Valentini Puffer Problem - 07/03/09 WWM Crew: I have a valentini puffer named Stanley. He is roughly 4 years old. He is normally a very happy, social fish but this morning he is acting a little strange. He is swimming in a vertical position. He is literally swimming around the tank with his nose pointed toward the sky. In addition, he has a gray swelling on his ventral side, just anterior to his anal fin. (Looks like he is constipated???) <Hmm... no, not as such; rather, looks simply very underweight. He looks a prime candidate for the quarantine tank, where I'd be fattening him up on a rich diversity of seafood: squid, prawn, cockle, scallop, even small bits of white fish. Most anything from the Sushi bar will do, but do remember not to overdo things rich in thiaminase, as these can cause long term problems: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_6/volume_6_1/thiaminase.htm So while prawns and mussels are good sources of protein, balance them out with seafood that doesn't contain thiaminase, such as cockles and squid. Since you've had him a while, an obvious couple of questions to ask is how much he's been eating, and what have you been giving him?> As he swims around the tank his posterior end bumps into things. Also he seems to be sitting on rocks. Granted, I have seen him sleep before, but he never rests on rocks in the middle of the day. Maybe it could even be considered rubbing. He has what looks like gray spots on the right and left side of his beak. From my reading, that seems to be stress lines. <Colour looks about right, he's just rather "bony", so underlying structures like muscles may be more obvious.> Stanley was just transferred into the tank two weeks ago. No problems, mushrooms and other fish doing fine. I have a goby and a bulldozer shrimp in the tank with him (they get along okay, and the other fish appear to be fine, although i don't see them very often.) The tank dined on bloodworms last night. <Bloodworms aren't really the ideal thing for Canthigaster puffers, though they like them, and really do need a richer, more marine-based diet. I'd be looking more towards krill, mysids, chopped cockle, minced squid, and other such frozen marine foods. Conversely, brine shrimp, though widely offered, contain virtually no useful nutrition, being almost entirely "fibre". Puffers also need some greens, whether Sushi Nori, blanched lettuce, or even cooked peas and algae wafers (puffers generally enjoy these last two items). Puffers that don't "get their greens" may well be prone to vitamin deficiency, and at the very least, we know they can't synthesise the toxins for which they're famous. I know Bob recommends the use of vitamin additives to meaty foods (brands such as Selcon) and that may be as good a way as any to ensure an optimal diet for those opportunistic, omnivorous fish we call Puffers.> Stanley is pretty awesome, hate to have anything happen to him. What do you think is up, and can i do anything to help him? Thank you! Amy <Do read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tobyfdgfaqs.htm Cheers, Neale.> Re: Valentini Puffer Problem - 07/03/09 Thanks for the help... <My pleasure.> I knew at one time that he was larger in the belly, but was told that I was overfeeding him. <Puffers generally are "big eaters" that thrive best when given "a little, but often". Their mode of swimming isn't very efficient, and they are rather active, so I guess they use up those calories faster than many other fish of similar size.> I will go buy him some seafood today. Won't be too hard as I am in south Louisiana. <Indeed.> I don't have a quarantine tank, would it be okay to leave him with the goby and bulldozer shrimp? or does he present a clear and present danger to them? <He'll likely ignore the goby, assuming the goby spends most of its time hidden. As for the shrimp, it's always a gamble with puffers; shrimps are dinner, but the larger species may be robust enough not to be viewed as edible. If he hasn't bothered the shrimp thus far, you're probably fine. Conversely, it's hard to imagine the goby or the shrimp competing too strongly against the puffer at feeding time.> Thanks again for the advice. I doubt I would have any fish without the help of your website. Amy <Good luck, Neale.>

starved

Valentini Puffer Behavior Change... hlth., no reading    7/23/09 Hello again! I recently wrote regarding a bicolor angel in a 30 G tank with a valentini puffer and goby. (the tank has a 55 G tetra carbon filter on it. water and filter media was changed less than a week ago.) The bicolor was a new addition to the tank, after less than a week, he developed cloudy eyes and nipped fins. I did a water change, but the Wet Web Crew informed me my tank was too small. The bicolor was brought back to the store it was purchased from (and has since passed). <...> Now, about a week later, my poor valentini is acting a little strange. <The fish in the pic is starved...> He is resting, a lot. when he does swim, he scratches himself on the rocks frequently. I have never seen him do this. And now, as I type this email, he has a bulge on his ventral side, just below his pectoral fins. :-( I took a picture of him and will be attaching it. He was underweight. I have been hand feeding him a krill a night as well as putting mysis shrimp and angelfish food in the tank for his and the goby's pleasure. He eats well. Has eaten today, just isn't active and is scratching. (and now, not 5 minutes later, the bubble on his belly is gone) This is very strange... I have had these two fish since I bought my first fish tank. I am going to be pretty devastated if i loose him. Thanks for your continued support! Amy <Read, don't write: http://wetwebmedia.com/tobyfdgfaqs.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner> Valentini Puffer Behavior Change addition!   7/23/09 Oh no! I sent the wrong picture! that's an old one. Attached is a picture of the weird lump. He is hiding out now. Curled up on the bottom, in a cave in the rocks. Its where the bicolor hid just before we got him out. :-( Amy <Along with your reading assignment, add "goiter", "iodide" to the search. Bob Fenner>

Jewel Puffer Trouble
Hi!
<Hello Bernie>
I got a Jewel Puffer
<A Toby, Canthigaster solandri I'll assume>
about 5 days ago from a friend of mine with 3 other fish that it lived with for about a year. The puffer looked very happy in my tank that has a lot of established live rock and water conditions that are also good and
tested.
I fed it Newlife Spectrum 1mm sinking pellets and it would eat the most out of all the fishes in my tank. It looked very hungry.
<May need to be "weaned onto" this fine food... Such animals largely consume animal flesh in the wild>
3 days later I noticed that the stomach looked a bit funky in that it looked like there were irregular bulges around the stomach. 2 Days after that the stomach now looks like it's swollen but smooth but looks very
bloated. Hope this makes sense.
<Mmm... could you send along images?>
Today the puffer started hanging out at the bottom of my tank under a side of a rock and just stayed there like it was trying to relax with very little movement. I thought it was dying so I would try to get it to move
and then as it swims out it looks totally normal(it's behavior) but then goes back to finding a place where it can settle and not be disturbed.
Right now it's resting his large swollen belly on a rock and just chilling in the same spot. What should I do?
<Try other meaty foods, perhaps laced/soaked in appetite/vitamin et al. supplement (e.g. Selcon)>
I read the many questions you answered on the FAQs but didn't want to stress out my puffer(using the methods to expel air out of his body) if that wasn't the case. Did he just eat too much?
<Maybe this or something that just didn't "agree with her/him"... from the live rock could have come a myriad of indigestible to toxic materials>
Thanks for your help!
Bernie
<The meaty foods... Mixed in time with more and more Spectrum. Bob Fenner>  

Canthigaster distress. Env.  5/10/09 Hello Crew We have 2, 125 gallon tanks, housed in one stand, one on top of the other. The top tank is well established with 120lbs of live rock, some hairy mushrooms and a large toadstool...haven't been picked on in two years and doing great. The fish are a Porcupine Puffer, Stars and Stripes Puffer, Unicorn Tang and a Fox Face. Both tanks run off the same sump and were filled at the same tank but the bottom one only had water in it. <I see> The bottom tank is now just getting started and it only has 50 lbs of live rock so far, a few corals and the fish are a Valentino Puffer, Kole Tang, 2 Square Anthias (male and female), 4 Pajama Cardinals. The Valentino Puffer used to be in a tank where he got picked on pretty badly and had one of his little arm fins ripped right off. so we moved him to the tank he's currently in. He hadn't eaten for 6 days when we moved him. <I see also from your pic... starved> He started eating right away and does still seem to be eating and isn't getting picked on at all. But for the past couple of days he looks as though his belly is distended. Is this possibly from not eating enough? <Possibly> He is eating..but maybe the other fish are faster as they have all their fins and he's slower due to missing one. Really don't want to lose him. He's a really nice fish. Water parameters are as follows: PH is 8.11, nitrites, phosphates and ammonia are undetectable, calcium is 440, magnesium is 1400, KH is 11 and nitrates are approximately 35. Very high. <Yes... way too> This is right after two large water changes. Could the nitrates be affecting him? <Yes> Are we able to add anymore live rock or will this make our situation with the nitrates worse? <If cured sufficiently will/can help... There are several other tact's to reducing NO3 though. Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/nitratesmar.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner> Any help you can offer would be appreciated. Thanks! Jen

