BurrFshFAQ2

FAQs about the Puffers Called Burrfishes, Porcupinefishes 2

Related Articles: Puffers in General, True Puffers, Puffer Care and Information, A Saltwater Puffer Primer: Big Pufferfish! by Mike Maddox, Pufferfish Dentistry By Kelly Jedlicki and Anthony Calfo, Freshwater Puffers, Burrfishes/Porcupinefishes, Tobies/Sharpnose Puffers, Boxfishes, Puffer Care and Information by John (Magnus) Champlin, Things That My Puffers Have Told Me by Justin Petrey,

A Diodon holacanthus in captivity.

Unusual question on a Porcupine Puffer Hi Bob, <WWM author Anthony Calfo in your service> I came across this site by accident and have been hugely impressed, it has certainly helped as I stock up my Marine tank. <thanks kindly... do pass along a good word :) > I have a question regarding my porcupine puffer, the answer to which I have not found anywhere else. I have had my puffer for about 5 weeks, and it has settled in very well and is eating very well and generally acting as puffers do!! Last week, I came home to find his appearance changed slightly, after much staring, I determined it was his eyes!! They have turned from a bright blue to very dark black. <hmmm...> I can find no reference to this condition anywhere and everything else is fine and normal, i.e. tankmates, water quality, etc. I did recently put in some mushroom rock, but apart from that there has been nothing new introduced to the aquarium. <are you referring to the actual color of the pupil? Seems unlikely to be a physical change but rather an illusionary change (water clarity, lighting, etc). Yet... if you say they are a different color, I will be very interested to know how/why this is possible. I'll pass this query along to our friend Kelly J "The Puffer Queen". Perhaps she can enlighten us> Hope you can help!!! Steve Young <with kind regards, Anthony>

Porcupine Puffer Hello WWM Crew: <cheers> Can you please help me. My porcupine puffer seems to have a white fungus all over his body (white cottony substance). How would you best treat this illness. Please help. <remove the fish to a bare bottomed quarantine tank, look here for protocol on running QT and identifying the disease that your fish has: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/maintenance/index.htm Although the condition seems like "fungus" it would be VERY rare if it was. Most growths are parasitic in nature (some viral infections too)> Regards, Frank <If you'd like a good reference on hand consider Untergasser's Handbook of Fish Diseases for an easy ref, or Noga's new work for a technical and current ref. Best regards, Anthony>

Photo Album from Frank: Porcupine Puffer-Photos Anthony, I'm sorry for driving you nuts, <no worries at all bud> but I really appreciate your help. I feel that with WWM's help, I should be able to save my puffy daddy. <it would be a pleasure to help out> These pictures aren't the best, but hopefully good enough for you to see the problem. Regards, Frank <Frank... I recognize that neither of us are professional photographers, my friend... but the images again are completely illegible. I want to help you (!) but it would be unfair to make any specific recommendation when I cannot even see the symptoms. If you cannot recognize your puffers condition from the photos in our archives or elsewhere on the Net, I strongly recommend that you visit a Borders, B&N, LFS, etc to track down either of the two books that I first recommended. It is dangerous to medicate any fish on a guess (the wrong meds stress the fish while the pathogen continues to infect). The things that we do know here: the fish will need to be removed promptly to a hospital/quarantine tank (be sure from reading in the archives, recommended books or elsewhere that you understand all that is needed to set up this easy and inexpensive treatment tank). Also, do read through the FAQs on puffers specifically for further insight on their needs (copper sensitivity, etc). http://www.wetwebmedia.com/diodontidfaqs.htm Alas, sight unseen with generic symptoms... my hands are tied here. Do consider how helpful it will be in the future to have a good disease picture book and QT tank ready (unfortunately many of us learn this way :( )Best regards, Anthony> You've been invited to view Frank's photos online at Ofoto! Just click on the link below to get started. http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=7827553303.67280835503&n=1163271429 These photos will be stored in your account for future viewing, and you can order Kodak prints of your favorites! You'll need to sign in to your Ofoto account to get started. If you don't currently have an Ofoto account, just join for free and you'll get free shipping on your first order (restrictions apply)! Questions? Visit http://help.ofoto.com.

