Help - Sick Spiny Box Puffer

[Cobra Jack]

My spiny box puffer has been sick for about a week.


he has not eaten in about 7-8 days.

my water tests fine, I even had the local fish store verify.

all my other fish are fine


typically, when my puffer hasn't eaten in a day or two his stomach is concave or indented.. during the last week it's be puffed out or looks like it's full

he's also pale and uninterested in anyting including food.


I've done one 5 minute fresh water dip, I don't know what else to do... I've had him for 2.5 years and would really hate to lose him.


any advice is greatly apreciated

I've taken him to the LFS and they can't find anything externally wrong, nor can they offer any real advice.

 

[dohc97]

Is this cobrajack from Chicagosvt? I didnt think you posted on here, you might want to ask pufferpunk to see if she has any advice for you on the puffer.

 

[Cobra Jack]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8779974#post8779974 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dohc97
Is this cobrajack from Chicagosvt? I didnt think you posted on here, you might want to ask pufferpunk to see if she has any advice for you on the puffer.

yup, the one and only

 

[Pufferpunk]

Please go to www.thepufferforum.com & answer all the Qs stickied in the 1st post in the Hospital forum. Kelly Jedicki (the PufferQueen) is a Mentor there & helps out a lot there. After you answer all those Qs, we may be able to help diagnose what's wrong with it.

 

[Cobra Jack]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8781344#post8781344 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pufferpunk
Please go to www.thepufferforum.com & answer all the Qs stickied in the 1st post in the Hospital forum. Kelly Jedicki (the PufferQueen) is a Mentor there & helps out a lot there. After you answer all those Qs, we may be able to help diagnose what's wrong with it.

1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrates.
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH : 7.0 (I know it's low, I hadn't tested this regularly, and the LFS said this was low)


2) Feeding and water change schedule.
He gets fed Krill every other day, he's a healthy eater. Water top off ~ 5gallon per week, plus a 5 Gallon change (the tank is a 54G corner bow with no top)

3) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so.
No changes in the last month, prior to that the tank was moved from one room to another, water was drained down to about 10 gallons and stored in buckets along with the LR, then put back into the tank within an hour

4) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it?
Tank will be up for two years this January, cycled with damsels and established LR

 

[Pufferpunk]

Puffers need a varied diet. There have been many cases linked to Lockjaw, from feeding a diet of only krill. Can he open & close his mouth?

Are all the tankmates OK?

 

[Cobra Jack]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8781808#post8781808 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pufferpunk
Puffers need a varied diet. There have been many cases linked to Lockjaw, from feeding a diet of only krill. Can he open & close his mouth?

Are all the tankmates OK?

he can open and close slowly

all tankmates are fine, including the inverts

 

[sunfish11]

Your PH being 7 is probably at least part of what is wrong with him. Fix that right away!





Lisa

 

[Pufferpunk]

Yes, pH should be around 8. What substrate are you using? Crushed coral or aragonite sand, should keep the pH steady around 8. Your puffer could be bored from the same food. Like I said, to get proper nutrition, they need a varied diet.

Here are some articles on feeding your puffer:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library.php?cat=7