Puffer in distress, Environment 4/10/09
I wanted to thank you for your informative website. It's been very helpful to new aquarists like myself in avoiding major blunders.
<Thanks>
However, we recently added a valentini puffer to our 65 gallon aquarium and after four days, he has become lethargic and keeps his tail curled. This has been a change from his previously bouncy personality and I read in one of your forum posts that the curled tail is a sign of illness.
<Can be.>
None of our other fish seem affected and, in fact, the only other possible symptoms are his lack of appetite and somewhat hazy eyes. Our ammonia is at .25ppm and our nitrates are at 20ppm - high and we are doing additional water changes to help with that.
<This is most likely the problem, puffers are very sensitive to water quality, ammonia MUST be 0, and I am guessing your nitrites are also more than 0, although not listed here. This is most likely effecting all of
your fish, although they are not yet showing symptoms.>
Our salinity has been steady at 1.022 and our temperature has always been 75.
<Why are you keeping your salinity below natural levels?>
We've been feeding a variety of foods, including mysis and brine shrimp with Spirulina, red and green seaweed, Arctipods, and angel food high in sponge content. Our other fish are two ocellaris clowns, a blue hep tang,
<Will need a larger tank>
diamond watchman goby, coral beauty angel, strawberry Basslet, scooter blenny,
<Will also need a larger tank>
and a thornback cowfish.
<Gets football sized, will also need a larger home.>
What recommendations to help our valentini would you have?
<Improve your water conditions.>
Would a freshwater dip help?
<No>
Any help or guidance you could give would greatly help - we need it!!!
Thank you for your time!
Bobby and Stephanie Tucker
<Ammonia and nitrites must be 0, these are very toxic and most likely the root of your problem. You will also need to address your stocking to be successful long term.>
<Chris>

Valentini Puffer; prob. nematodes – 09/15/08
Hi!
<Hello Amy.>
My Valentini Puffer, Stanley, is roughly a year and a half old. He was in a 100 galloon, tank with several other fish. We recently moved him to a tank, that is a much more stable environment, i.e. water quality maintained, light conditions correct, etc. He is now in a 75 gallon, with a goby, live rock and some coral. (He hasn't decided to taste the coral... yet.) He has been in the new tank for about two weeks.
Stanley has been his normal, very friendly self lately, but he appears to be lopsided. His belly has gotten enormous (probably from over feeding.) I wasn't too worried about it until the area around his left gill and pectoral fin became inflated. The inflated area stretches from his belly up behind his gill to his dorsal side just behind his eye. It is only on his left side.
<Probably nematodes and/or an internal bacterial infection.>
He doesn't appear to have nematodes (we can't see any under his scales).
<There are many different kinds of parasitic nematodes. Some live under the skin, some infect various internal organs. Fast growth of an unsymmetrical swelling is a typical symptom.>
And I tried burping him. He puffed several times (for the first time ever) but no air came out of him. Any suggestions on what else could be wrong with him, or if there is anything I can/should do?
<Treat in a hospital tank with a wormer for at least 3 weeks. Fenbendazole, Flubenol or similar depending on where you are, what you can get, if you are willing to consult a vet, would be good choices. Also see WWM re nematodes, treatment options.>
Thanks for your help! Amy
< I’m sorry but have to tell you that this can be lethal. Good luck. I hope he gets well again. Marco.>

Fiji Puffer Not Eating, Going Downhill   8/29/08
Hello and thank you for your help in advance! I really appreciate all of the good info on the site but I am at a loss for what to do about my puffer. I have a 45 gallon tank
<Mmm, what species of puffer is this?>
(AquaC Remora skimmer and a Fluval 405 canister filter) which has one 3" Fiji puffer (Canthigaster solandri), a 5" dwarf zebra lionfish,
<Mmm, these fishes are not really compatible... the Lion will try to eat the puffer, and the Clowns below... the Toby, bite the Lion...>
two 1-2" false opercula clowns, a 2" bubble tip anemone,
<... and this BTA... not compatible with the Lion in such a small volume>
several soft corals
<?!>
and some hermit crabs.
<Again, too likely fodder for the Dendrochirus>
I do weekly 5 gallon water changes, and the ammonia = 0, nitrates = 0, nitrites = 0, Ph = 8.3 using a Aquarium Pharmaceutical kit, specific gravity = 1.024 using a hydrometer, temp = 78 degrees. The tank has been running for 2 years and the puffer was our newest member one year ago. About 3 weeks ago I noticed that the puffer was gradually getting less eager to eat (generally quite greedy), and for the last two weeks he hasn't eaten at all. He makes no effort to come to the top when I feed him and although his eyes follow pieces of food that go by, he does not go for them. My question is whether lockjaw only occurs with the mouth closed?
<Mmm, most of the time, yes, but have seen it "locked open" as well>
He has had his mouth fairly wide open since I noticed that he has stopped eating and I am wondering if the problem could be lockjaw?
<But... from what cause?>
I try to feed him a varied diet of shrimp, squid, mussels, scallop, krill and occasionally a bit of fish, and we add vitamins (Zoe) every week or two,
<Good>
so it doesn't seem like the typical culprit for getting lockjaw by only feeding him krill. However I don't know what else the problem would be since there does not appear to be any external problems (ick, bumps etc.). I don't believe his teeth are too long since his lips totally cover his teeth and there is quite a space between his upper and lower beak (normally he regularly scrapes algae off of about 12 lbs of live rock).
<Good, observation and fact>
It sounds like puffers can live much longer without food, but he is getting thinner and is breathing harder and faster than normal. Over the last day or so he seems to be going downhill and rests on the sand for periods of time during the day, breathing hard with his dorsal fin down and his skin turning the brown blotchy coloration he gets when he sleeps at night.
<Yes... all signs of severe stress>
Occasionally during the day I do see him fan his tail so I don't think he's quite on his deathbed. Should I try to force feed him?
<Mmm, I would not>
I am moving him into a 10 gal QT tank now...
<Good>
should I leave him there until he eventually starts to eat again?
<Yes I would>
Any suggestions would be great! Thank you!
Laurel
<Thank you for writing so well and thoroughly Laurel. That you've had this fish for a year... and use vitamins, have live rock... leads me to think there may "just" be something "genetic" or developmentally wrong with this Toby... Or if it has been somehow toxified by your Soft Corals (happens quite easily from them being chewed...), moving this fish to the quarantine may well solve this issue... I would use the water from the main tank in making water changes in the QT... Do try offering some small opened shellfish as food items... Bob Fenner>

Valentini Puffer Issues, hlth.  07/07/08
Hello -
<Rachel>
I have had a small, 2.5" or so, Valentini puffer for a few months and it seems to be doing really well in a tank with a clown fish, two damsels and
two small crabs. We constantly test our water and everything is in good condition. However, on its belly (and I don't really know how to describe
this) between the dorsal and tail end of the fish there are little bumps and it appears that there is something below the skin. The skin is not discolored; it just looks like little balls under the skin. The puffer shows no change in behavior or appetite. Thank you for any help you can give.
Rachel Moser
<Mmm, the usual guesses are Sporozoans or encysted worms... the former not really treat-able per se, the latter can be... with Anthelminthics... See WWM re if concerned... most times folks just ignore. Don't seem to be debilitating. Bob Fenner>