Porcupine Puffer Hi, <cheers> I am new to puffers in general. I love this fish so much. I've had him for about a month. <they are incredibly personable fishes :)> He is eating fine, but over the last week, he has developed a white flaky substance on the top of his body and it seems to be getting worse. It doesn't look like ick. <nevertheless, puffers, boxfish and cowfish are all VERY susceptible to various parasitic infections. Unfortunately... they are also sensitive to copper and organic dyes as medicants. Puffers underscore the need for having and using a proper quarantine tank. Please read through the archives about setting up and using a QT tank. This fish will likely need therapeutic treatment. Freshwater dips and perhaps Formalin dips or baths (because of puffer sensitivity). Daily FW dips for 5-10 days and QT for a minimum of 2 weeks... 4 weeks would be better. Know that you must always net and move puffers underwater.. there can be serious complications if the puffer inflates with air instead of water.> Any help would be appreciated. BTW, this website is like a dream. <thanks kindly! please tell a friend> Thank you <with kind regards, Anthony> Frank

Re: Porcupine Puffer Anthony, Thanks a million for your reply. One thing that I didn't mention in the message was that I already treated the tank with copper (Mardel CopperSafe). The owner of my local marine fish store recommended that I use it <yowsa... do be very cautious of future advice from this LFS. Puffer sensitivity is very basic and common knowledge for industry professionals. Applies to all scaleless and small scaled fishes> (I had no idea that puffers are sensitive to it, I just found out about your website). How bad is it for him? <not the end of the world but do stop using the copper. And please tell me that you weren't advised to treat your main display with copper?! If so, all of your calcareous media has been ruined (stained chemically by copper). That includes sand, gravel, crushed coral, coral skeletons, rock (live and dry/dead), etc. Such rock will likely poison and possibly kill invertebrates in the future even after copper is out of water column (snails, starfish, anemones, etc). Most of which could never have been kept with the puffer... but still bad advice nonetheless. My further concern is that you weren't encouraged to use a copper test kit with the copper (which is the only effective/safe way to dose copper). Therapeutic copper is .2 - .25... anything over is easily fatal and anything under is likely a waste of time. Twice daily or more doses will be necessary if you are dosing the main display (absorbed by calcareous media)... the test kit will confirm this> Is he going to die? <probably not if the dose wasn't too high for the tank... and almost certainly not if you tested and didn't exceed .25> I treated the tank about 4 days ago and he seems fine. <please don't stop now... continue with FW dips and formalin if necessary. Cycle for these parasites is about 8 days. 11-14 day treatments are minimums> He's eating very nicely, and seems happy. <he still would if fatally dosed. Excess medicants are stored in fat cells and fishes may overdose weeks later after disease symptoms have gone. Still... puffers are tough... I suspect you will be OK> The other fish seem good as well. He did have some ick that seems to have cleared up. What should I do? Please help. Any additional advice would be greatly appreciated. Regards, Frank <please get a small inexpensive QT tank ASAP and always be prepared. Could simply be a bare 10 gall, glass cover (no light), sponge filter, air pump heater and thermometer... that's it! It saves fishes lives. Best regards, Anthony>

Spiny box puffer fish Dear Mr. Fenner, <<Actually, you got JasonC today...>> I have a spiny box pufferfish who has always been a big eater. He would eat up to four krill a day. He would go a day or two without eating, and then resume one per day. I am really worried because he hasn't eaten even one in since July 4th. I have tried all kinds of food: frozen brine shrimp, frozen krill, garlic additive, green peas, and VitaChem on flakes. I used Greenex (which possibly curbed his appetite) and later Maracyn because his fins look like they are fraying. I would rather not use any further chemicals. <> There are no new fish and my water quality is fine. However, I did have to put him in a new 55 gallon tank because the frame broke on my other one. <<Is this tank cycling? That might be making your puffer even more uncomfortable.>> I have noticed a flap in his mouth where his teeth used to shine like dentures. Is it possible he is going through a growing stage? He seems to want to eat but has trouble since I have noticed this flap. <<If this is what I think it is similar to the epiglottis in humans, a flap of skin that prevents food from going into the trachea, in the case of your puffer, I think it stops unwanted water-borne debris from entering the digestive system. No worries, probably just the first time you noticed it.>> Any advice would be greatly appreciated. <<Be patient. Puffers are well known for getting bummed out and going on hunger strikes, although the causes are more cryptic. Certainly the Greenex is a good possibility. I'd continue to try different things, and perhaps move to something else like clams or squid. Keep at it.>> Sincerely, Kelli <<Cheers, J -- >>

