Stars and Stripes Puffer refusing to eat    8/12/08
Hello WWM Crew,
<Hello, Mike here this morning>
My formerly "hungry-all-the-time" Puffer, Blinky, is seemingly depressed and not eating at all. The trouble started when I took down a partition separating my puffer who was residing with two small damsel fishes from a seabay clown, small Pseudochromis and several crustaceans (protecting the crustaceans from my hungry Puffer). I took the partition down because the crustaceans died and I decided to give the Puffer more room to move (since he used to be very active).
<How large is the aquarium?>
After a few weeks I noticed the seabay being very aggressive with the puffer at feeding time, nipping at him and stealing his food. Then I started to see the clown actually attack, head-butting the puffer in the stomach when he tried to eat his krill off the floor of the tank. He was able to eat it as it floated down, but once it hit the floor it belonged to the seabay. The seabay also cowed and dominated him throughout the day and I even noticed him cringing when she would swim up and shake her tail in his face.
<Time to separate>
The puffer started eating less and less, finally taking the food in his mouth and spitting it out. I moved the seabay to my hospital tank (also noticing that her eyes are beginning to pop and was told that she has a bacterial infection and needs to be treated with antibiotics). I was wrong in thinking that the elimination of the seabay would dramatically help the puffers appetite so I began to suspect the length of his teeth.
<A possibility...>
Two days ago I undertook the ordeal of cutting his teeth (following the instructions in small puffer dentistry). I did not us the clove oil, not knowing if he would withstand being "put under". I accomplished the trimming but had to spend the next 4 hours removing the air bubble created by the procedure (also following a variety of instructions from the web). No air bubble now, shortened teeth and now he will not respond to food at all and hides when I hang in front of the tank for too long. I even put a live coral banded shrimp in the tank with him for feeding inspiration and NOTHING!
<Well, this is a very stressful procedure, so normal behavior may not occur for 1-2 weeks>
I am thinking that he may have a the same bacterial infection that the seabay has; is that possible? Or does it just take time to recover from the dental procedure.
<Your puffer will be much more susceptible to disease due to the stress of the dental procedure. I would have told you to wait and make absolutely sure that the teeth were too long, but too late now. Is your puffer showing obvious symptoms of a bacterial infection? If so, treat in a separate QT tank>
Help! I am really at a loss. All water parameters are good and I keep a very clean tank. I have had this puffer for 1 1/2 years and this is VERY different and unusual behavior for him.
<So is the dental treatment he just underwent. See http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pufferfdgfaqs.htm regarding feeding - hunger 'strikes' of 1-2 weeks are nothing to worry about as long as the animal was healthy to begin with>
sorry for the long email, but thought behavior background might help.
<Some, though I think we all know what normal puffer behavior is. Water params and tank size would have also been helpful>
Thanks, in advance, for any suggestions you might have.
Lisa Crugnola
<Give your puffer time, he should be fine. M. Maddox>

Puffer, Tetraodont... feeding, hlth.   11/13/07
I have had a Guinea Fowl Puffer that is about 10" long. I bought him from a shop that took him from one of their maintenance jobs when the tank owner moved out of town. I have had him about a 1 1/2 months. He was tank established 4 years in that tank before I got him. I normally feed him krill, cocktail shrimp, crab, squid, clams, and octopus.
<Mmm, not complete nutritionally>
I believe the crab being such a hard meat caused the problem I am having which is a possible blow out.
<?>
He has a large lump pinkish in color with some chunks of something in side a sack, about the thickness of a pinky about 1/4" long. He looks as
if he was trying to poop and pushing out his intestines because there is no exit or opening on the sack or whatever it is. I am wondering if I should
pull on the little sack or push it in I really don't want him to die. Please help me with my puffer problem.
thanks tony
<Mmm, I urge patience here... Puffers do consume almost everything in time in the wild... All will/does pass... What you are seeing is likely a prolapsed colon... Just wait... may take weeks, even months with a specimen of this size... Read here for something to pass the time: http://wetwebmedia.com/trupuffdgfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Black Spotted puffer colors... nutr. and incomp. with a balistid  – 10/28/07
Hi WWM crew! I've got a bit of a silly question! I have a black spotted puffer (Arothron nigropunctatus) that is normally beige with brown around his mouth, but I've noticed that occasionally it turns completely brown.
<Yes... a general mood change rather than otherwise environmentally or nutritionally mediated>
In fact, I had a Black Finned trigger (Melichthys indicus) in the tank that also used to change from black to light green regularly also.
<These too... and both are likely related>
It (how do you sex these fish?)
<As far as I'm aware, neither species can be sexed externally>
died without warning one night - was eating regularly, water conditions were good. I've been feeding them uncooked shrimp & scallops that I buy in the grocery store.
<Need more than this...>
My question is: What do these color changes indicate? Are they upset? Hungry? Are they just showing off?
<More upset likely... perhaps with each other. These species need a very good size space to co-habit happily. Hundreds of gallons.>
Thanks!
Anthony
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Emergent Advise for Traumatized Puffer !!
Arothron reticularis refusing to eat; Ammonia issue – 08/02/07
Dear WWM Crew:
Thank you for your excellent site.
<I’m glad you like the site.>
I am calling on you for your expert advise regarding my 2 1/2 year old precious precocious Arothron reticularis Puffer, whom not only can I pet but I can actually pick him up out of the water to view the "other world" which he enjoys!
<For future readers I should recommend here not to try this at home. Many puffers will swallow air with possibly fatal consequences.>
My husband is a Thoracic Cardio-Vascular Surgeon and I am a Nurse Anesthetist
<That’s good, you will have to sedate your puffer if force feeding is needed.>
, we are heavily educated in the medical field, we know our "Puffy" is perhaps fighting for his life and we are at a loss as what to do.
I will be as succinct as possible. Currently, Puffy has not eaten for three weeks. Luckily, he was carrying a little extra weight which has been to his advantage, and he is still not too thin (this is one of the few advantages to being over-weight!) The problem arose when our professional fish caretaker and myself over-cleaned his tank. Removing old silk plants that were clogging the pumps and filters, changing the magnum and charcoal filters, and a partial water exchange. (Puffy is 12.5 inches in a 96 gallon tank, with two blue damsels.)
Above tank change: July 12: everything deceivingly "looking great". ***
July 14: tank cloudy, caretaker came stat, Ammonia 1.0. <Yikes. BioSpira = live bacteria from the store or live bacteria from another system’s filter would have helped fast in this case.> He treated with the various enzymes/chemicals <what chemicals/enzymes?> on a daily basis, tested water daily, fasted Puffy.
July 17: Ammonia 0.8
July 18: Ammonia 0.7
July 19: Ammonia 0.5
July 20: Ammonia 0.4
<An ammonia spike for five days can likely damage a sensitive fish.>
July 21: Ammonia 0.0 Throughout these days Puffy's decorum, colour, etc., perfectly normal, except that he was never fed.
***another contributor to July 12 original tank change was temperature. We have been having very hot weather in Minnesota and Puffy's tank temp was in the mid-to-high 80's. I was not aware of this danger. As of 14 July we have monitored his tank temp, maintaining it at 77-79 degrees with five fans and air conditioning just for Puff.
<Large puffers are very oxygen demanding. In future cases of similar temperatures ensure a high surface agitation, since hot water contains less oxygen and surface agitation increases dissolved oxygen.>
July 21: tank test within normal limits, Puffy looks normal, fed one small krill
July 22: all of the above except Puffy will not eat
July 23: all of the above, Puffy ate 4 Spirulina discs
July 24-28: all of the above, Puffy refused food
July 29: all of the above, Puffy eagerly ate 1/2 small frozen grocery shrimp (thawed and well rinsed) his favourite food
July 30: Nitrates at higher level <numbers are needed.>, partial water change, Puffy listing to side, somewhat lethargic, refusing food
July 31: tank within normal limits, addition of First Choice Triple Sulfa ( 1 scoop/10 gallons).
<Why? I guess you supposed there was a bacterial infection. Did you take any mucous or tissue samples to confirm? When using Triple Sulfa (sodium suldacetamide, sodium sulfathiazole, sodium sulfamethazine) you have to take out the coal, which otherwise will make this treatment useless.>
Within 30 minutes of adding the Sulfa Puffy more perky, refusing food
Aug 1: tank within normal limits, 2nd dose of Sulfa, Puffy refusing food.
Today Aug 2: Yesterday and today Puffy is not listing. He does twitch occasionally, he is not listing to his side, he has his mouth open more frequently as he is breathing, he has some white, thick, edging to the fins by his gills (which he held very close to his side on July 31-Aug1, but more like normal today), his body does feel slightly more mucusy to the touch, we notice very small pin-point white bumps interspersed on his back.
<Hopefully not a parasitic infection. Compare to pictures of Cryptocaryon irritans and Amyloodinium ocellatum.>
Also, I purposely go through the entire feeding routine (which he enjoys and knows so well) to show him his food and to try and "prime" his GI tract...he watches me, when he sees the food he "burps" and "hiccoughs" but he cannot ingest the food. I will place it in his mouth and he will either snap his head away or take it and suck it in-and-out several times and finally reject it.
We will so much appreciate any advise you can offer. (And we will certainly make a donation.) In hindsight, our good friend and very experienced fish owner, store owner, and myself, not experienced but loving Puffy, realize we simply inadvertently removed too much natural bacteria from his tank coupled by very high temperature.
<One thing I am missing in this query are nitrate numbers. Anything higher than 20 ppm will weaken the constitution of Puffy and needs to be diluted with water changes. The days he had to spend in ammonia enriched water likely have affected his immune system and may have triggered a bacterial infection and possibly a parasitic infection (I hope this not the case). Provide pristine water quality and watch closely. Any definite sign of a bacterial infection (e.g. cloudy eyes) will probably need antibiotics (used in a separate hospital tank), if you observe numerous tiny white dots (Amyloodinium) you will have to treat with chelated copper (hospital tank and don’t overdose). If you can, you may want to take a mucous sample or a tissue sample of the outer, white part of his fin (won't hurt the puffer) and analyse it. If Puffy does continue not to eat (I'd wait some more days, since he has eaten on July 29), you should consider force feeding with a tube (see e.g. http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8161).>
When I first purchased Puffy, 2 1/2 years ago, he was less than 2 inches long, I studied your excellent website, read wonderful and sometimes very sad correspondence. At that time you often referred to a woman, the "Puffer Doctor".
<Probably the PufferQueen who can be contacted via http://www.thepufferforum.com. Also see http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pufferdisfaqs.htm and the linked pages for additional information.>
As a significant professional champion horse breeder for thirty years, as well as maintaining a sophisticated aviary, I was complimented by your website for some commentaries I sent to you. We will be most appreciative of any information you can give us to save our dear "Puffy". Thank you, and may god bless you. Dr. Joseph and Jackie
<You are welcome. I hope Puffy gets well again. Cheers, Marco.>