Spots on Valentini 4-28-08
Hello all,
I have tried searching for my problem to no avail. I have a valentini puffer that, a few weeks ago, got a few very small white spots on his fins. I treated for ich via a few small doses of malachite green (as I had heard of its many "flaws"). The spots did go away for a few days, but have since returned.
<Did you treat in quarantine or in the main display tank?>
The puffer is acting completely normal, and the white spots are much smaller than a grain of salt. The other fish in the tank do not seem to have similar symptoms. The fish is housed in a 55-gal tank with 2 clowns; the water conditions are usually good (SG 1.021, ph 8.25, amm 0, ite 0, ate 10). His eyes appear to be very slightly cloudy at times, but I think this may just be the angle I am viewing from. He is my favorite little guy; any suggestions?
<I would do a large water change on your tank and also feed some foods soaked in vitamins to your Valentini. Get a quarantine set up and follow through with a Formalin dip to remove the white spot. You can learn more at : http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dips_baths.htm ; http://www.wetwebmedia.com/formalinart.htm ; >
Thanks for your time,
<You’re welcome! –Yunachin>
Kayla

Re: Spots on Valentini Puffer 5-1-08
Hello again,
<Hello.>
I did the formalin dip and water change as suggested. I did a 6 minute dip but could not continue as my puffer was beginning to have a hard time exchanging air ("panting").
<That’s fine.>
However, the white spots on my puffer's fins have actually gotten worse since that treatment. Do you have any idea as to what this may be? The spots are now larger in size, some being the same size and some being smaller than a grain of salt. Again, the Valentini is acting completely normal.
<There is a good possibility that it is Lymphocystis, which is considered environmental and viral and though there is no cure, usually goes away on its own. Maintain pristine water conditions and feed a vitamin enriched diet to help speed things along. Check out this link for more information: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/lymphfaqs.htm; http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pufferfdgfaqs.htm; >
Thanks again for your time and assistance. I really don't want to lose my little guy.
<No worries. Good Luck! –Yunachin>
Kayla

Sick Valentini Puffer?? Or Over Indulgence.. 4-2-08
Hi guys,
<Girl. And that would be Yunachin. ^_^>
My brother bought me a Valentini puffer for my birthday last week and it has been great, until tonight.
He was swimming around as normal then came to rest on a piece of rock and wouldn't move. Within the space of 5 minutes his color changed and had a distinctly purple hue.
<He may be scared and trying to blend in.>
He is panting and looks like he is paralyzed except for his eyes. He follows me with his eyes as I move in front of the tank but will not move fins or tail. This is the quickest change in a fish’s behavior I have ever seen. I have really bonded with him over the last week and really don’t want him to die!
<Any other odd things that you notice? Cloudy eyes, white spots, skin lesions?>
I have a 75G tank, Green Duncan coral, three types of Zoanthids and a tiny Blue Tang.
Temperature is 27.5C SG is 1.024 Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 20
<Salinity may be a little high for him IMO. He may do better at 1.021>
He has been eating oyster and live brine shrimp.
I fed him a little squid tonight, that was the only thing out of the ordinary, maybe an hour before he started acting strange.
<It wasn’t seasoned right? Just fresh from the market?>
As a side note I was actually going to bring him back to the shop as I did research as soon as my brother told me what he had put into my tank, but 'puffy' has behaved quite well, not nipping any coral and Swimming alongside the Tang.
<Not every puffer will eat coral but they do like to “taste” from time to time and can have a nasty habit of nipping fins.>
I've been meaning to have 65L of water change made up just in case and now I wish I did.
<Hopefully you have made some in the meanwhile…>
Please help, I can’t stand to see him that way!
<Honestly, I think this is nothing short of over indulgence. Puffers are a common case of having “eyes bigger than their bellies” and will eat until just about bursting. He most likely ate too much then settled down to rest on the rock, changing his colors to blend in and protect him from danger, so he could digest. If you notice him doing this for longer than a couple of hours or if he develops cloudy eyes, inflamed fins, or white spots, I would be worried. Go ahead and do the water change anyways, it will not hurt. Keep me posted and good luck. –Yunachin>

Re: Sick Valentini or Over Indulgence  4-6-08
Thanks for the reply, Yunachin.
Yes, the squid was unseasoned. :)
<Awesome.>
Just thought I’d drop you a note regarding the Valentini's behavior.
I was told by someone on a fresh water puffer forum that puffers sometimes 'roost' for the night on a favorite rock.
I believe this is what mine was doing.
<Absolutely! Puffers have favorite sleeping spots just like cats and dogs.>
He did the same thing the next night, and the factor that was common to both nights, and that I neglected to mention, was that I had turned the lights back on within 5 seconds of them going off on the timer. I wanted another half hour of viewing pleasure.
<So you caught him in his bed-time colors! Many fish take on “night colors” for safety.>
Just last night I inspected my tank a few hours after "lights out" with a subdued red light and found the puffer 'roosted' vertically in the top corner of the tank.
<Cute!>
I have never heard of this before and thought you guys (and girls) might want to know.
<I am happy to hear that all is well with you and Mr. Valentini.>
Thanks again and keep up the good work!
<Thank you! I am confident that you and your Valentini will have a friendship that will last a long while. –Yunachin>
Steve

(Canthigastrinae) Valentini Puffer, issues….and not enough info to help 3-24-08
Dear WWM crew,
<<Hello.>>
I really need help fast.
<<We will do our best.>>
I have not had much luck with puffers and I am on my second one.
<<Uh-oh.>>
He was fine and then he started acting odd
<<Mmm...can you describe “odd?”>>
and I don't know if he had this but there is now a thick black line on his belly. That area looks kind of pinched too.
<<Sounds like malnutrition, how long have you had the specimen and how long has he been in this state? What are you feeding him, how much and how often?>>
Please help me and my pet puffer.
<<I need some more details first, including the above questions I also need to know what type of system the specimen is in, with what other animals, what are the water parameters....?>>
Also I forgot to say that they are valentini puffers.
<<Start reading my friend; http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tobies.htm.>>
Thanks
<Adam J.>>

Valentini Puffer introduction... hlth., beh.   1/5/08
Hi guys
<Wil>
I just bought a new valentini puffer.. and I picked it up yesterday...
I did the usual leave the bag in the tank.. put some tank water in the bag... (did not quarantine).
<You'll learn>
It was swimming a bit yesterday but has mostly stayed on the ground.
<Not atypical behavior>
This morning I found it on the ground of the tank not moving. I poked it and it moved but would not swim.. it looked like it would hop and that's about it. Is it sleeping? And when it stays on the ground, it looks like he's breathing heavily.
<... could be trouble>
am worried that it is struggling to get used to the new tank conditions.
<What were "the old tank conditions?">
Tank conditions: SG 1.023-1.025, Ammonia = 0 Nitrite = 0...
How long does it take for Valentinis to acclimate to its new surroundings, is it common that they stay on the bottom for long periods of time.?
<Usually w/in a day or two...>
What can I do to make the acclimatisation smoother?
Thanks guys.
<At this point? Not much... keep an eye on this fish... read re its care... Maybe on WWM! Bob Fenner>