Porcupine puffer Hi, I purchased a porcupine puffer yesterday and seemed to be doing great in my tank . He appeared to be getting along with all my other fish which include: dogface puffer, yellow tang, hippo tang, Huma trigger, maroon clown, and a copperband butterfly. the porcupine is the biggest fish in the tank now. this morning I noticed that my maroon clown's fins are all frayed and looks like he has bite marks, the yellow tang's top fin is frayed and his white spine or spike is broken, and the hippo tang's spine/spike is broken as well. is it normal for a porcupine puffer to be this aggressive? <<Well, I'm not sure I would use the word aggressive, rather the word opportunistic comes to mind. For starters, these puffers are quite active at night, when most of your other fish are wedged into a nook with their tails sticking out. Next the puffer is quite a curious fish with a fondness for food, so they will sample just about anything they find, including their tankmates... just in case they want to be food. Is quite typical.>> will this behavior continue or is it just cause he is new to the tank? <> Thanks, JPK <<Cheers, J -- >>

Puffer I have a puffer for over a year now and he has always been a very picky eater which is not very common for most puffers. <<Yes.. quite odd. I've always found puffers to be like the cast of Oliver, "Food, glorious food, who cares what it looks like!">> I tried to feed him krill, frozen clams, brine shrimp, silversides, and mussels. The only thing he eats is formula 1 and 2 flakes I want to try to get him to eat more meaty types of food I'm sure the flakes do not satisfy his appetite. <> I haven't feed him flakes in two weeks I have however tried to feed him all the foods above with no success. <<Gahh! Took the words out of my mouth, was going to suggest a little starvation...>> Do you have any ideas on how I can get him to eat his regular diet. <<You might pique his interest with some live ghost/glass shrimp, a freshwater item but will live more than long enough to become puffer food. Have you tried the frozen forms of Formula One and Two? Good luck and keep trying. Cheers, J -- >>

Re: puffer Would grass shrimp work also. <<Yes, quite likely the same item but goes by many different names. Glass/Grass/Ghost shrimp - all the same. I would try these. Cheers, J -- >>

Puffer crisis!! Need help ASAP Hi team.. <<Hello... fish team delta at your service.>> I've got a sick porcupine puffer on my hands and I'm not sure what to do. I've had him for 3 years and have rarely had any problems with diseases or eating problems (unless you count him wanting to eat too much haha). Tonight I noticed that he has a horrible white film covering his left eye. I'm almost positive that its a fungus because its circular and in the center there is a very small amount of tissue extending from they eye. (I don't really know how to describe it other than it looks like rotting flesh that is still attached to the eye.) But it's all white and I don't think that it is part of the eye itself that is hanging off. I tested the water quality ammonia is 0 nitrite 0 and nitrate 0, ph is at 8.2 (like I said, this is an established tank, its always that way.) The past week or so he was eating very little, he actually stopped eating the same day I brought home a new yellow tang. I assumed this was stress caused by a new tank mate, or even just a coincidence because he occasionally (like maybe twice a year or so) stops eating for a day or two and then starts right back up again. Well after a couple days went by of him eating only a small piece of shrimp (his favorite food), I thought perhaps the tang had brought some ich with him (I noticed the tang scratching a little bit, although I didn't see any white spots). So I gave the puffer a freshwater bath and lowered the salinity in the tank a couple of points (from 1.022 to 1.020). The next day (2 days ago) he was back to his regular eating habits and all was well. Then tonight I noticed the white thing on his eye. The tang seems happy and well adjusted (he's done a great job with the algae in the tank). I've attached a pic of the puffer.. its not that great so I don't know how helpful it will be since he wouldn't stop moving for the camera. But it may give you some idea. I also shot a brief digital movie of him you can look at, just go to http://www.nearvanna.com/puffer.zip and you can download it. (it's probably not worth it unless you have high speed or need to see a better image of the disease.) <<A quick view of the image and movie makes me think it is more likely an injury than bacteria or fungus. Bacteria and fungus are rarely so selective as to infect one eye... an injury like a scratch seems more probable.>> A little bit on the puffer's surroundings. Its a 50 gallon tank, I have a fluidized bed filter, a wet/dry filter, a good protein skimmer and 2 powerheads for circulation. Along with the puffer I have a large snowflake eel and the new tang. Everyone seems healthy except for the puffer. <<Two things come to mind about this system: one, it's really a little small for the eel and puffer... which now has a tang in it. Do consider a potential tank upgrade if keeping the puffer long term is among your goals. Second, the fluidized bed while well-suited to the job of filtering for messy eaters is still a sketchy piece of equipment - a power failure could do more than leave you in the dark. You might want to consider some other options or perhaps doing without it given the wet/dry and skimmer.>> Ok, so on to the question. WHAT CAN I DO???? <<I'd leave it be, and give it some time.>> I've known my puffer long than I've known my girlfriend, and don't want to lose him! According to the article I read on your website about fungus, it is rare and usually mistaken for bacteria. Do you think that is the case here? <<no...>> It also says that most treatments don't work, so other than frequent water changes am I just doomed to see if he can overcome this himself? <<all other things being equal, the chances of healing are quite good I would think.>> Anything I can do to tip the odds in the puffer's favor? <<Make sure it's eating, and if you can, whole shrimp or krill keep the teeth trimmed and the puffer happy.>> Your quick response is very much appreciated. Thank you! <<Sorry, probably wasn't as quick as you might have liked, but hopefully all will be well given some time.>> Steve Weatherly
<<Cheers, J -- >>

