Valentini Puffer stopped eating

[Aronsaquarium]

Hi,
I’m wondering if anyone has any ideas..
My Valentini Puffer which I had for a couple months now and always ate really well, suddenly stopped eating yesterday and today.
He also seems more subdued not swimming much..
he physically looks clear of anything.

75g Tank.
Cupramine 0.5
Ammonia not readable because of the Cupramine, but was last at 0.
Nitrite. 0
Nitrate 40
Ph 8
Recently added an air pump which may be a little annoying for them..

Once I’m at it, I’ve had a Bicolor for 2 weeks now and I don’t think he’s eaten any food I’ve given the tank. He only seems to be pecking at the rocks all day..
But I don’t think that’s a long term sustainable situation.
Is there any way I can get him to switch to food?

many thanks!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hi,
I’m wondering if anyone has any ideas..
My Valentini Puffer which I had for a couple months now and always ate really well, suddenly stopped eating yesterday and today.
He also seems more subdued not swimming much..
he physically looks clear of anything.

75g Tank.
Cupramine 0.5
Ammonia not readable because of the Cupramine, but was last at 0.
Nitrite. 0
Nitrate 40
Ph 8
Recently added an air pump which may be a little annoying for them..

Once I’m at it, I’ve had a Bicolor for 2 weeks now and I don’t think he’s eaten any food I’ve given the tank. He only seems to be pecking at the rocks all day..
But I don’t think that’s a long term sustainable situation.
Is there any way I can get him to switch to food?

many thanks!

What are you dosing the Cupramine for and how long?

Can you post a short video of the puffer taken under white lights?

Jay

 

[Hoodstream]

Hi,
I’m wondering if anyone has any ideas..
My Valentini Puffer which I had for a couple months now and always ate really well, suddenly stopped eating yesterday and today.
He also seems more subdued not swimming much..
he physically looks clear of anything.

75g Tank.
Cupramine 0.5
Ammonia not readable because of the Cupramine, but was last at 0.
Nitrite. 0
Nitrate 40
Ph 8
Recently added an air pump which may be a little annoying for them..

Once I’m at it, I’ve had a Bicolor for 2 weeks now and I don’t think he’s eaten any food I’ve given the tank. He only seems to be pecking at the rocks all day..
But I don’t think that’s a long term sustainable situation.
Is there any way I can get him to switch to food?

many thanks!

Can’t help with your Valentini don’t know what would cause them to stop eating unless maybe internal parasites or stress?

For your bicolor I would try a broader range of food. My bicolor picks at the rocks same with my Midas but they all eat green seaweed, mysis, brine, marine cuisine, omega flakes, omega pellets. Not sure what you’re feeding but my bicolor ate off rip. Try adding garlic to make food more enticing.

 

[Hoodstream]

What are you dosing the Cupramine for and how long?

Can you post a short video of the puffer taken under white lights?

Jay

Oh nevermind jay is here, you’re in good hands.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Oh nevermind jay is here, you’re in good hands.

Thanks, I missed the issue with the bicolor…..
Jay

 

[Aronsaquarium]

Thank you so much!
So I had an ich problem a couple months back, I had Cupramine in there for about 35 days (just realized I had the Puffer for close to a month and a half) I added the Puffer in the last week of Cupramine back then just so I can make sure he wasn’t bringing more ich to the tank..

i took out the Cupramine a few weeks ago and added 2 Angels then (that and a juvenile emperor), but I I saw a little ich starting to spread so I put Cupramine back in a week and a half ago..

I’m there may be some remanence of prazi in the tank too (from a stupid stores suggestion) but that was put in there 2 weeks ago and have since had one 20% water change with another tonight.

i was away Saturday so I left a slow release tablet in the tank but was hike Friday and back Sunday.

Re the Bicolor,
I feed the tank Myssis, Green brine shrimp, pellets and a clam here and there for the Valentini. I added some seaweed today. He may have pecked at it once or twice but not a whole lot

 

[Aronsaquarium]

He’s in a cave now.. not really swimming much.. so it’s hard to get bright light on him but this is what I’ve gotten so far

 

[Aronsaquarium]

.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

He’s in a cave now.. not really swimming much.. so it’s hard to get bright light on him but this is what I’ve gotten so far

The puffer is breathing a bit hard.

What was the tablet you added over the weekend, a slow release food tab?

You haven’t added any dechlor or ammonia remover have you?

Jay

 

[Aronsaquarium]

It was a slow release blue little cube.

my other fish seem to be happy otherwise..
And no I haven’t added any prime or the like.. (with the since having Cupramine in there)

 

[Aronsaquarium]

Nothing really changed over the last few days other than adding the air pump in there..
I don’t have a protein skimmer, and my PH was dropping to i added the air pump into the DT. It seems to have stabilised the PH over the last few days (so perhaps there’s a raise of maybe .2-4 of PH

 

[Aronsaquarium]

I just ran tests again after my latest water change.
Nitrate 30ish PPM
Nitrite 0
Cupramine slightly under 0.5. I’ll add a few more drops now.
PH between 8-8.2

biggest change is my PH. I had it at about 7.8 before, and it even dropped a little below when I dosed prazi.
i was struggling to bring it higher so I added the air pump and over the last 5 days it bumped it up.
So the Valentini was used to 7.8 area..
That’s the only change I can think of?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I just ran tests again after my latest water change.
Nitrate 30ish PPM
Nitrite 0
Cupramine slightly under 0.5. I’ll add a few more drops now.
PH between 8-8.2

biggest change is my PH. I had it at about 7.8 before, and it even dropped a little below when I dosed prazi.
i was struggling to bring it higher so I added the air pump and over the last 5 days it bumped it up.
So the Valentini was used to 7.8 area..
That’s the only change I can think of?

That small of a pH change wouldn't account for this. What was in the "little blue cube"? I'm wondering if that could have reacted with some leftover cupramine?

Jay

 

[Unitylover]

feeder blocks arent good. You dont need to feed fish if you will be gone for less than 3 days. Otherwise, put the food in some ziplocs and tell a neighbor to feed one ziploc (pre measured) a day.