Canthigaster Valentini in Distress 10/13/07
<Hi Biance, Pufferpunk here>
I've read up on the Sharpnose Valentine puffer but I still cannot find a clear cut answer as to why he/she is breathing so quickly... looks almost as if it's panting. My brother has a very successful 25 gallon aquarium. I started my 12 gallon tank about four weeks ago and I finally decided to add my first fish, the Valentini.
<How was the tank cycled? Is there liverock in there? How was the fish acclimated to your tank?>
Everything seemed fine the first night but when I woke the next morning and checked on him/her, it was hidden-lying on it's belly in a corner behind one of my live-rock and was panting... I thought maybe the light had frightened him/her. I got worried so I transferred him to my brother's little quarantine tank. I kept him in water the whole time, no direct air contact. I would like my fish in my tank, are there any suggestions?
<I need to know more about how the tank was cycled, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, after your fish seemed distressed. 12g is way too small for this puffer. I recommend at least 25g & with all the swimming they like to do, 40g is best (that's what mine is in & she swims everywhere & investigates everything.>
I do a 10% water change practically every other day.
<Why?>
The store told me to feed him brine shrimp and once in a while shelled food (shrimp/mussels etc.)
<Brine shrimp has basically no nutrition (mostly contains water). The other foods you are feeding, should be his main diet.>
More details: my pH levels are fine, my specific gravity is fine, nitrite is perfect, nitrate is fine as well.
<Words like "fine" and "perfect" mean absolutely nothing to someone trying to diagnose a problem for you.>
All of my corals are doing well and there is a sufficient amount of algae.
<Sufficient algae? What do you mean? Most folks don't like any algae at all in their tanks.>
The Valentini is in my brother's tank right now and the fish is lying on it's side... :(
<I really need to know your exact parameters. Also, answer all my other questions, so I can help you better. I'd definately say your tank is way too small for that puffer. How did the puffer look/act at the shop? ~PP>
Any help be appreciated!
Thank you, Biance

Valentini Puffer needs some floss!  7/31/07
Hi WWM!
About a week ago we noticed a stringy substance coming out of our Valentini Puffer's mouth. After surveying our tank I realized one of our giant snails had been pecked at and was partially missing. So I am assuming Cupid (yes we named our fish) had taken a chunk of the snail. It's been a week and whatever it is, is still stuck between his teeth. It's a little over an inch long and a cloudy clear color (sorry I can't be more descriptive). It's very thin but wide, my fiancé would guestimate 3mm. I would attempt to take a picture of it but he isn't photogenic at all he hides from the camera. He is eating fine and nothing has dislodged it but we are worried that it could some how harm him or his tank buddies. All our starfish have their limbs and the only other fish we added the day after. Should we be worried? Should we attempt to pull it out?
Thanks,
Steph
<Hello Steph, I've seen this with my freshwater puffers from time to time, usually when they're teeth are getting to the point they need trimming. In the wild, pufferfish teeth are constantly being abraded by the shells of the prey they eat, but in captivity, their teeth can become overlong and the end result is odd quirks like what you're describing. Sometimes the fish eventually clean their teeth themselves, but if you want to do the job yourself, and it's perhaps worthwhile, it isn't difficult. Net the pufferfish carefully, and then using long-nose forceps to pull away the detritus. Puffers have quite tough, leathery skin but just as with any other fish you should avoid touching them with anything rough or dry. If you're concerned the fish will thrash about wildly, you can sedate puffers safely using clove oil, but try to do the job without first and see how you go. Jeni has written a nice how-to on puffer dentistry for WWM, and having a read of that will give you some more tips: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/smpufferdentistry.htm . Cheers, Neale>

Sharpnosed Puffer with Black Facial Growth
Hello the Crew...
 <Howdy!>
First off...let me thank you for being accessible...I search your most excellent site on a very regular basis and even recommend your website to my customers for answers that I cannot supply.
 <Ahh!> I have looked for days on your site for a similar situation as this, but to no avail...Maybe I just don't know exactly where to look...sorry. < I work as the outside aquarium maintenance technician at a Pet Store and we received a white spotted (sharpnosed)? (Toby)? puffer
<Yes... a Canthigasterine> 
and have had it for a couple of weeks...I don't know when it developed this malady, but a few days after we got it, I noticed a black pigment type discoloration around the left eye and also around the mouth... then it began to slowly spread and the left eye clouded over... I have searched high and low for the answer to this but, cannot find any info on what it is, much less how to treat for it.  <This appearance, condition is likely neuronal... the nervous system... Resultant from a mechanical injury (perhaps a whack with a net)... It may "change back" or may not...> For some reason, "bacterial" keeps nagging at the back of my mind and I know not where this comes from either. Please help me know how to treat this sweet little guy or where I can find the information that I need. Thanks so much and keep up the good work!!!
<Not likely bacterial, nor treatable... I would enjoy this little fellow as is. Bob Fenner>

Toby puffer problem  10/26/06
Hi Bob,
           I have had my  jactator Toby for over 2 years and he has been hardy and healthy.
Recently he has lost interest in food, though he looks plump and healthy  and is swimming around as normal. I have noticed a lump about the size of a pea has appeared under his skin on his tummy, on his left hand side, a little before  the anus.
I suspect he is blocked up with something. All other fish are well. Water parameters are good. Unfortunately my quarantine tank is unavailable as I have a recently purchased butterfly fish in their I'm treating with Cupramine as   it developed ick.
        I was thinking of using  Epsom salts to shift his blockage or do I wait it out?
<Mmm, I would not wait. Epsom is quite safe>
Is catching him and  massaging the lump out his anus an option, albeit an extreme one?
Thanks in advance for your help,
Toby
<This lump may be "nothing"... could be an encysted parasite (not-treatable). I would not treat this fish. BobF>

Ich / copper / knowledge transference  2/7/06
Hello,
<Hello>
I'm about to fire up the QT tank and treat all of my fish for Ich. I have a compressed Toby and want to double check and make sure he will be
okay with Copper Sulfate?  I think all of my other fish should be fine.
<I'd keep the therapeutic dose at the low end (0.15-0.20) and use a chelated brand>
Also, how long should I treat with copper in the QT tank before I start adding carbon to remove the copper?  
Thanks
David
<Much, much more to state here... and is stated on WWM... see there re Crypt, Copper use... Bob Fenner>

Valentini puffer skin problem  12/20/2005
Hi!  I have a 2" valentini puffer, which up until this morning, was seemingly healthy.  I noticed a darker discoloration on part of one side and the top of its body.  It's not slimy, but has more of a rougher appearance.  I haven't seen him eat today, he seems to be breathing a little heavier than normal, and is either swimming towards the top of the tank or hides when the lights are turned on.
<Good observations, descriptions>
I've checked the pH, and the salinity levels, and did a 10% water change about a week ago.  I can't seem to figure out what's wrong-  Help!
<Uhh, can't tell what your checking disclosed from here... Please send along data... and in the meanwhile, read on WWM re Puffer, Tetraodont and Toby Health. Bob Fenner>

Blind Puffer?
         Hi, once again I need to call on your help.  I've had a
Valentini Puffer in my 44 gal pent. for more than a year now but over
the last three days I have been watching him display some discouraging
behavior.  First he stopped eating.  I tried to coax his appetite on
with some garlic extract, but it didn't do anything.  Over these last
two days I can describe him only as becoming disoriented.  He
frequently bumps into the rock and glass and seems to find just one
place to mull about.
          Right now I'm considering several things; one is that he
might be going blind, but I have no idea as to whether this would
affect his feeding;
<Will>
two is that he ate something that did not agree
with him and it is disrupting his appetite.
<Maybe, but far more likely that this fish is suffering from a nutritional deficiency syndrome... next in likelihood that there is some sort of developmental/genetic disorder at play, next, water quality issue/s...>
  As far as vision problems
his eyes move about, however if he is near the glass and I move my
hand towards it quickly he does not dart away.
          I have three other fish in there with him; blue devil
damsel, longnose hawk, false percula, and two inverts. and none of
them are displaying any similar characteristics.
          I haven't added any chemicals to water except for my weekly
tap-offs.  I'm going to do a water change tonight just for good
measure.  Do you guys have any idea what could be affecting my puffer
(and any possible solutions)?  Thank you very much for all your help.
Sincerely,
      David H.
<Does this fish receive a mixed diet? Do you add vitamins et al. to the food/s, water? Bob Fenner>