Puffer Crisis Hi team.. <<Hello... fish team delta at your service.>> I've got a sick porcupine puffer on my hands and I'm not sure what to do. I've had him for 3 years and have rarely had any problems with diseases or eating problems (unless you count him wanting to eat too much haha). Tonight I noticed that he has a horrible white film covering his left eye. I'm almost positive that it's a fungus because its circular and in the center there is a very small amount of tissue extending from they eye. (I don't really know how to describe it other than it looks like rotting flesh that is still attached to the eye.) But it's all white and I don't think that it is part of the eye itself that is hanging off. I tested the water quality ammonia is 0 nitrite 0 and nitrate 0, ph is at 8.2 (like I said, this is an established tank, its always that way.) The past week or so he was eating very little, he actually stopped eating the same day I brought home a new yellow tang. I assumed this was stress caused by a new tank mate, or even just a coincidence because he occasionally (like maybe twice a year or so) stops eating for a day or two and then starts right back up again. Well after a couple days went by of him eating only a small piece of shrimp (his favorite food), I thought perhaps the tang had brought some ich with him (I noticed the tang scratching a little bit, although I didn't see any white spots). So I gave the puffer a freshwater bath and lowered the salinity in the tank a couple of points (from 1.022 to 1.020). The next day (2 days ago) he was back to his regular eating habits and all was well. Then tonight I noticed the white thing on his eye. The tang seems happy and well adjusted (he's done a great job with the algae in the tank). I've attached a pic of the puffer.. its not that great so I don't know how helpful it will be since he wouldn't stop moving for the camera. But it may give you some idea. I also shot a brief digital movie of him you can look at, just go to http://www.nearvanna.com/puffer.zip and you can download it. (it's probably not worth it unless you have high speed or need to see a better image of the disease.) <<A quick view of the image and movie makes me think it is more likely an injury than bacteria or fungus. Bacteria and fungus are rarely so selective as to infect one eye... an injury like a scratch seems more probable.>> A little bit on the puffer's surroundings. Its a 50 gallon tank, I have a fluidized bed filter, a wet/dry filter, a good protein skimmer and 2 powerheads for circulation. Along with the puffer I have a large snowflake eel and the new tang. Everyone seems healthy except for the puffer. <<Two things come to mind about this system: one, it's really a little small for the eel and puffer... which now has a tang in it. Do consider a potential tank upgrade if keeping the puffer long term is among your goals. Second, the fluidized bed while well-suited to the job of filtering for messy eaters is still a sketchy piece of equipment - a power failure could do more than leave you in the dark. You might want to consider some other options or perhaps doing without it given the wet/dry and skimmer.>> Ok, so on to the question. WHAT CAN I DO???? <<I'd leave it be, and give it some time.>> I've known my puffer long than I've known my girlfriend, and don't want to lose him! According to the article I read on your website about fungus, it is rare and usually mistaken for bacteria. Do you think that is the case here? <<no...>> It also says that most treatments don't work, so other than frequent water changes am I just doomed to see if he can overcome this himself? <<all other things being equal, the chances of healing are quite good I would think.>> Anything I can do to tip the odds in the puffer's favor? <<Make sure it's eating, and if you can, whole shrimp or krill keep the teeth trimmed and the puffer happy.>> Your quick response is very much appreciated. Thank you! <<Sorry, probably wasn't as quick as you might have liked, but hopefully all will be well given some time.>> Steve Weatherly <<Cheers, J -- >>