Crab Claw has Death Grip on Puffer! 7/13/07
Hello all, great website.
<Hi, Pufferpunk here & thanks!>
I researched as much as I could and could not find anything on my particular issue. I have a saltwater stars and stripes puffer. Today I just fed him his first feeder crab. Everything was fine until he went in for his 3rd or 4th strike and the crab pinched him on the face. When he backed away, the crab's claw broke off and stayed attached to his face. I resisted the urge to catch him and pull it off as I figured that would cause more damage. My questions are as follows:
What should I do if anything??
<It should eventually release itself. If you feel the need to & you can actually hold the puffer down (in the water) long enough to remove the claw, you're welcome to try. I'm pretty sure this must happen in nature.>
Will this cause any long term damage??
<I just fed my large freshwater Fahaka puffer a big crayfish & it pinched him several times. As soon as the puffer was able to shake off the Cray, he bit it's claws off. Puffers have quite a thick "hide". I don't see any damage on my puffer & no marks left at all.>
Have you ever heard of this happening before??
<Yup, see above.>
I appreciate any insight you can give me as I am pretty much a rookie with saltwater and all the knowledge I have has come from the web and friends.
Oh and here is a little info about my setup:
Fish with live rock (no corals) 125 gallon all glass, 2 canister filters (Fluval 405 and 403), Aquanetics 25 IL quartz UV filter, crushed coral substrate, undergravel with 2 big powerheads, Berlin protein skimmer and a powerhead running through the live rock. Currently I have 2 dual strip fluorescents with actinic and daylight bulbs, as well as moon lighting. I am actually leaving in a few to purchase a light with 4 96 watt power compacts as an upgrade. Also in the future I plan to move to an overflow/sump setup as I have heard canisters are not the best of options but I got the whole setup off of a friend for $100 and couldn't pass it up.
<Great price! I'd get rid of that UG filter. I know it'll probably be difficult but it's not necessary in a SW set up. It will become a nitrate factory, unless you can do weekly gravel cleaning. As far as the substrate, live sand would have been better. Keep a very close eye on the nitrates & do water changes accordingly, to keep them below 20. You're right about the canisters--also nitrate factories. You could use them for chemical filtration, like bags of carbon, ChemiPure, Purigen, etc. A good skimmer & lots of live rock should be all the filtration you need. A sump/refugium is an added bonus.>
Livestock:
Yellow Tang, Blue Damsel, Green Chromis x2, blue face angel, flame angel, zebra eel (very small because I just got him) and the stars and stripes puffer. I do not plan on adding any more livestock at the present moment until I upgrade my equipment some...
Thanks again for your help, I'm not overly concerned, just don't really want to put my puffer (Mr Sean Combs aka P diddy) in jeopardy.
<It sounds like your puffer has a great home. Not to worry about him getting damaged by his "food". ~PP>