Re: Blind Puffer?
In regards to your questions, I feed him frozen cubes of 'Mega Marine
(multi-Vitamin) on average of 3 times a week.  On all other feedings I
feed the fish 'Formula Two Marine Pellets'.  I very rarely feed the
fish more than once a day.  His coloration seems to be fine, as
typically I thought that would be the most obvious sign of
malnutrition
<This is a very sufficient diet... not at likely a deficiency syndrome as cause>
Currently, my water is as follows
Specific Grav. 1.023
pH of 8.3
76 degrees F
Ammonia is at 0
I can't do a nitrite or nitrate test because my refills are in the mail still
I add Kent Marine Coral-Acell and Calcium to the water twice a week.
Any ideas, or is my puffer in a bad situation?
Thanks again.
<Have you read through the "puffer disease" and "Sharpnose puffers" and "tetraodont puffer articles, Related FAQs files on WWM? I would. Bob Fenner>

Puffer with large belly
Bob,
I have written you for advice several times in the past; here I go
again. I have a Bennett's puffer that has had an enlarged belly 
(like he ate too much, but he hasn't) for several weeks. I originally 
thought it would soon pass, but yesterday he was gulping air and looking very
emaciated around his face. He looks almost pregnant and is now 
resting on the bottom in obvious discomfort. Any ideas?
<Sounds like either this puffer has swallowed air, and/or eaten 
something that won't pass... have you considered force feeding it (underwater)? Bob Fenner>
Unfortunately puffer had all but expired when I woke this morning. 
I did try squeezing his belly gently--it felt soft and full of air. He 
was euthanized by placing him in the freezer. Thank you for the prompt
response. This was my last remaining "original" fish from when I 
first entered the saltwater world. I will miss him greatly. Kerry Lopez
<Sorry to learn of your loss... likely not "your fault", but an internal disorder (damage, disease) that led to this puffer's demise. Bob Fenner>

Help with Sharpnose puffer in trouble
I’ve had this 3” blue-spot Sharpnose puffer in my 10g quarantine tank for 2 weeks now. The scratching reduced to only a few times a day, I didn't see any spots to think it was ich.
<Likely not... they just "scratch" to some extent...>
His (just assume male for the time being) dorsal fin was not clear, there are some whitish stuff on it, but I'm not sure if it is Lymphocystis. The dorsal fin cloudiness seemed to get worse. I often see similar syndrome on Trigger fish at LFS, do you know what this might be?
<Likely just some environmental stress showing...>
He has been very active and a greedy eater, but yesterday he ate much less than usual, and spent most time hiding under a cave, sitting on the tank bottom. After some close inspection, I found that there was a small area on his side, about 0.5” by 0.25”, where his skin/scales (do puffers have scales?)
<Very small embedded ones>
looked “lifted” or “erected” for a lack of better description. I suspect it’s from his scratching on the rocks. He looked lethargic. I was afraid of infection in the described area so I treated with some Melafix. Is there anything else I could/should do at this point? Should I continue with Melafix?
<I wouldn't do much of anything... if the fish seems fine otherwise I would place it... very stressful being in quarantine conditions. Not that much chance it is carrying anything catching. Bob Fenner>
Thanks,
Jason

Re: help with Sharpnose puffer in trouble
Yesterday evening when I got home from work I found the puffer gone. Of course I felt awful.
<Mmm, gone as in dead?>
I tested the water. Nitrite read 0. While ammonia also read 0 using FasTest kit, compared with the test result of the water from my other tank, the solution did have some color change, so there is detectable ammonia. But I don't know when the fish died, the ammonia could come from that.
<Yes, likely>
If ammonia spike was the cause, I suppose there should be reading of nitrite also? How soon will ammonia rise after a fish die?
<A matter of hours to a few days (from decomposition)>
I have 2 pieces of coral skeletons, 1 piece of barnacle, (each about the size of 5" x 4" x 4") and a sponge on a powerhead for filtration when I had other fish in this Q-tank. When I got the puffer, I added 3 more pieces of LR and another sponge from other tank (each about the size of my hand). Do you think this is enough for bio-filter? 
<Should be, discounting any mis/over-feeding>
I also changed 20% water once a week for this tank. It's bare bottom so I also vacuum the waste when I changed water. Do you think the filtration was adequate?
<I would use a substrate myself... many advantages. Please read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marsubstr.htm>
I wonder if I used antibiotics instead of Melafix earlier would have made a difference? I thought Melafix was more mild, and the symptom fit more to what Melafix is supposed to treat. My other question is, could using antibiotics like Furan-2 do any damage to fish if there was no infection? (or could it be used as a preventive measure?)
<Good questions. In general I don't encourage the use of anti-microbials (or anti-protozoals) at "the hobbyist level" for prophylaxis... Am not a fan or an anti-fan of Melafix... but don't endorse its use either...>
The fish was doing fine for more than 2 weeks, even with the wounds. one day he stopped eating, then the next day he's gone. could something else in play here?
<Likely either internal parasite/infectious agents, cumulative damage/trauma from collection/handling/shipping, and/or general stress... or a combination of these. Sorry about your loss. Bob Fenner>
Thanks,
Jason

Re: help with Sharpnose puffer in trouble
Another week passed and things just took a turn for the worse. In the past 3 days the fish ate less than usual and I could see him loosing weight. While he was still gorging on live black worms last night, tonight, for the first time since I got him 3 weeks ago, he didn't touch any food, including live worms. He is still swimming around. The red patch on him got smaller, so I thought it was getting better, but if he stops eating, I feel I have to do something otherwise it'd be too late?
<Not necessarily. The whole of tetraodontiform fishes... the various puffers, triggers, filefishes... are prone to feeding strikes (for real and mysterious "reasons"...). Do keep hope, and offering a variety of foods. Try a few types of small to large frozen/defrosted or fresh crustaceans, shellfish...>
Thanks,
Jason
p.s. he also had a "line" of skin about 0.5" long near dorsal fin striped away, showing whitish tissue/muscle. I assume it was also from scratching earlier. I don't see him scratch any more in the past week though.
<Ah, good. Bob Fenner>

Sharpnose puffer is scratching
Mr. Fenner,
Hi, I just got a 3" Blue-spot Sharpnose puffer (Canthigaster solandri) 4 days ago, and I noticed that he started to scratch on the rocks 2 days ago. I can't see any spots (ich) on him, he had been eating well at the LFS for 2 weeks before I got him. What is the likely cause of this scratch, and what should I do at this point?
<I'd ignore the scratching... likely nothing. All do "scratch" a bit.>
Thanks,
Jason
p.s. he is in a 10g quarantine tank by himself.
<Leave the specimen there for the requisite two weeks, then place it if no obvious spots, markings. Bob Fenner>

Http://cowfishes.com/hawaiian.html and Sharpnose Puffer Teeth
Bob,
Hey I was trying to figure out how to trim my Hawaiian Whitespotted Toby's
teeth - as was suggested in a certain book. Do you have any ideas?
<Actually, for such small puffers, I suggest you provide hard materials as foods (shellfish like cockles, shrimps in the shell...) and let them trim their own... like taking dogs for walks on the street to wear their nails down... I'm going to ask the Puffer Queen re this... she's so skilled maybe she can use a Dremel tool with Tobies...>
- Take a look at the text on everyone of the fishes - the site is a
re-wording of Scott Michaels book! http://cowfishes.com/hawaiian.html
-Dave
<Curious. I'll send this along to Scotter... perhaps he is working with these folks. Bob Fenner>

Toby Teeth Trimming
Hey Bob,
<Hey Kel>
For the smaller puffers, I have used MS-222 and then cut the teeth with
wire cutters and smoothed out the rough edges with a veterinary file.
<Woman! You've got steady hands!>
The Dremel is too big for the Tobies. Their teeth are not as thick/hard
as the Arothrons and so the wire cutter does a good job.
<Okay>
Hope this helps. Let me know if I can be of further assistance.
<Will do so my friend... wish I wasn't so pooped to join you, Walt, Deb in the schpa in Dallas... next time! Bob F>
Kelly
aka Puffer Queen

