with garlic, baby clams, and frozen.

I figured it was worth trying to save him. Anyone have luck getting one to eat. I can’t find live food anywhere in my area.

 

[lion king]

These fish many times comes in with internal parasites, considering your source, I would bet that's a very good chance. I would immediately, and I do mean immediately treat with general cure or fritz paracleanse. Treat per package instructions and dose to water volume not tank size, carefully consider displacement.

I did I say immediately treat with general cure. They are also difficult to initially feed and many times live food need to be offered to elicit a feeding response. Offer live ghost shrimp or live feeder guppies.

 

[LouisianaReef]

These fish many times comes in with internal parasites, considering your source, I would bet that's a very good chance. I would immediately, and I do mean immediately treat with general cure or fritz paracleanse. Treat per package instructions and dose to water volume not tank size, carefully consider displacement.

I did I say immediately treat with general cure. They are also difficult to initially feed and many times live food need to be offered to elicit a feeding response. Offer live ghost shrimp or live feeder guppies.

The puffer and all other fish are in a holding tank. About 100 gallons of water.

Currently have the following in there:
Snowflake Eel
Blue spot puffer
Spiny Box puffer
Fox fax
2 triggers
Maroon Clown
Scorpion fish
Tomini tang

Would you move the spiny box out into a smaller tank or just treat the whole system?

 

[lion king]

I would treat everyone as internal parasites are very common and it wouldn't be uncommon if more than one of them may have them. If he does have internal parasites they can spread to other inhabitants, by them eating his feces, any grazing fish can easily pick them up. The only fish I would be concerned with is the scorpionfish, as they sometimes take special care when treating, which species do you have. General cure is usually safe to most and is the only med I am not opposed to using prophylactically, so there's really nothing to lose. Just to remind again, dose to water volume not tank size, this is really the only time people get into trouble.

Option, remove scorpionfish as they likely would not eaten poo, and scorps are sensitive and dosage would be wisely adjusted. Option, remove spiny box and hope no one else has picked it up, and keep a close eye on others. Not eating, stringy poo, cloudy eyes, lethargy; are things to look for.

How long have you had everyone else, is everyone els eating and acting normally. An insatiable appetite sometimes happens just before they stop eating due to internal parasites. It's really not a bad idea to prophylactically treat everyone anyway.

It's going to be a trick to offer live foods in that mix, but the spiny box can be very difficult even when healthy, and many times will need some live ghosties or something to get them triggered. Same might be said for the scorp, have they been eating.

@Jay Hemdal

 

[LouisianaReef]

All the fish have been recently purchased for an upcoming 300 gallon tank build. Everything else has been happily eating and looks good. Scorpion has no issues eating shrimp/clam from tongs.

The spiny was just picked up yesterday, honestly because I felt bad for him.

The area I live is very limited on fish supplies. I normally have to order. I was able to find two boxes of general cure.

My plan as it stands is to remove the spiny into another tank with a smaller water volume in order to be able to run a full course of general cure and attempt to get it to eat. I picked up a single Molly to try. Live shrimp no one seems to have right now.

I have enough general cure to do a single dose on the larger holding tank. Although general cure is supposed to be two doses 48 hours apart, would the single dose for the other fish still be beneficial as precaution?

 

[lion king]

Sounds like a good plan, as long as everyone is eating and there's no other signs, you may be good. Without a full dose it's likely to be effective and under dosing can sometimes lead to a more resistant strain.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Option, remove scorpionfish as they likely would not eaten poo, and scorps are sensitive and dosage would be wisely adjusted. Option, remove spiny box and hope no one else has picked it up, and keep a close eye on others. Not eating, stringy poo, cloudy eyes, lethargy; are things to look for.

How long have you had everyone else, is everyone els eating and acting normally. An insatiable appetite sometimes happens just before they stop eating due to internal parasites. It's really not a bad idea to prophylactically treat everyone anyway.

It's going to be a trick to offer live foods in that mix, but the spiny box can be very difficult even when healthy, and many times will need some live ghosties or something to get them triggered. Same might be said for the scorp, have they been eating.

@Jay Hemdal

That all sounds good, the only thing I would add is that spiny boxfish are also really prone to external parasites as well. The prazi helps with some of that, but they are really prone to ich as well. I wouldn’t count on the metro in the GC to control that.

Jay

 

[LouisianaReef]

Is scorpion fish is a Scorpaena plumieri, aka spotted scorpion. Should I be safe treating with GC with that species?

@lion king @Jay Hemdal

 

[lion king]

Is scorpion fish is a Scorpaena plumieri, aka spotted scorpion. Should I be safe treating with GC with that species?

@lion king @Jay Hemdal

Because I have seen so many adverse events with scorps, I split each dose into 3rds. I am usually ready to do a water change and pull the meds out with carbon if necessary. Dose 1/3 of dosage see how he reacts, if all well you can add 2nd dose in 4 hrs, and 3rd dose in another 4 hrs. I have taken as long as 8 hrs between 3rds when I have gotten a negative response, then I treat only when absolutely necessary, not prophylactically. Negative reaction would indicate with rapid breathing, if they lay on their side then it's extremely dangerous.

 

[LouisianaReef]

It appears that he ate the Molly. It was in the tank with him and I can’t find the Molly or a body of the Molly! I just hope I can’t convince him to eat frozen at some point.

@lion king

 

[lion king]

It appears that he ate the Molly. It was in the tank with him and I can’t find the Molly or a body of the Molly! I just hope I can’t convince him to eat frozen at some point.

@lion king

Thats a good sign. They will eventually eat dead food, how many live feedings it takes is subjective to the individual. Try clams on the half, chunky foods like bite size pieces of various seafood. A few live fish either way is not a bad idea, the whole fish and live gut flora will Jumpstart their immune system and refill their nutritional stores. You did mention how skinny they were.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Is scorpion fish is a Scorpaena plumieri, aka spotted scorpion. Should I be safe treating with GC with that species?

@lion king @Jay Hemdal

That species is pretty tough. I’ve never had issues with prazi on any scorpion fish - it’s the metronidazole that’s a wild card for me, I rarely have used it since the 1980’s so I don’t have a lot of recent data
Jay