Dog face puffer with wart like growth is not eating – 06/16/07
Dear WWM Crew: Long time lurker, one time poster here, but a real fan of your site and the tremendous staple you guys have become to the hobbyist. Please keep up the good work.
<Will try.>
I apologize for the lack of pics and the abundance of words here, but for want of a good digital camera I will have to describe these symptoms with the later.
<Okay.>
I have had a Dog faced Puffer by the name of (Cujo) in Hypo/QT for 35 days, now along with one small juvenile Formosa Coris wrasse. The QT is a bare bottom 20 gallon long with power filter, power head, heater and I’m using a sponge pre-filter on the MJ intake strainer that was soaked two weeks in my display for a biological filtration. I placed a small Tupperware container of Live Sand from my display in one corner of the QT for the wrasse to sleep in and PVC Elbows for the puffer. The two fish have gotten along swimmingly for the duration of the QT, each out and about, and the wrasse hitting the sandbox at lights out. The Puffer wanders about the tank all night but will not eat.
With daily water changes I’ve been able to keep water Prams in the QT very good, near perfect 0-0-<.5 SG at 1.009 PH8.3 temp 80. The wrasse ate well right away and neither fish showed no sign of Cryptocaryon or any illness whatsoever. Because the fish looked very clean and took the slow drip acclimating well, I did not do the usual freshwater dip. I felt slowly acclimating them into the hypo saline QT water would be sufficient.
However, I did notice a small wart-like nodule on one of the puffer’s gill covers after I put them in the QT. I have watched this spot closely for over a month now. It is always in the same spot, never moving, and does not seem to bother the fish. The puffer has never flashed or had labored breathing.
<Hard to diagnose from a description. Could be Lymphocystis (see http://www.wetwebmedia.com/viraldislymph.htm ), a bacterial infection or a type of tumor. Have a look at WWM and net pictures and compare them to your puffer’s bump. For a more definite diagnosis you’d probably have to sample it and consult a vet.>
Other than not eating, the puffer has been very responsive. He always comes to the front glass wagging his fins like a puppy when I come near the tank. He comes so close I have been able to examine the wart closely with a magnifying glass. It actually looks like a wart, or like the little skin-tags people get, perfectly round and slightly raised. I don’t think this is the problem, but might be an indicator of something else going on internally <Well possible.>. Has anyone ever described anything like this before on a Dog face?
<Lymphocystis, a virus infection, can be bump-like, but has a more or less irregular shape. Some bumps on puffers were shown to be bacterial (compare http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BurrfishDisFAQ2.htm and scroll down to 5/13/07). Some worms even form bumps under the skin and there is also the possibility of a tumor.>
Although the wrasse has been nothing short of a little pig throughout the entire QT period, the puffer has eaten nothing, zip, nada for 35 days, now. All offered foods are soaked heavily in minced garlic and Zoe. I also hang cocktail shrimp and squid on an algae clips, which the wrasse tears at with great gusto, but Mr. Cujo just sniffs at it and refuses to eat. He sometimes shows a little interest in clams on the shell. He will occasionally suck one in, chew a few times then spit it out. But I’m concerned because he is getting notably thin.
<What about some live ghost shrimps? If these are not eaten, I’d try treating against worms possibly causing problems in his digestive organs. Force feeding with a rubber tube and a syringe is another possibility, which could save this specimen. It’d need to be anaesthetized.>
Thinking that he might eat in better surroundings I decided to cut the QT period short and introduced Mr. Cujo and his wrasse buddy to my FOWLR tank where he is now keeping company with a Falco Hawk, a Maroon Clown and the Formosa. Almost right away the puffer began to blow in the sand as if looking for food and attacking the Live Rock. He actually bites off little chunks of the rock, crunches it up and blows it out his gills <Rules out lock jaw as a possible disease/symptom.>. He also nibbles a little at some Aiptasia and Carlupa <Caulerpa?> growing on the rocks. He also appears to be biting at his reflection on the glass especially in one area where some hair algae has grown over the glass. However, even though this behavior is encouraging, he still will not take any real food. All the other fish look great and all are eating well except this stubborn puffer. Water params in the FOWLR are 0-0-<5 SG 1.017. I've slowly been raising the SG. I usually keep this fish only tank around 1.020, (No Inverts) but had lowered it a little for the puffers’ acclimation. The other three fish don't seem to mind the low salinity. Do you think I should bring it up to NSW or stop at 1.020? <I’d prefer NSW.>
He is a wild caught Dog Face about 4” long, so I assume he is an adult.
<Hehe... If it is a Arothron nigropunctatus usually referred to a dog face puffer it may reach a foot.>
His teeth do not appear to be overgrown, that is, he has no problem biting off chunks of rocks. We’ve offered him everything but caviar, but so far he is still fasting. I have read it is not uncommon for these guys to go on long hunger strikes, but 35 days seems a long time to me. We have become very attached to this fish. Please advise
<Try live food. If that does not work, treat against worms. If that does not improve the situation, you’ll need to force feed him. For diagnosis of the bump compare to pictures or get a sample and consult a vet. Good luck, I hope he gets well again. Marco.>

Golden puffer crushing the food but not ingesting – 04/07/07
I recently acquired a golden puffer form an online vendor when I received the fish its color seemed to be rather faded. At first the fish seemed to be doing quite well. I quarantined the fish for the first 2 weeks.
<A rather short quarantine, at least shorter than the lifecycles of the most common parasites.>
After seeing no sings of illness I moved the fish to my 300 gallon show tank. Once in the 300 gallon I started to notice that my imperator angel and my golden puffer where having a territorial dispute. I figured that this would subside in several days and did. On the second day of being in the 300 gallon tank the fish appeared to be eating well again with no problems. Thus I assumed that everything was fine with the fish. Well around 2 weeks ago I noticed that when the fish would eat he had a great appetite. But rather he would not ingest the food. He would chew the food and spit it out not ingesting any of it. Any ideas what might be causing this.
<Puffers are messy eaters. They try food by taking a bite and crushing it. Things not liked are spit out again. Offer prawns, cockles and mussel flesh and see if you get a different reaction. Have a look at http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ to exchange with people owning the same puffer species.>
I do know that their teeth sometimes become over grown in an aquarium, but this is not the case in this fish. Thanks Sean.

Mappa Puffer--Feeding, Tank Size  3/15/07
<Hi  Brian, Pufferpunk here>
I have been trying to locate some reliable info on the Mappa puffer but it seems to be difficult to come by.
<Stunning fish!>
A local wholesale importer has a small (3") Mappa in stock that he offered at a ridiculously low price compared to other vendors. I would love to buy this fish and eventually make it the show piece of a tank. I have a few questions that I was hoping you could answer for me. How fast would this fish be expected to grow (per year for example)?
<A fish that should eventually attain the huge size of 26 inches, will probably grow that large within 3-4 years or so.  Generally, they will grow quickly at first then slow down at close to adult size. Sorry, I can't give you exact growth times, as it is determined by quality & frequency of feeding & tank size it has to grow into.  A fish in captivity should grow larger than in the wild, if housed & fed properly.>
Also, are there any corals that could go in this tank or would they just become food?
<I definitely wouldn't chance anything you like, with a puffer.  Mushrooms, xenia have seemed to do OK with puffers.>
I have read that puffers in general consume soft corals. What
frequency should a growing puffer be fed at? I have read mixed reviews ranging from small portions throughout the day to every other day.
<1x/day for a juvie, skipping 1 day per week.  As it grows larger, less frequent feedings are necessary.  I feed my 12" puffer 1-2x/week.>
I have also read mixed reviews on their aggressiveness. Any thoughts? The marine center states that these fish are somewhat secretive and shy for puffers and in small tanks they will not do well (even when they them self are small). Other sites have stated that they are a more aggressive puffer. Can you shed any light on this?
<You can never tell with a puffer.  Aggressiveness can come out at any time in it's life.  I just read a question from someone that had a puffer living with a clownfish buddy for years, that just up & ate it one day.  Shyness will have a lot to do with it's decor & swimming room.  They prefer a heavily decorated tank & plenty of room to explore.>
As for a QT period, should it be a standard 4 weeks?
<That will be good.>
Would a 10g tank be sufficient for a 3" individual for QT?
<20+g would be preferable.  10g would be quite stressful, IMO.>
I read that puffers are prone to internal parasites. How do you detect internal parasites, other than noticing the fish not eating?
<Eating, getting fat, then skinny again--not holding it's weight.  Stringy poo.>
I think my final question is in regards to the tank size for this particular puffer. I would like to do a step approach for this fish, meaning starting out with a 40-50g tank and moving up as it grows.
<Won't last long in there...>
I am not prepared to go out and buy the 180g tank (plus equipment) for it right now. Would this be ill-advised? I sincerely appreciate all of the help you can provide me.
<Scott Michael, in his Marine Fishes book states: MINIMUM tank size requirement is 240 gallon. I would recommend no smaller than this - more in the line of 300-500 gallons... the key is the water volume to handle the bioload of this large, predatory fish.  ~PP>
Brian Wilson