Sick Puffer
I asked you about my sick puffer several weeks ago. It is a small blue dot puffer and he has become blotchy and has scratches on his body. He is by himself in a 55 G tank so I suspect he came with a parasite. I lowered the salinity to 1.019 in the tank, but that has not helped. I now have a 6 g System 6 tank set up with a cycled Biowheel. I am tempted to give the puffer a freshwater dip and then place him in this bare 6 g tank. 
<be sure to never lift the puffer into the air (all transfers under water) for fear of him gulping air. Also.. a small water change from the bare bottom of the tank will reduce parasites>
My question is whether I should put copper or some other medicine in the tank also. 
<no copper.. the puffer is scaleless and sensitive to metals. Yes, Formalin instead as per mfg dose>
He is eating brine and blood worms but doesn't touch any other food as far as I can see. Thank you.
<try mysids or Gammarus shrimp frozen. Minced krill too to keep his teeth worn down (else they overgrow.. they need shell to eat). Please reduce or stop feeding the brine shrimp.. it is a nutritively barren food. Compare the nutritional analysis of it to other foods. Kindly, Anthony>

Puffer
<<Greetings, JasonC here...>>
I have a small blue spot puffer in a 50 Gal. tank by itself, except for about 7lbs of rock and some hermits. The puffer is new to me before I put him in this quarantine tank. He occasionally rubs his body against the sand or a rock and I have noticed several blotches where his coloring is lighter than surrounding area. I wonder if he came to me with a parasite infection. <<It wouldn't be the first time...>> I am gradually lowering the salinity to a target of 1.018. My idea is to lower the salinity, hoping that if this is parasites, he will get better. I would then put in in a 6 gallon tank by him self for 6 weeks, hoping that without a host, the parasites will die off. Am I handling this correctly? <<Yes this should do, although you could also do a pH-adjusted, freshwater dip to hasten things along. More info on that here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dips_baths.htm >> I am trying to avoid copper. <<Good plan. Cheers, J -- >>

Sick puffer (a Toby)
Good morning,
<cheerios>
I have a small Valentini Puffer fighting off an infection. The tank, about 2 weeks ago, got what looks like an infection of Velvet. Being new to the hobby I did not detect it in time and lost my Naso Tang - very sad and I'm kicking myself for my ignorance.
<am sorry to hear it truly... yes, please do quarantine all new fish without exception in the future>
The puffer (and a few others) started to get it as well but I began treatment of the main tank with Rally.
<ugh...more like good water quality and fish immunity making the save... or at least trying>
The tank contains live rock and an anemone so I thought that this was the best bet.
<Mmmmm.... such products are very dubious if even effective. As a rule... homeopathic meds are preventatives at best... really not for full blown infections>
After 4 treatments and waiting a week she was not getting any better. However the other fish perked up. So I did a 10% water change and started Rally again for 4 days. She started getting a bit better. Her symptoms turned into slightly cloudy eyes, her fins looking thick and a bit milky, not as social as before this all started, and hiding/sitting on the reef a lot. Now, this is still an improvement over her condition last week.
<still... at least this fish needs a bare bottomed QT tank and direct medical therapy>
At this point I am wondering if she has a secondary bacterial infection and it I should start another 4 day series of Rally.
<I wouldn't>
I do not know how much of this stuff is safe to the tank to endure. Being the 3rd series of medicating it I do not want to cause any other kind of issues.
<indeed>
Is this a good idea?
<I cannot even begin to describe how incredulous a product is that makes a claim to effect a cure against Oodinium, flukes and bacteria. Physiologically these organisms could not be any more different! You and I are more akin to Elephants and ground moles by far than the aforementioned
pathogens are to each other. In fact... you and I are nearly more closely related to such tonics and snake oils taxonomically than the aforementioned pathogens...heehee (OK... just joking). In suit, their treatment and eradication methods are quite drastically different. Please give serious thought to such products and check the with more than a few people (like on message boards) for a collective opinion on such controversial products>
Is there anything else that I should be trying instead.
<yep... a real medicant. Something tried and true. Turbid skin and eyes do not imply a bacterial infection. Unless you have seen fin rot, red lesions, sores, etc... do not assume a bacterial infection. Sounds to me like the Velvet was never treated... and you are just looking at later stages.>
Should I just now give her time to heal on her own since she is getting a bit better?
<risky... but add daily FW dips to the deal and I'll agree for 3-5 days. After which the fish will have improved or clearly need meds and QT>
I'm doing my best to keep the puffer alive and well. The benefit of your experience would be most kindly appreciated.
<kudos for your empathy. DO remember that this fish is scaleless and cannot take organic dyes or copper meds>
Thank you!<best regards, Anthony>

Sick puffer (a Toby)
Good morning,
<cheerios>
I have a small Valentini Puffer fighting off an infection. The tank, about 2 weeks ago, got what looks like an infection of Velvet. Being new to the hobby I did not detect it in time and lost my Naso Tang - very sad and I'm kicking myself for my ignorance. 
<am sorry to hear it truly... yes, please do quarantine all new fish without exception in the future>
The puffer (and a few others) started to get it as well but I began treatment of the main tank with Rally. 
<ugh...more like good water quality and fish immunity making the save... or at least trying>
The tank contains live rock and an anemone so I thought that this was the best bet. 
<Mmmmm.... such products are very dubious if even effective. As a rule... homeopathic meds are preventatives at best... really not for full blown infections>
After 4 treatments and waiting a week she was not getting any better. However the other fish perked up. So I did a 10% water change and started Rally again for 4 days. She started getting a bit better. Her symptoms turned into slightly cloudy eyes, her fins looking thick and a bit milky, not has social as before this all started, and hiding/sitting on the reef a lot. Now, this is still an improvement over her condition last week.
<still... at least this fish needs a bare bottomed QT tank and direct medical therapy>
At this point I am wondering if she has a secondary bacterial infection and it I should start another 4 day series of Rally. 
<I wouldn't>
I do not know how much of this stuff is safe to the tank to endure. Being the 3rd series of medicating it I do not want to cause any other kind of issues.
<indeed>
Is this a good idea? 
<I cannot even begin to describe how incredulous a product is that makes a claim to effect a cure against Oodinium, flukes and bacteria. Physiologically these organisms could not be any more different! You and I are more akin to Elephants and ground moles by far than the aforementioned pathogens are to each other. In fact... you and I are nearly more closely related to such tonics and snake oils taxonomically than the aforementioned pathogens...heehee (OK... just joking). In suit, their treatment and eradication methods are quite drastically different. Please give serious thought to such products and check the with more than a few people (like on message boards) for a collective opinion on such controversial products>
Is there anything else that I should be trying instead. 
<yep... a real medicant. Something tried and true. Turbid skin and eyes do not imply a bacterial infection. Unless you have seen fin rot, red lesions, sores, etc... do not assume a bacterial infection. Sounds to me like the Velvet was never treated... and you are just looking at later stages.>
Should I just now give her time to heal on her own since she is getting a bit better? 
<risky... but add daily FW dips to the deal and I'll agree for 3-5 days. After which the fish will have improved or clearly need meds and QT>
I'm doing my best to keep the puffer alive and well. The benefit of your experience would be most kindly appreciated.
<kudos for your empathy. DO remember that this fish is scaleless and cannot take organic dyes or copper meds>
Thank you!<best regards, Anthony>

