Torpedo puffer

HKfshkpr1 · Feb 12, 2024

Anyone had a normally very slow moving Valentini puffer that "madly dashed" around in the tank, banging on tank sides and other things?

At first he went on a hunger strike for 3-4 days, then started doing his stunt a few times the next few days. Twice he managed to "escape" from the 180 gal tank (One time he landed on the floor! ) I think he only did that when I approached the tank, like he's getting SUPER hyper!

Over a week without food I thought he would die for sure. Then strangely he started feeding a little, then went back to 100% normal again( now normal for 3 weeks).

What happened??? He has NEVER been bitten, chased, or harrashed by other fish.

Jay Hemdal · Feb 12, 2024

HKfshkpr1 said:
Anyone had a normally very slow moving Valentini puffer that "madly dashed" around in the tank, banging on tank sides and other things?

At first he went on a hunger strike for 3-4 days, then started doing his stunt a few times the next few days. Twice he managed to "escape" from the 180 gal tank (One time he landed on the floor! ) I think he only did that when I approached the tank, like he's getting SUPER hyper!

Over a week without food I thought he would die for sure. Then strangely he started feeding a little, then went back to 100% normal again( now normal for 3 weeks).

What happened??? He has NEVER been bitten, chased, or harrashed by other fish.

Sorry, I can't say what that was all about! Certainly short term stress will cause a fish to stop eating and even dash around the tank in fright, but that is usually caused by some external source; another fish, you moving around outside the tank, etc.

Jay

vetteguy53081 · Feb 12, 2024

HKfshkpr1 said:
Anyone had a normally very slow moving Valentini puffer that "madly dashed" around in the tank, banging on tank sides and other things?

At first he went on a hunger strike for 3-4 days, then started doing his stunt a few times the next few days. Twice he managed to "escape" from the 180 gal tank (One time he landed on the floor! ) I think he only did that when I approached the tank, like he's getting SUPER hyper!

Over a week without food I thought he would die for sure. Then strangely he started feeding a little, then went back to 100% normal again( now normal for 3 weeks).

What happened??? He has NEVER been bitten, chased, or harrashed by other fish.

You mentioned other fish. What other fish are in with it?
What foods are you offering ?

HKfshkpr1 · Feb 13, 2024

Thank you for your reply! I have him for 2 years, eating the same flakes and pellets with the "same tankmates". Nobody ever bothers him. Whenever I do tank maintainence he would not try to dash away from my hand, just slowly swims up and down. So I don't know what scared him. It appears to me that's somekind of disorder in the nerve system: he was shooting at a "super high speed"! But the hiding and stop feeding??? Also nobody touched him during that period. He did the dash when I was approching though.