My Stars and Stripes puffer quit eating about 7 weeks ago. MY Guess is... Overstocked, Under housed  3//15/07
<Hi Greg, Pufferpunk here>
My Stars and Stripes puffer quit eating about 7 weeks ago.  I didn't  think it was a problem because I know true puffers will do that from time to  time.
<"True" puffers?  Are there any other kind?>  
When my map
<Mappa?>
puffer and my Panther grouper started to act the same way, I got concerned and set up a hospital tank.  
<Wow, you have a lot of potentially huge fish!  How large is your tank?>  
All three showed some deterioration of the fins,
<Water quality issue.>
so I started treating with Maracyn and lowered the salinity a little (maybe to .016).  
<More stress to the fish.  Hyposalinity is for treatment of external parasites.  Sounds like large water changes, much larger tank & better filtration would have been the best course of action.>
The Stars and Stripes died in a couple  days.  After three
days the map looked more like his old self.  
<Sure, less bioload.>
The colors looked good again but he can't seem to eat.  He tries (not enthusiastically) but can't seem to swallow anything.  Today is the last day of the Maracyn treatment.  It seems to have helped the fin rot.  My tank is very stable but the nitrates are always high because I have so many  big carnivorous fish.  Someone had said that fish may lose their appetite in the presence of high nitrates.  I don't know.
<You have partially answered your own question.>
Maybe too long  without variation of the diet?  I feed a lot of krill mostly because I'm  too lazy to prepare a different diet.  Any advice would be appreciated.
<Many puffers develop lockjaw from a diet of only krill.  Puffers, like most fish, need a varied diet.  Puffers especially, need a varied diet of crunchy foods.  From your nitrate issues, somehow I don't think it's just your fish's menu you're just being lazy about.  Please consider that you are responsible for the life of a fish that has been removed form the ocean.  In your care, it should live into it's teens & grow larger than in the wild (26").  A Mappa puffer's MINIMUM tank size requirement for an adult is 240 gallons. I would recommend no smaller than this - more in the line of 300 - 500 gallons... the key is the water volume, to handle the bioload of this large, predatory fish.  Added tank mates would require even a larger tank.  Until then, water changes, water changes, water changes, until you can properly care for this fish.  ~PP>  
Thanks, Greg

Re: My Stars and Stripes puffer quit eating about 7 weeks ago. Puffer's Tank Size  3/15/07
Thanks for the help.  
<I'm trying...>
My tank is 300 gallons and I have a 400 acrylic I will fill someday for the map if it lives.  Sorry, Mappa.  
<Glad to hear that.>
It just doesn't make sense that all of my other fish (Golden puffer, Narrowlinned toadfish, Black and Dogface puffer, Porcupine puffer) are so incredibly healthy.  
<When I gave you the minimum tank size, that was just for 1 Mappa puffer.  Adding tank mates, would add to that size.  You have way too much bioload in that tank, unless all those fish are really small.  There is also a lot of competition between many aggressive fish in there.>
I will certainly do a lot of water changes to try and rectify the  situation but I have had enormous nitrate levels in the past and still had  healthy fish.  I once changed out my entire water supply except for the  sump and my nitrates still tested at 90ppm.  
<Are you using RODI water?  Do you have a refugium?>
I'm not proud of that but to me it seemed to demonstrate that
nitrates are not all that critical to a fish  only tank.  I was hoping for some magic medicine that might fix my favorite fish but until then I will do daily 20% water changes.  
<"The solution to pollution is dilution."  A huge tank for all those fish (we're talking close to a thousand gallons or more), many, many lbs of live rock & a huge refugium, to control nitrates.  These fish will become very stressed out.  They are territorial & need their "space".  Please look here (& elsewhere, if necessary) for minimum tank sizes for your fish.  The amount you see is for per fish, not a combination of fish: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Marine/
~PP.  
Thanks, Greg

Feeding new Puffer and Black Lionfish food from the Atlantic Ocean    10/3/06
Dear WWM,
<John>
We recently (yesterday) purchased a Dogface Puffer (Arothron nigropunctatus) and a Black Lionfish (Pterois ~ antennata/radiata)
<Neat animals>
In order to offer proper sustenance to the Puffer, I am wondering if it is acceptable to feed live caught crabs, clams, mussels from the Atlantic Ocean.
<Mmm, yes... with some provisos... that you understand the possibilities of introducing pathogens, pests and pollution mostly>
We live very close to beach here in North Carolina and have access to such prey items right out the back door.  I know that these prey items are not indigenous to the Puffer from a species perspective.  Is that a problem?
<Not this, no>
I am concerned that not being able to offer crustaceans to our Puffer may lead to lectures from the Fish Dentist that I would prefer to avoid.
<Heeee. Possibly>
Concerning the Lionfish, I basically have the same question about feeding small minnows (Popeye Mullet, Menhaden) caught locally.  Ironically, in the September issue of North Carolina Wildlife Magazine (http://www.ncwildlife.org/pg09_NCWildStore/pg9a1.htm) there was an article on Red Volitans having been found off the coast of North Carolina.
<Umm, yes...>
  Much to the surprise of marine biologist.  So, does this in itself make it okay to feed indigenous prey?
<Is okay>
I also rather suspect that Mr. Fenner may point out the possibility of introducing parasites, pollutants, and other problems into the system?
<Am ready for my holiday now... whenever you're ready to step in... Thank goodness!>
Is that a real possibility or one that could somehow be minimized with something akin to a fresh water dip of the prey items before introduction?
<Yes, and yes... even freezing/prep.>
One more quick question on the Lionfish, I am having a very hard time classifying it.  The fish is almost completely black and white.  At first I thought radiata but, the absence of the two horizontal stripes on the tail seems to rule that out.  But antennata, doesn't seem correct as our fish has plumage almost completely up the spines.  Should I just classify it as a Pterois Volitans? Until yesterday, I had never seen one like this.
<Almost assuredly this is a dark form of a Pterois volitans>
Last but not least, I want to offer a very appreciative thank you to the WWM team.  Especially Mr. Fenner.  Thanks to him I have suffered many sleepless nights from reading and reading and re-reading the Conscientious Marine Aquarist.
<Yikes... sorry about that/this. Bob Fenner>
Thanks,
John

-DFP Feeding Part 2-  9/3/06
<Kathryn>
Justin, thank you for replying so quickly! My guilt is setting in...he's begging to be fed!
<They are very good at doing that, but not giving in is the best thing you can do for it.  There is a reason they are called dog faced puffers, they are VERY good at being cute and begging.  Enjoy the DFP, hopefully it will live long and hit its 15"+ size in your care.>
<Justin>