Valentini puffer
Hey
<Good evening!>
I just recently bought a Canthigaster valentini and I'm worried about its teeth growth. At the current moment its teeth are fine but I have no shellfish (by the way what type of shell fish should I feed) but I am feeding it fairly hard granule pellets.
<Is he eating this?>
Will this help?
<It may help>
If not when should I start to worry about the teeth?
<If the teeth become a problem you will probably be able to see it. He will also (most likely) have trouble eating. Keep this guy's water optimal...he's not all that hardy. Just about any kind of shell fish will work...try clams from the fresh seafood area of your local supermarket. Open the clam to half-shell and drop it in. He'll likely eat squid and fish as well. May also eat oysters and mussels. Maybe shrimp with the shell on...>
Thanks, Nick
<You're welcome! David Dowless>

Re: Valentini puffer
Hello, my puffer is eating the granule pellets and is pretty happy and healthy By the way would freshwater snails be appropriate to feed him?
<Not really... likely to die, pollute your water. Marine originating shellfish, fresh or frozen-defrosted are what you want>
I also feed him brine shrimp formula 1 and a frozen herbivore cube every now and then along with the granules is the a sufficient diet?
<Yes>
Also I was thinking about breeding my puffer fish, would a 47 gallon be large enough to have both a male and female?
<Should be if otherwise not too crowded>
If so where can I find quality info on breeding? Thanks for your help!
<At a college library. Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/litsrchart.htm
Bob Fenner>

Puffer Getting Better (6/7/04)
  Hi there fabulous WWM crew/Steve, <Hello. Good to hear from you again.> Just a quick question and follow-up.
  The valentini puffer is doing very well and has been ich-free for almost 2 weeks! <Excellent!> The hyposalinity seems to be working. I will keep him in QT for another 2 weeks, almost he looks like he's getting bored-pacing the tank, etc. The 10
g. must be too small. <Yes, but just think how happy he'll be when he can go back into the main tank disease-free.>
  My question is, can I use a pre-seeded filter that have been in my main tank for over a month now in the QT to combat ammonia levels? <Since the tank has been fallow for a month, this should be OK.> The main tank's salinity is 1.023 and the QT's salinity is 1.012 (for now), so I'm afraid the nitrifying bacteria will be instantly killed by the difference in salinity. <Being single-celled, bacteria seem to adjust fairly well, and are able to live at a variety of salinity levels. However, acclimating over a couple of hours might help. Another option instead o the filter is a bag of Bio-Spira Marine if it is available in your area. You can add the remainder to your main as a "booster."
thanks as always. <A pleasure. Glad to hear things are going well. Stay patient and all will be well in the end. Steve Allen>
-a ps. WetWebFotos. com's message board is great! thanks for tuning me in. <Thanks for taking part.>

Valentini Puffer Died
Hi, my name is Dawn
< Hi Dawn you have Leslie here today>
We just bought a Valentini puffer from a pet store and after only 2 days he got white spots. We put him immediately in our hospital tank and few hours later he died. Was this ich or could it have been something else. < Ich is certainly a possibility, hard to say without seeing or hearing more about it.>
He did nip at a anemone but was fine all day and night. <They are not reef safe fish and I doubt that was the problem.> We have another Valentini in another tank and he does just fine with anemones and other fish. < Believe it or not fish have different "personalities" . The Sharpnose Puffers are not considered reef safe and all have the potential to nip fins. Some of the Sharpnose Puffer species are more aggressive than others but all have the potential to nip at inverts and other fish. You may occasionally find one that does not bother either. I had a friend who kept one in her reef for years, without ever a problem but an occasional missing snail.>
What do you think could have happened?
<Hard to say exactly but most likely the fish was carrying or picked up an organism capable of causing disease under the right circumstances, either at the wholesalers or the LFS. Anyone of several stressful events could have weakened the fish enough to cause the organism to become pathogenic. In most cases quarantining all new arrivals for a period of 4 to 6 weeks is recommended.
Please read the following articles and associated FAQS for a better understanding of how this all occurs and how you can help to prevent it in the future.
Marine Disease: The Three Sets of Factors that Determine Health/Disease: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mardisease.htm 
FAQS on Marine Diseases http://www.wetwebmedia.com/disFAQsMar.htm 
Quarantining Marine Livestock: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/quaranti.htm 
and Quarantine of Marine Fish: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/QuarMarFishes.htm 
Please help thanks. Sorry about your fish. Hope this helps, Leslie 

Valentini Puffer fish with 1 white spot (6/5/04)
Hi my name is Kevin.
<Hi Kevin, Leslie here this morning>
Well my Valentini puffer fish acts normal but there's 1 white spot on his dorsal fin. I thought it was ich so I treated it for 2 weeks now, but it would not go away!!! My puffer act normally but it's just that 1 spot I have a hard time getting rid of it. So please if you no what it is, how to get rid of it, just e-mail me back.
<It sounds like Lymphocystis, which is considered environmental and viral in origin. There is no known treatment and it usually resolves on it's own. You can help the process along by maintaining excellent water quality, feeding nutritious foods and minimizing stress. Please see the following FAQs for additional information.... Lymphocystis: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/lymphfaqs.htm 
Nutrition; Foods and Feeding for Marine Aquarists: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/feeding.htm 
Puffer Feeding: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pufferfdgfaqs.htm  and http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pufferfdgfaq2.htm 
FAQs about Tobies, Sharpnose Puffers: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tobyfaqs.htm 
Thank you, Kevin <Your most welcome, Leslie>

Lots of Questions - Fresh and Salt water
right now i have a lot of problems with my fish. one is My valentine puffer is sick but their is no dots or marks on him and it looks like he is in critical condition. can you help
< Need more info like the water conditions and how long he has been sick.>
Another Question
I have 2 aquariums 1 is fresh 1 is salt water. I feed my cichlids cichlid flouting pellets. I also found out that my trigger fish like them to. is it ok to feed them the pellets.
< Even though your puffer likes the cichlids pellets it is best to get him back on track with regular food made for saltwater fish for long term health.>
This one is a lot simpler how do you determine the gender of a jewel cichlid and a Texas cichlid.
< Male cichlid generally have longer more pointed fins and are larger than the females too.-Chuck>