Re: porcupine puffer I tried the Epsom salt Thursday night. (I found some info on it on another site) When I got home from work Friday the puffer looked very stressed and seemed worse, he died a few hours later. I would like to thank you for your quick response and for taking the time to answer my questions, Georgia. <alas, I am sorry we could not help in time. Thank you for your empathy though. The hobby needs such passionate aquarists. Best regards, Anthony>

Porcupine Puffer Hi there! I have some problems with my new fish and was hoping you could help me on this regard. Currently I have a 55 gallon with 40 pounds Fiji LR and 20 pounds of aragonite and 20 pounds of crushed coral underneath it. My fish include a 3 inch Volitans a 2 inch dwarf lion a 2 inch long horned cowfish and a new 2 inch porcupine fish. <Awfully crowded for a 55, when/if they grow to adult size and live a full life.> The tank parameters are ammonia .25 ppm, <Should always be zero ammonia and nitrite.> nitrate 5 ppm, nitrite 0, pH 8.3. My question is this, I just introduced the porcupine a few days ago and all he does for the last 4-5 days is swim up and down on the back left corner of the tank. Also, he has a big white dot\spot on the top of the right eye. <Please tale a look here for general information on Puffers, http://www.wetwebmedia.com/diodontpuffers.htm and here for disease information, http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mardisease.htm, and continuing on through the other linked files.> Please let me know how to help this new fish of mine. P.S. He eats all the time though. <The best help I can give you is to point you in the right direction to educate yourself as to the proper care/husbandry of your animals. -Steven Pro>

Brackish Porcupine Puffer Hi Bob! <<Actually JasonC, hello to you.>> I saw a porcupine puffer at LFS. it is listed as freshwater or brackish spices. is there a such spices? <> I thought porcupine puffer lives in marine water? <<The classic 'Porcupine Puffer', Diodon holocanthus is indeed a saltwater fish. Here's a link: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/diodontpuffers.htm If any of these are the fish you saw, then the store has mis-labeled it.>> Please explain..... <<I'm not sure I can. I'd be asking the fish store to explain. Cheers, J -- >>