-DFP Feeding Part 3-  9/3/06
<Kat>
Hi Justin...one last thing about Kirby...you mentioned a larger tank...like a 125. am I looking for length or depth? this will make a big difference in my purchase...does he need 6 feet, or is 4 feet and deep okay?
<A 6ft by 18inch deep tank at the minimum is a good choice.  a 6ft x 2ft deep tank or a 180 gallon tank would be perfect.>
Kat
<Justin>

Dogface puffer won't eat, crowded, teeth overgrown/ground down... no useful info.   8/14/06
Hi, I am very concerned about the fact that my dogface puffer he is about 4 - 4.5 inches long and he has not eaten in 2 weeks today.  He is in a 55 gal
<Too small>
tank with a maroon clown that is about 3.5 inches long and a lion fish that is about 11.5 - 12 inches long.
<Way too small>
I have had all three fish in the same tank for about 2 years and haven't ever had one problem.
<You are now>
  I clean the tank my self all the levels are good
<Like the prez, non-informational>
and the lion fish and the clown are both eating and acting and eating as they normally do.  The dogface puffer swims around
some then he just goes and lays on one side of the tank.  He has no white spots on him and no white film over his eyes.  I feed him dried jumbo krill,
small snails, and live clam.  He will not touch it I have even got some garlic extract and soaked the food to make him want to eat and he will not.
On one side of his mouth his teeth were overgrown a little.
<This could be it>
When he would open his mouth that side wouldn't open.  Yesterday I put him to sleep and trimmed his teeth thinking that because he couldn't open on one side is why he wouldn't eat, but today he still will not eat.
<Takes a while...>
I don't know what else to do and I don't want him to die I am very attached to him.  How long can he survive without eating?  PLEASE HELP
Dawn
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/trupuffdgfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. I urge patience, and a much larger tank. Bob Fenner>

Dog Face Puffer... beh., fdg., dis.   8/12/06
Hello - I have a 7 year old Dog Face Puffer (Rover).  About a week ago he became bloated and would not eat.  This has happened one other time (about
two months ago) and he seemed to work himself through it.  I'm guessing he was constipated.  This time, after a few days of his being bloated, I called
the vet to come and check him out.  He was scheduled to come out the next afternoon.  I had to call and ask him to come earlier because he had built
up so much air that it was blocking a small piece of one of his eyes. He also is generally lethargic.
<Periodic, common behavior in Tetraodonts>
  He rests against different items in the aquarium as well as on the bottom.  If I open the lid, he will start swimming around. The vet came out, trimmed his teeth (they were very long and Rover had no interest in snails or live rock) and squeezed his midsection to help encourage him to go to the bathroom.
<Good techniques>
  I need to mention that I have noticed in the past weeks that when he does go to the bathroom, it is whole pieces of krill.  While Rover is not as puffy now, he is still
puffy and still has no desire to eat.
<Give this fish time>
  I have tested the water and the readings are as follows:  PH - 8.6; NO2 < 0.3 mg/l; and NH3/NH4 - 0 mg.
None of the other fish (Tang, Clown Fish, Trigger and Damsels) seem to be having any issues.  Because my vet is not an expert, he has a call into a
doctor in one of the Carolina's.  That doctor is out of town and will not be back until the 08/15.  His associate has not returned his call and my vet
will be out of town for two weeks starting Monday.  I am at a loss and I hate seeing him miserable.  I would appreciate any input and/or suggestions.
Kristine
<Best to try to be patient here. Puffers are tough... and yours will likely be fine in time. Bob Fenner>

Adult dog faced puffer - 8/10/2006
I have had a dog faced puffer for about 5 years.  He's always been healthy and very active.  Kept in a 120 gallon tank with no other fish.  Purification system was fed RO Water and had an ETSS protein skimmer, a Eheim canister filter.  Tank has about 50-70 pounds of live rock.
In mid-may we had a flood which caused us to move the tank.  We moved the puffer, much of his rock, the filters onto a 72 gallon tank for about two weeks while we rebuilt the area around the 120.
Once done, we put him in a new 120 with a new skimmer.  His old filters and added a Fluval 404 (mainly for easier carbon changes) that I had laying around.
He seemed fine for a month.  At this point we did some dental work on his too-large beak (few drops of clove oil, quick Dremel tool work).  It went remarkably well and he demonstrated a larger appetite after this and showed no signs of trauma.
<Oft times takes a while to show... weeks>
Fast forward two uneventful weeks... Over the last two or three days he suddenly became a bit lethargic and the last two days has had a bit of a film over his eyes and body.  He now passively rests on the bottom of the tank.  My LFS is a very good fish/reef only store, but they are small and closed for a week long trip,
<Wow! Impressive!>
leaving me with no local support.  I'm extremely concerned and not sure what to do.  I've never had a fish with ich or any other infection before, though I've kept fish or reefs for about 15 years.  Nitrates showed high, with Ammonia, Nitrite, salinity all being within norms.
<Mmm... very likely nothing to be overly concerned about here>
Cash isn't really an issue, but I'm not sure what my options are.  At the moment we're purchasing some store-made water from another LFS on the shot that the elevated nitrates may be coming from our new RO system which has no de-ionizer (the old one did).  About to do a 15% water change to see if it has any effect at all.
Any help would be tremendously appreciated.
-Jason
<I would do "nothing"... Almost assuredly this puffer will recover, return to its cheery former self. Please read here in the mean while: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/puffcareinfo.htm
and the many puffer, Tetraodont linked files above. It is my hope that by perusing the concerns, efforts of others you will be more encouraged, understanding of the situation. Bob Fenner>

Feeding a Dogface Puffer  5/25/06
Hello -
<Hi Kristine, Pufferpunk here>
For the first time, my puffer (Rover) was not interested in eating his krill. He normally takes it from my hand but was taking extra pains to avoid it today.  He did eat a bit of a veggie cube. He is actually in my office suite.  The office he is in became vacant two weeks ago.  Is it possible he is depressed? His tank is being cleaned today in case that is the problem but I'm concerned that it may be because his teeth have become too long.  What do I need to do for him?
<If you are only feeding him krill, there is a possibility that he could be having nutrition problems, even causing lockjaw.  
See Feeding your Puffer: http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/puffer/food.html
If overgrown teeth is the problem, see Pufferfish Dentistry:  http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i1/puffer_dentistry/puffer2.htm>
He is my buddy and I would hate for anything to happen to him so any advice would be appreciated.
<Be sure to check the water parameters, as if they are off, this can cause loss of appetite.  Puffers are messy eaters & high waste producers.  Even in SW, 50% weekly water changes are recommended.  Unless he's a very small puffer, he should not be fed daily.  Puffers are sensitive creatures & do occasionally go on hunger strikes.  If it lasts more than a week, you can try adding a garlic solution to his food/water, to enhance appetite.  ~PP>
Kristine

