Help!!! Puffer just laying on bottom is this normal???

[lost1st manty:(]

he has always been super spunky flying around my 150 fowlr 24/7 eating everything in site and biting and chewing investigating everything but is basically seems depressed not swimming barley moving not interested any foods, thanks:eek2:

 

[Sk8r]

Test your water, #1. If there's anything wrong with the water, start to fix that at the rate recommended on the additive bottle/jar, no faster, except by a partial water change or running carbon. Don't feed: it's tempting, but if it is water quality, feeding can only make it worse.
#2. If there's nothing wrong with the water, consider disease as a possibility. Google up his species and see if you can find anything about peculiar ailments for his kind. You may need to put him in a quarantine tank for a treatment if you can determine what that should be.

 

[LRS078]

Does he have any signs of external parasites? No typical spots on body/fins from things like Ick/Odinium? Are his eyes cloudy or clear/normal? Are there any other fish in the tank and what are they behaving like? Has anything changed recently in the tank? (new brand of salt, new lighting, new fish, new heater, anything...)

Test the water (or get it tested at an LFS) and let us know what the results are.

As for feeding....you can offer food but if he doesn't take it immediately or within a few minutes remove it.

Good Luck and keep us posted.

PS Noticed you are in cumming...if it gets bad or you feel in over your head I know someone not to far from there that is a wizard with FO/FOWLR. She is a hardcore puffer fan, PM me for details...

 

[VolitanLioness]

If you are going to offer foods try placing it on a feeder stick and than feeding.

Along with what has been said already, Please list the diet of your puffer.

Kaye

 

[marrone]

What other fish do you have in the tank and how are they reacting, like brathing hard or are any bother the puffer. You could have poor water quaility because of the amount that your feeding your fish. A water change usually will help with that.

Puffers from time to time will just hang on the bottom and not do much, so this isn't to much out of the ordinary.

 

[Petstorejunkie]

sounds like depression to me.
happens alot in new to captivity puffers, "stuck in a box symdrome" is what you usually see but sometimes they become depressed just like people. they are fairly expressive by nature, what sort of emotions do you get from the puffer?
water quality could be playing a part, as well as diet tankmates, aqua scaping etc.
when you test your water write down the numbers and how they are measured (ppm, mg/l) saying that everything checks out fine doesnt mean squat just fyi ahead of time. i have seen people with nitrates over 100 mg/l tell me that their water checks out fine.

 

[LRS078]

Marrone makes a good point, with the puffers having a tantrum/pouting fit.

Those lovely puffer personalities mean emotions, emotions means...issues.

Make 100% sure the puffer has some kind of cave to get away from things. A rubbermaid tub with a hold cut on the side or a cracked/split terra cotta pot from Home Depot for $1.98 works great too. He needs to be able to feel he can get away from you, tank mates, stress of the world.

Hope this helps....

 

[KLoomis]

It is relatively normal for puffers to lay on the bottom. does he stay there when you attempt to feed him? If there are no obvious signs of problems (not being picked on, no parasites, eats well) I don't think I would worry too much about it. How long has he been doing this? Does he lay down all day long or just during certain periods of the day?