Puffer Not Eating Greetings, We have a porcupine puffer that stopped eating about 2 weeks ago after his tank companion, a blue tang, died. <Have you identified what killed the Tang? Very likely the two are related.> We noticed the tang having what looked like "age spots" on his head and sides for a month before he started to slow down and stop eating. <Sounds like HLLE. Much more written on the malady on WWM. Implicated causes are poor water quality and diet.> We assumed he was just getting old since we had him for about 4 years. <Should last a lot longer than that given the right conditions, 10-15 years is not impossible with these fish.> During the last week we treated the tank with Maroxy and Maracyn II but I'm sure this was done too late. When he stopped eating we also noticed his breathing was very fast. It was also during this time we noticed the puffer had what looked like a string of pearls coming out of his "back-side". He would eventually pass this only to have it happen again several days later. I'm not sure if these 2 illnesses are related or not. He has stopped doing this lately. This tank is a fish only tank (25 gallons.) <Way too small for either of these fish.> that was treated with copper about 5 years ago when some kind of fungus covered the puffers eyes that cleared up after a week. <Copper is a terrible medication to use on Puffers.> The puffer has been in this tank for 6+ years and he really doesn't seem to mind the small size since there are never more than 2 fish in there. All of the levels are in the normal range except the copper level is high now, around 25 ppm. I have done 4, 4 gallon water changes during the past week to try to get the copper level down in addition to adding some activated charcoal to the Bak Pak skimmer but the level remains high. I have ordered some of the poly filters and will add them when I get them. We have noticed on your website the mention of the puffer needing crunchy foods to keep his teeth in check. We must admit that we have been feeding him everything but crunchy food. I honestly wasn't aware he even had teeth let alone he needed to keep them filed down. Now the question....how do I know if it is a tooth problem or just a hunger strike that requires a little more patience? I read all of the posts pertaining to overgrown teeth but I haven't read anything describing how long they are when they need to be trimmed. I can see the top row of teeth when he is up close to the glass but they don't look like they are causing a problem for him closing his mouth. This just seems too weird that he would stop eating practically on the day his buddy passed away. Thanks so much for your help. <You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Puffer Question Hi Bob, it's been a long time since I have written you and I am glad to see that your website is doing so well. <<Well... the site is doing so well that Bob is letting me answer your email. How's them apples?>> I have a couple questions for you regarding my 3 year old Porcupine Puffer fish. My first question, and I know it sounds weird but, he looks bored all the time (except during feeding time when he gets VERY excited.) At the moment his only other tankmate is a Snowflake Eel (who ate my two juvenile tangs!!). Anyway, like I said he seems bored, he goes over to the eel's cave and will just rest at an opening watching the eel. Sometimes he'll swim to the other end of the tank and then back to the cave to do some more eel watching. I guess my question is, #1 can fish even get bored? <<I think so, yes. How big is this tank - perhaps he has been there and done that. You could rearrange the live rock every so often to mix things up. Puffers are about as smart as it gets for a non-mammalian fish so they are quite aware of their environments. Additionally, some puffers can be nocturnal and spend most of the day resting. This 'resting' may be the behavior you are observing.>> #2 are there any tankmates that are more entertaining to a puffer fish than an eel that hides in his cave all day? <<Who knows what entertains a puffer, and to that end, what would entertain a puffer that wouldn't get eaten by it. Perhaps a trigger fish like a Huma, depending on the size of the tank.>> Of course any tank mates would have to be small enough not to fit in my eel's big mouth (btw, I thought they were strictly non-fish eaters????). <> My other question is a much simpler one.. how long do Diodon holacanthus Linnaeus (long spined puffer fish) live? Like I said earlier I've had him for three years and he seems to be very healthy still. <<That's a simple question? I have to offer you another 'who knows'... there's probably been a couple in public/private aquaria that have lived to 20+ years but there are so many variables that there are no guarantees. For certain, in the wild they can live much longer.>> Thanks for your advice. Steve <<You are quite welcome. Cheers, J - >>

Re: Puffer Question <<Greetings, Steve.>> Thanks for the quick reply. I have no doubt that the puffer is nocturnal and he does rest during the day. But his behavior now is different than it used to be.. he seriously looks bored. But rearranging the "decor" is a good idea thanks. I have a question about your suggestion of a Huma trigger. Actually, I was kind of excited to have you suggest a trigger because I have been wanting to get one. The reason I had dismissed it as a possibility is because according to the trigger article on this site it says that triggers will sometimes pick on eels and I don't want to subject my poor eel to that. But I also know that Huma's tend to be more easy going than certain others.. are they less likely to do exhibit this behavior? <<Well yes, that's why I suggested a Huma and not a Clown or Undulated Trigger ;-) Among triggers, Humas are not as mean as others but can still be pretty belligerent. Still your current mix is likely not a problem, and provided you have the room the trigger should be able to hold it's own. Likewise I doubt that a Huma would mix it up with an eel - especially one with an appetite.>> As far as your question about the eel yes I did see him (to my horror) kill the poor tang (who was about 1 1/2 inches or so) while the tang was sleeping. (I happened to get up early that day while the eel was still active, but the tang wasn't). I have a feeling it was because the fish store I got him from was feeding him goldfish! (I couldn't believe that was his diet when they suggested I buy some feeder fish for him! - I feed him shrimp & krill). <<Sounds reasonable - 1.5" is a little small and approaching bite-sized so eel was just probably taking advantage of an easy breakfast. Good plan with the shrimp and krill.>> Anyway thank you again. Steve <<You are quite welcome. Cheers, J -- >>