Golden puffer Feeding - 5/1/2006
Hey guys,
<<…and girls! Lisa here.>>
I just recently added a Golden Puffer (Arothron meleagris) to my aquarium.
<<After QT, I trust? ;).>>
I have a 120 gallon FO tank with a Picasso, Tusk, Volitans lion, Blue face angel, and a Snowflake eel.
<<You are over-stocked.  The trigger and puffer will find your lions fins irresistible in time!>>
The puffer seems to have been interested in eating, and chewing on prawns when I feed them, but he doesn’t seem as though he's consuming the food. More tearing it up and spitting it out. Am I wrong or should I try to feed him something different?
<<You should make the puffer’s diet as varied as possible, incorporating much crunchy food to wear down dental plates.  Often puffers have that chew and spit type of eating, which is why they are considered such messy fish.  Are his teeth over-grown?
Thanks,
Samuel
<<Glad to help, Lisa.>>

Hard beak...hard question   3/3/06
Hello Crew,
<Daniel>
This is a question about a dog-faced puffer. I have been to www. thepufferforum.com and I've read your site's article on puffer
dentistry and finally I've searched a few pages on the puffer FAQ. Maybe if I had searched page number 15, ehh?
<Perhaps>
So my puffer is approx. six inches in length, is very healthy and seems to be content. He has learned to spit water at me to get an extra treat and that is part of
my question.
<Am spitting my coffee at the computer screen... Where's my treat?>
My tank over one year ago was treated with chelated copper and sat dry for over six months. I've used Chemisorb (spelling?)
<This is it>
and Polyfilters to soak some of that up, but any invertebrate I drop into his tank to wear his beak down dies in 10 minutes or so.
<Mmm, something else>
I am attached to my puffer and don't want to risk taking him out to use the Dremel. Ideas?
<Foods don't need to be live...>
My second question is I have also read from www.thepufferforum.com's library that in the wild, most don't eat every or even every other day.
<Very likely so. Have seen some quite thin ones in the wild>
Would I be simulating a more natural environment by feeding him 3-4 times a week?
<Or even less frequently, yes. Highly suggested. For large specimens, once, twice a week is about right. Bob Fenner>

Puffer Feeding Strikes  12/10/05
I have a dog face puffer, porcupine puffer, dragon wrasse and an algae blenny in a 185 gallon tank (water quality is good).
<In the future exact readings would be much better.>
All fish have been healthy and happy up until yesterday when my dog face went down hill (fast).
<Sorry to hear that.>
He is usually begging for food and the first one to eat. Most times I have to fool him with my finger so the rest of the fish can eat and he wont explode. But last night he didn't come out from his cave when I got home and didn't even look at the food. 
<Hunger strikes are not uncommon with Arothron puffers.>
I have been feeding all sorts of different things (at different times of course) for instance ghost shrimp, Mysis shrimp, prawns, crabs and on occasion live feeder fish. 
<Skip the feeder fish in the future.>
Just recently I started him on clams from the local fish market. 
<Feed them occasionally with shell on to wear down his teeth.>
Today his belly is swollen (2 to 3 times its normal size) with lumps (looks like he ate marbles), he is hanging on the bottom of the tank with his tail curled to his side and he is much darker in color.
<Sounds like a bloating problem, possibly from overfeeding.>
I suspect one of two things (maybe its neither) I hope you can clarify what the problem is and how I can fix it.
1. He started acting sick the day after his first clam. I froze it for a week as someone suggested but then I read some where else I should put it in salt water when I get them home from the store to extract any toxins which I did not do.
<The freezing method is fine.>
2. We had a real cold spell the night before he got sick and the temperature in the tank dropped from 75 to 72 in a matter of 12 hours.
<Yes that's not a good swing, could have stressed the puffer into a feeding strike.>
Any information you can give will be appreciated very much. I really adore this little guy and I hate to see him not feeling well.
<I would skip his feeding for another day and see if this helps with his bloating problem, then begin offering food again, not uncommon for feeding strikes to last over a week or even 2, so don't worry just yet. Other than that I would search through WWM re: puffers/feeding strikes for more insights.>
Thank you,
<Welcome.>
Leslie
<Adam J.>

Dog Faced Puffer Fish  10/21/05
Hello there,
I have a problem with my puffer "Fat Albert"  He has been with us now about 4 months.  He lives in a 280gal tank with only another puffer - I believe he is a Stars & Stripes, lots of live rock and a piece of plate coral that was purchased  for him to pick at, which he loves to do.  
When he came home it didn't take him long to own the tank. He seemed to be doing really well.  The only trouble was finding something that he would eat.  Will not touch pallets,
<Too woody... Heeee!>
bloodworm, crab. shrimp,  the only thing that he will eat is mussels which he devours within minutes.  "Fat Albert" and his little mate share the mussels. He also eats seaweed if I put it in the mussel shell.
We do put bloodworm in because the smaller puffer does eat anything.  Everything seemed to be going fine.  He had even started to hand feed (still well under the water surface).
Until four days ago, he has placed himself sideways on a rock ledge and does not move, except his eyes.
  He has also stopped eating. When the lights go off he moves only to be front on to the tank instead of sideways, he might come off his ledge but only just. I have no idea whats happened.   
All the water tests we have done are correct to the readings that you post on your site. Temp is constant.
I have read that they do go on hunger strikes for what ever reasons but not to swim.
<Both do occur>
He looks quite strange he seems to be sucking his tummy in.  When he is sideways you can see what appears to be circles protruding through his sides.  Does that sound really strange,  Last night I was watching him and thought he looked like he had goose bumps.
<Just internal parts...>
Temp was perfect.
Most confused and worried I have waited a long time for him.
Hubby has a reef tank and wouldn't let me buy one for that tank (understand why after watching him smash his through is own coral) so had to start my own tank,  waiting waiting waiting for everything to be perfect before he could come home and now I don't know what I've done wrong or how to fix it for "Fat Albert".
Please can you give me some advice....
Maz - "Fat Albert"
<Mmm, perhaps a good idea to try appetite stimulants (vitamins) added to the food (soaked) and tank water... Chemical filtrants (my choice? Boyd's Chemipure) in the filter flow-path... raising the specific gravity (if not already at 1.025)... general clean-up, of skimmer, larger water change... and patience. May have an internal/parasitic complaint that you could/can treat with vermifuge, anti-protozoals... Bob Fenner>

Dog Face Puffer  9/20/05
Hi, my name is Michelle
<Hi, Adam J here to help>
and I have a dog face puffer.  I have had it for a year with another puffer and a lionfish.  He has stopped eating and has gone from grey to yellow. I have tried to feed it various things and it will not eat.  His teeth are completely exposed and he acts like they are stuck.
<I fear this may be the problem.  It sounds from your description that your puffer’s teeth are overgrown.  Is not so much that he won’t eat but more than likely he can’t eat.  This is very common of Puffers in captivity.  Puffer’s teeth are much like our own fingernails and continue to grow.  In the wild puffers keep their teeth worn down by eating animals with hard-shells such as bivalves and crustaceans.  In captivity however if not offered foods with hard shells such as crab legs, whole shrimp and oysters (with shell on) the teeth grow unchecked.  It appears puffer may need minor dental surgery. Please read this link for an explanation http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i1/puffer_dentistry/puffer2.htm>
  I do not know how to help him.
<The link provided above will show you how to help him as well as avoid this in the future>
   Thank You, Michelle
<Anytime, Adam J>