I have an orange tailed Fiji Puffer. 
<That common name isn't seen much in the pet trade, but typically this name is given to Canthigaster solandri, sometimes called spotted Sharpnose puffer.>
He hasn’t eaten in 2 weeks and seems lethargic.  I’ve read other postings but haven’t found any similar to mine because my tank has never experienced infestations.
  His tank mates are a Picasso Trigger and an Assorted Puffer.  Both fish are eating and responding normally in the 50 gallon tank.
<Hard to tell what "Assorted Puffers" might be, if it's another Sharpnose puffer then it isn't good cause two Sharpnose variety of puffers in the same tank can be bad.  One will be more dominant, and the submissive one will eat less, and not be as outgoing.  Also, Triggers can be aggressive.  My Picasso wasn't bad, but a friend had one what would pick on tankmates constantly.   My biggest concern is that a 50 gallon tank is not large enough for these fish.   The bare minimum for a single Picasso (Huma Huma) trigger is 75, and with that and other messy fish such as puffers you run the risk of problems with such a small tank.>  
Tank conditions are ideal, 78 degrees, salinity 1.023 – 1.025, Zero or minimal nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia.  All fish enjoy eating a varied diet of freeze dried krill, frozen brine shrimp, and live minnows. 
<You should offer these fish other foods besides this.   Freeze dried Krill is good, my puffers love it, but it's not as nutritious as offering them fresh seafood.  I purchase shrimp, octopus, squid and clams and offer my puffers it to them once or twice a week.   You can purchase bags of seafood mixes at your local grocery story (food for people).  Plus you get to snack on it as well.   Frozen Brine Shrimp doesn't offer much of anything in the way of nutrition.  And Live minnows aren't a good source, since these are freshwater fish, they don't have the same nutrients and fats found in marine fish.  Plus, live fish still offer a way to bring parasites to the tank.>
25% of tank water and filters are change every 4 weeks or so.
<This should be smaller water changes more frequently, and make sure that you premix the water a day or two before adding it to the tank.>  
I’ve had the Fiji for almost 3 months.  The Fiji’s behavior began to change after the last tank change.  I did move the live rock that he normally sleeps on.
<"Tank Change" meaning that you literally changed the tank around, or that you changed the water in the tank.  If it was after a water change, then it could be that the new water might have had a difference in it's chemistry compared to what was in the tank.  I check alkalinity and other levels in my mixes before adding them to the tank.   If you changed the fish to a new tank, then it could be difficult for it to adjust.  Make sure that there is enough territory for these fish, that they all can claim a spot of the tank as their own.>  
The fish get along.  The trigger nips once and a while at both fish but never breaks the skin or continues for a period of time. 
<Chances are high that it might nip when you aren't around as well.  The fish doesn't have to break the skin to disturb the other fish enough to not eat.>
Any thoughts on what could’ve caused the puffer to stop eating and become less responsive? 
<Sounds as though he's being bullied.  I had a small dogface puffer that did the same thing, it turned out that one of the clown fish that shared a tank with it was constantly pestering it.  Once I removed the aggressor, all was fine.  I suggest you start setting up a quarantine tank and let it get ready just in case you need to move this puffer out.  perhaps once he is out he will start eating.. or you can move the aggressor there and see if the puffer improves.>
He is relieving himself on a regular basis so I was thinking he might be eating something else. 
<puffers pick at stuff on the live rock.  Mine love to eat almost everything possible.>
He also does seem a bit more bloated but he does not have any spots or change in color that would indicate parasites, disease, or injury.
Thanks!
<My guess is he is being picked on by something. that is what it sounds like to me.   Separate them if you can and see if it improves.   Also another trick is to buy some live snails from your local reef shop and feed them some live foods.  I've "cured" many a depressed puffer by feeding them that. it's like giving chocolate to a 6 year old.  Good luck. -Magnus>

Valentini Puffer Long in the Tooth 1/9/05
Hi!
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I've got a quick question about my Valentini Puffer.  I've had him for nearly one year in my 44 gal FOWLR.  His tank mates include a blue devil damsel, a longnose hawkfish, a false percula and then two inverts: a coral-banded shrimp and a cleaner shrimp.  Recently I've noticed that my puffer has had trouble eating.  I associate this problem to his fused beak forming an 'over-bite' of sorts making it difficult for him to open his mouth wide enough to swallow most food pellets.  The puffer is approx. two inches in length and I feed him once a day alternating between 'Formula Two Marine Pellets' and frozen cubes of 'Hikari Mega-Marine Cubes' (too many ingredients in cubes to list).  I do not believe this to be a matter of 'lock-jaw' as I've read about on your site, just big teeth.  What do you suggest that can be fed to him to file down the beak, keep in mind his mouth can't open very wide.  I've read about people feeding clams and prawn (what's this by the way) to their puffers, if this would be an appropriate food to reduce his beak, would I just feed him the tender meat inside of the shell?  Thanks in advance for all your help!  Peace and Puffer Grease
<Once your puffer's teeth are overgrown, no amount of crunchy foods will help.  Here's an article on proper feeding of puffers & trimming their teeth: http://puffer.proboards2.com/index.cgi?board=hospital&action=display&num=1085932782  I hope this helps!  ~PP>
-David

Sharpnose Puffer Losing Eyesight ?
Hi.
<Hello>
I have a Papuan Toby that seems to be unable to see food, even if it
falls in front it.
The eyes are not cloudy, however, they seem to have lost of that odd
sheen that I've notice
on these fish, and they look almost dilated.
<Good observations>
I've had this fish for over two years - could it just be age ?
<Possibly... usually these blindness events are tied to nutrition, parasites...>
It seems
to take it longer and longer
to change from its sleeping color ( almost white ) back to its daytime
color ( dark with spots ).
<Another good fact... relating sight>
I recently switched back to half actinic lighting, but I've had it
before, and it did not cause eating problems
with any of the fish, including this puffer.
Thanks,
Edward.
<I do hope your fish's sight loss is reversed. Do you supplement its food with a vitamin et al. soaking? You might try Selcon, Zoe... Bob Fenner>

Re: Sharpnose Puffer Losing Eyesight ?
Bob,
<Edward>
Just thought I'd give you an update.   Yesterday and today, I left the lights on
for a half hour before feeding.  It seems that it is just taking longer than it used
to for the Toby's eyes to adjust.  I'm not sure if this is because of the switch to
a half actinic Britelite bulb, but that is probably the culprit.
<Mmm, I hope you're right>
He is eating better.
The fish have always had a rotated diet of good frozen foods ( formula1, 2, and
krill ), so I was a little more suspicious of the newer lighting vs. poor nutrition.
This Toby has always been a bit of trouble.  His beak was oddly overgrown when
I bought him, and I eventually took him out of the water, and gently clipped the
beak down so that he could open his mouth up enough to nibble at rock and hard
things and maintain a functional mouth.
<Good move>
BTW - I had always wondered if two Tobies could live happy lives in the same tank.
<Mmm, usually not... unless the system is quite large, lots of hiding spaces... and best introduced at the same time... you can try, but I'd make them the same species, get one decidedly much larger or smaller>
A few months ago a put a small Valentini in the tank, and after about 10 minutes of
posturing (Valentini only ), everything was fine and both fish ignore one another and
are often hanging out in the same corner of the aquarium.
Thanks,
Edward.
<Glad to read of your success... As stated, canthigasterines usually fight/bite each other. One aspect of habitat partitioning behavior. Bob Fenner>

Help with puffer
Hello,
Two days ago I purchased a 2" Valentini puffer from my LFS. They had him for a week and when I put him in my aquarium he was doing great. He was eating right away and looked very happy. The next day (about 4 hours ago) I came home from work and didn't see him anywhere. Finally I noticed his body bent in half and being sucked into the powerhead (AquaClear 50).
<Not good... Canthigasters are smart, strong enough to avoid such intakes>
I also have no idea how long he was stuck there. When I unplugged it he was very disoriented and his body was very crooked. He doesn't look so well and I'm afraid he might die. He is still slowly coasting around the aquarium but he is acting weird and won't eat. His body is still misshapen and bent. What do you think his chances are? Will his body turn back to normal? Should I be doing anything for his recovery?
<Keeping an eye on the fish, putting it in a smaller system where you can do so...>
Next, my tank is a 75 gallon, and has been running for about 2 months now with about 80 lbs of mixed types of live rock, and about 3 1/2 - 4 inches if special grade reef sand. Everything has been testing great for almost a month. I have a Remora Pro skimmer with upgraded Mag drive 3 and pre-flow box, a Fluval 404 canister filter, 265 watt pc lights, and 2 powerheads (an Aquaclear 50, and 70.) As for livestock right now, I have the Valentini puffer as mentioned above, 2 percula clowns 4 peppermint shrimp about 15 various snails, green star polyps, green candy cane coral, some mushrooms, and a couple feather dusters. As far as future plans, I want to add more fish, not positive on which ones yet, and only a few more corals. I guess this is pretty vague, but do you have any suggestions about anything. Also, my Fluval 404 is set up how the directions told me( from bottom-up... 1-carbon, 2-carbon, 3- prefilter rings, 4-prefilter rings.) For the type of tank I am going for, what would be the best setup I could do...(live rock rubble, more prefilter, more carbon , or maybe a different order). Thank you soooo much for your help, this is the most helpful sight out there.
<Your system sounds fine... it appears you bought a "bunk" specimen... but I didn't see mention of quarantine... Hard to impossible to say what the root cause of your trouble is/was here... aquatic animals do not "show" signs of impending trouble (predators would detect this, eat them in the wild)... but you definitely would do well to develop and adhere to a quarantine protocol. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/quaranti.htm and the MANY linked files above. Bob Fenner>