Dogface puffer  9/7/05
Hi found your site today!!! Love it!!!
We have a 75 gallon tank with two lions, a dog face puffer, and a wolf eel which was previously a reef tank and still have live rocks in tank. We have a trickle filter and protein skimmer. Is there any additional filtration that would cut down on the time between water changes.
<Mmm, yes... most any additional filtration, of all modes would help here... but... what you really need is a much larger volume system>
Also, we've heard of double osmosis systems that we could use to make our own salt water at home. Is this necessary or is there any easier way, like store bought water that could be used with our oceanic sea salt mix?
<There are a few inputs, things to say... please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/seawater.htm
and the linked files above where you lead yourself>
  What is the typical size for a dog face in captivity and will our tank be large enough for our current stock?
<Mmm, likely six to eight inches... more than a foot in the wild, in large systems in captivity. It will be much better off in a bigger (twice plus the 75) system>
  I read about people hand feeding their puffers.  Are they actually reaching into the tank?
<Sometimes yes... take care... sharp teeth... and your lions...>
Our puffer is very friendly and we have touched him but I don't want to stress him or do anything wrong but of course I want to maximize my relationship with our fish.  The last thing is our eel and puffer rub on each other a lot. They both seem to enjoy it but should we be concerned about an aggression problem that we are not recognizing.
<Mmm, more likely friendly than agonistic. No worries. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Blue Dogface Puffer Not Eating (7-9-05)
My wife and I have a 125 FOWLR setup.  It has been up and running for over three months now.  We have had a Picasso trigger in there for about a month. He is only 4 inches at the moment. Yesterday, we purchased a Yellow Tang (5 inches) and a Blue Dog Face Puffer (4-6 inches). After we acclimated both of the new fish, we placed them in the aquarium.  In under an hour, the tang was doing fine.  The dogface just hid behind some live rock. He would come out occasionally, and then right back to the hiding spot.  This morning, the tang and trigger were feeding, but the puffer has no interest in food, although he was out and about.  First question is:  Have you ever heard of a blue dogface puffer?
<No not that I have heard of. However, there was a discussion back and forth about blue porcupine puffers. I was told by a LFS that some of these new puffers were coming in. I was curious but had never seen or heard of this color variant. I emailed the rest of the crew inquiring and the general consensus was that the fish must have been dyed, although the LFS did not believe this to be true. A. nigropunctatus is the species most commonly referred to as dogface puffer and these fish have several color variations including black, gray, golden and a splotchy mix thereof, but I have never seen or read about a blue color. So my guess is the fish has possibly been dyed.>
The second question is:  How long should it take him to feel comfortable enough to feed?
<It is always a good idea to ask to see the fish eat prior to purchase. That said, he may just need some time to acclimate to his new home. Keep the activity around the tank to a minimum and perhaps reduce the lighting for a few days. These guys are known to go on hunger strikes and can if previously well nourished and in good weight survive quite a while off their feed. Continue to offer him a variety of meaty fresh and frozen seafoods daily. I have had the best luck tempting reluctant feeders with krill and believe it or not lobster. The local Asian market, if you have one nearby, is a great source for a variety of seafoods.  Try clams, squid, oysters, shrimp, small crabs, prawns, or any other meaty seafood (excluding freshwater fish and mussels) Trader Joe’s is another excellent source for reasonably priced frozen seafood. If he's still being stubborn, give some small live crabs, snails, or even ghost shrimp from the local fish store a shot. Ghost shrimp should be gut loaded first by feeding them with a high quality flake food prior to feeding them to the puffer. They are usually kept in freshwater tanks, so drip acclimating them to saltwater prior to feeding them will prolong their survival in the puffer’s tank. If all else fails the next thing to try is some fishy “junk food”, AKA live brine shrimp. These may induce a feeding response when nothing else has. However these nutritionally void little shrimp should be saved as a last resort.  Be sure to stay on top of you water quality.>
I am an engineer at a local hospital, and I also take care of the marine aquariums we have there. <Excellent, what a nice aspect of your job!>
The hospital has a rather large dogface (normal brown/yellow coloration). When he was introduced to his aquarium, he was eating the same day.
<I think most do, they are typically pretty good eaters.>
Any info you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
<You’re most welcome. Hope this was helpful and best of luck with your new Puffer, Leslie>
P.S. I would love to see a photo of this fish.

Stars and Stripes Puffer
Hello, I have searched through the FAQs and can't find any problems that match up with mine exactly, hope this isn't a duplicate.
<Okay>
I am purchasing a tank from another hobbyist and he is including all livestock in the tank. Everything is eating and looking good except for the puffer. It is a Stars and Stripes puffer and he has a larger lump or bump or bubble under his chin. Also, the current owner says he hasn't eaten in almost 4 weeks. He appears to be swimming quite well and active around the tank, but won't eat. I can not see anything wrong on his skin, although the current owner says he sees patches (I just don't see them). The only thing the current owner has been feeding the puffer is dried krill. I went and bought some frozen shrimp and fish that the LFS recommended and I will try that on the puffer tonight. I will also try to test all water conditions ASAP on the tank (I am still in the process of buying the tank).
<Okay>
Do you folks have any recommendations of where to start trying to help this fish? Symptoms to look for or the next best step with this limited information? I'll attach a picture of the fish, although it doesn't show the lump under his chin very well.
<I would not be (overly) concerned re the bump/cyst... will come/go or not of its own accord. I would try adding a bit (a level teaspoon per ten gallons) of Epsom Salt to the system, offer some other foodstuffs as you've done... opened clams, mussels, claws/legs of crabs, lobsters... soaked in Selcon or equivalent... Is this tank too small for this specimen, species? This could likely be a factor here as well.>
Is there anything I should try when I move the tank this weekend or next? Halting the move is not an option since the seller is moving in 2 weeks. If water conditions are bad, is it terrible to do a full water change with the filtered sea water I can get in San Diego?
<Not a tremendous problem... there are shops that sell same, or will sell you water out of their systems... Go see Ron Elander of Octopus' Garden and mention my name if you have difficulties>
Thanks for anything you can offer!
David
<I would buy and move all w/o reservation. Bob Fenner> 

Porcupine Puffer
I have been sifting through your website trying to find a good diet for my puffer. I keep reading that these fish are supposed to eat snails, crayfish, and other hard-shelled crustaceans, but my puffer does not seem to want to eat anything other than guppies and goldfish. I have tried cutting up squid, silversides, and shrimp. He will not eat anything that is not running away from him. Any advice?
<I would first try some live ghost/grass shrimp. These are excellent. You could also probably get some small snails from your local fish store. These many times come in as unwanted hitchhikers on freshwater live plants. I also like to develop a routine for feeding finicky fish. Keep any live food in a separate container. That way the fish can only eat when you feed it. Then use a net to scoop up an add its favorite food, in this case guppies or goldfish. After they associate the net with food and come running whenever they see it, slip some other items in there. Many times they are so excited they swallow anything. I have used this method to train lionfish to eat prepared cubes of frozen foods. -Steven Pro>

Dogface puffer not eating (07/24/03)
<Hi! Ananda here with the puffers today...>
My dogface puffer that I have had for 2 years has stopped eating for about a week.
<Hmmm. It is not unheard-of for these fish to go on a "food strike". What are you feeding him?>
All my tank stats are where they should be and no signs of parasites or bacterial infection. I tried feeding him different foods but he just doesn't seem interested any suggestions would be appreciated
<Do check out our assorted Puffer Feeding FAQs, starting here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pufferfdgfaqs.htm ...also, check the length of his teeth! If they are overgrown, so that your puffer cannot open his mouth very far, you may need to do some puffer dentistry. If that's the case, let us know... --Ananda>

Porcupine Puffer Troubles
Boogiechillin on Aquaria Central recommended I email you...
<<Don't know Boogiechillin personally, but appreciate the recommendation... JasonC here.>>
I have been having some troubles with my Porcupine Puffer. He *can't* eat....
He seems unable to suck the food into his mouth...
I don't think it is the case, but I guess it is possible that he has beak overgrowth. <<It's the most likely explanation given the signs you describe.>>
First, is there any way to determine this by physically looking at the fish?! <<Should be obvious that it really can't open its mouth.>> Or just guess that the reason he stopped eating. <<This is certainly possible - puffers are known to go into a funk and not eat for days to weeks for reasons only known to the puffers. As quickly as they stop, they start eating again.>>
The real question here is, how would you correct beak overgrowth? Is there a way to file it down without harming the fish? <<There is a woman known as the Puffer Queen who routinely will anesthetize her puffers, remove them from the tank and then use a Dremel tool to file their teeth down. This is probably the best solution...>>
My puffer does allow me to "pet" him, and "cup" him while he is in the water. So I would possibly be able to hold on to him and attempt to file down the beak....let me know your thoughts....you can see my thread on Aquaria Central:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/html/Forum5/HTML/004511.html
<<There is a little more on the Dremel method here: 
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/allpufferfaqs.htm >>
Thanks for your time!
<<Cheers, J -- >>

Marine/Brackish/FW puffer with pinched tummy
I have a fresh water puffer that has been acclimated to saltwater. It is
a spotted puffer. The problem is the fish is about 2 inches and it belly
looks pinched. I have tried Maracyn I&II, copper, Organi-cure. This
fish as been acclimated for 1 year.
>>
Neat, this animal no doubt came from marine, brackish to sewage water in the wild, survived the move and being plunked into fresh, and now you've got it back into salt! Some tough customer! I wouldn't worry too much about the pinched appearance (many puffers look this way in the wild, until they get their occasional large meal!), nor treat it with any sort of chemical medication. If you want to see it really round, do try offering it a fabulous meal: a largish shrimp (even one for human consumption, or a large frozen/defrosted Krill, they really like these), or a whole-opened clam from the super market... You'll be surprised and no doubt pleased by your now-plump puffer.
Bob Fenner

Puffer Teeth
<Uhhh. I'd better let Bob answer that one when he gets back from Asia. Mid-June sometime! -Lorenzo>
I have a little green spot puffer with "fangs!" I've heard that I could trim
them myself but I'm not sure how to go about it. He's beginning to have
trouble eating and I don't want to lose the little guy.
Any help you could give me would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Tiffani
<Some folks do Dremel tool to hand file some "bucky" puffer teeth... but in many cases these fishes will do this themselves... Provide yours with a "chalky" type of small shellfish (like a cockle) and you should see improvement over time. Bob Fenner>

Dogface puffer problem
Robert:
I have a 35 gallon saltwater fish tank, fish only. Currently I only have
one dogface puffer in the tank. The levels are all in range, but the puffer
has stopped eating and become very lethargic. I know puffers go on hunger
strikes, however, he is also not nearly as active as in the past. I have
had this fish for approximately 6 months and this is the first time he has
done this. He typically eats right out of my hand and allows me to touch
him. Recently he feels slimier than usual. What can be causing this, if
anything? Please advise.
<Hmm, could be a (latent) parasite... expression of an internal infectious disease... perhaps this animal "swallowed something" (like a rock, a bug that fell in...)... perhaps the result of a cumulative nutritional deficiency... Most likely this is "nothing", however, if it were me/mine, I would do a series of substantial (20%) water changes, return the system's specific gravity (if it's not 1.025 or so)... do add a vitamin supplement to the water and the offered foods... and keep offering food daily, but remove it if not taken in a few minutes. Good luck. Bob Fenner>
John

Help my Puffer Please!
Dear Bob,
I am so sad that my poor little Puffy is sick. He has been with me for about
6 months and he was doing great till about 2 weeks ago. He all of a sudden
cannot eat. He tries and tries but only comes to the food and then retreats
as soon as the food goes near his mouth. I have a guy who takes care of my
fish tank and he thinks it may be a calcium deficiency from only eating
krill. I have tried crushing it into smaller pieces but he cannot seem to get
it in his mouth. Otherwise he is acting fine, he responds well when he sees
me and has no unusual spots. I hate seeing him suffer and I love him like
"normal" people would love their puppies. Please help me figure this out. I
will try anything at this point!!! I have started adding liquid calcium to
the tank. Its 92 gallons and all my other fish are doing great.
Thank you so much for your time.
Sincerely, Karin
<This is not an unusual situation, as you will find by reading the FAQs about puffers on out site starting here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pufferFAQs.htm
Please have your service person contact me if you don't feel up to force feeding your puffer... and possibly Dremel-tooling its teeth down... likely they are overgrown and at least contributing to the present trouble. You'll need to secure a plastic baster, cannula, what have you, tube with a bulb on the end for the force feeding... a meaty mash laced with a liquid vitamin preparation (baby vitamins or ones designated for pet-fish), and a bit of mashed up garlic (fresh is best)... do this every three days for three times... Be chatting. Bob Fenner>

Spotted puffer
Hi I have another question about Pufferfish. I noticed my puffer was not eating to well , been feeding him just regular fish food flakes
<These will not sustain Puffer species>
so today I bought him some snails and some frozen prawn shrimp . He loved the prawn , tore it up like he was starving. Are those good things to feed him on a regular basis?
<Yes>
Should I feed him that on a daily basis?
<No, need to vary diet with other meaty, fresh, frozen, prepared foods>
If so how often? Also after eating his belly got swollen , how long will it stay like that and should I wait till his swelling goes down before I feed him again?
<Wait. Bob Fenner>

Blackspotted puffer (Arothron nigropunctatus)
Good evening,
I have two questions about this fish:
1). Can he live happily on a diet that consists of uncooked prawns/shrimps+nori, both soaked in Zoë and Zoecon overnight? He does not accept ANYTHING else....
<I would either look about, try other foods... or learn to "stuff" the prawns with other meaty foods... Not good for any animal to have such a restricted diet>
2) Is it at all possible that the Blackspotted might be sexually harassing my spiny puffer (Diodon holocanthus)? 
<Not likely sexual, but harassment just the same, yes>
They are the same size... I know it sounds weird, but the Blackspotted gets on top of the Spiny when the lights go out, and they swim up and down the tank as if they were mating. Sometimes during this adventure Spiny gets inflated into a ball (sign of threat that he tries to protect himself from, I guess). Any advice will be appreciated.
<Enjoy them! Really, nothing too strange going on here... the group of fishes that includes the Puffers (the Tetraodontiformes, encompassing the Triggerfishes...) are "smart", social animals in many ways... These two are just friends. Bob Fenner>

Striped Puffer
Hi, <<Hello>> I have a 3 in. striped puffer, Arothron . I looked up info on your site and it only said gets to 6 in. in aquariums. Have you ever kept this puffer? <<I have not, I have kept other puffers, but not this one.>> Do you know what I should feed him? I am feeding him krill, Mysis, brine, formula 1 and 2, is this good? <<Yes, that is all good.>> Also, can you gives me specific tips that you know on this puff? <<Sure, those krill should be whole krill - is good for puffers.>> Thanks!
<<You are welcome. Cheers, J -- >>