Spiny Box Puffer Dear Mr. Fenner: <<Actually, not Mr. Fenner, but JasonC helping out...>> My spiny box puffer is in a 55 gallon tank with a maroon clownfish and a dragon wrasse. They all get along. The clown had a few blue spots on his face and the puffer has fins that look to be shredding at the end. Upon the advice of my local pet store, I added Greenex to the tank for 2 treatments which totally cleared up the clown. The wrasse has never had a problem. The puffer's fins appear to be healing, but this is the 4th day he has not eaten. <<Not really a surprise - the Greenex is actually a pretty potent medication, Malachite Green and Quinine Hydrochloride if I can recall, and scale-less fish like your puffer are often irritated by such strong therapies. I would consider firing this fish store in favor of some better advice - would have been much better to start with simple ph-adjusted freshwater dips, and perhaps quarantine for the clown. Torn fins aren't always a sign of disease.>> He usually gulps down the freeze dried krill 4 pieces daily. He even ate while the medicine was in the tank, but now even chasing him with the food doesn't help. He seems to look at it and smell it with interest, but still refuses to eat. <<I have a theory that I'm working on that these medications, and especially the stronger treatments like Greenex actually nuke the taste-buds or sense of smell or chemical sensors that fish have. Not all fish, mind you, but have seen something very similar in my own Tuskfish when he was in quarantine and on a similar med.>> How long is too long for him to refuse food? <<depending on its size, perhaps a week, no more than two.>> I tried a live ghost shrimp and even raw shrimp from the seafood market, but to no avail. Do I need to quarantine him and perhaps try another medication? <<Hold out for a little while, puffers are known to go into a funk for a while and choose not to eat, and then just as quickly return to normal. Certainly hunger-strikes are not uncommon among the puffers. The Greenex probably just made it grumpy.>> I hate to over treat him with chemicals if it can be avoided. <<and I concur...>> He otherwise seems very active and enjoys looking at his reflection. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for your time and patience in this matter. <<Ahh... it is you that will need to be patient, methinks ;-) >> Sincerely, Kelli <<Some helpful reading for you: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/treatmen.htm Cheers, J -- >>

Bridled Burrfish Q's Saw two great-looking specimens in the LFS, but I've had trouble finding out much of anything about this species, or Burrfish generally. Are they roughly similar to porcupine puffers as to behavior, hardiness, and dietary needs? Can you refer me to a source where I could find out more about this species? <Mmm, yes. On our site, here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/diodontpuffers.htm and the linked FAQs, files at top... and Fishbase.org...> Definitely won't purchase from the LFS without more info. . . . <Good plan. Bob Fenner> Thanks, Joe

Bridled Burrfish Q's One of your FAQ responses says that Burrfish "are not at all hardy." Does that include the bridled variety? There just isn't much info out there on how to care for this species in captivity. <Unfortunately yes, does apply... most specimens of this group are too large, roughly handled in capture, holding, shipping... and get too toxified in the long haul of going from the wild to the end-user... too often succumbing due to the ill-effects. Bob Fenner> Joe

Re: Porcupine puffer and feeding. Hi Anthony. <cheers> Well, we have separated them....We now have 3 tanks.....! <cool...heehee> And the trigger seems happy but we still have a problem with him Just lately he seems to get stuck behind or to everything 2 weeks ago on Saturday - behind the pump of the skimmer.... injury - pressed in eye...and the white behind is eye came out recovered - 1 hour later 1 week ago - got himself stuck at the air pump...(power head) Injury - a red round spot on his cheek.... recovered - 2 days, and the spot was almost not visible anymore this morning in his new tank... Stuck at the air pump again! This time with his fin...and his lungs let's say (don't know how to translate that. sorry, I am just a blonde) Injury... Looks pretty bad this time....his fin is red and was pulled in the pump so now it is just straight...he does not seem to want to move it now...but I guess...you would not want to move a leg when it had been trapped My boyfriend says that the other side of his body seemed to have been somewhat sucked in...and that is just too much for me to handle...I could and did not look at that side... <hmmm... strange that this fish is so frightful that it is compelled to lodge itself so vigorously. While it is perfectly natural for a triggerfish to lodge itself in the rockscape or a soft head of living coral... to do so often indicates a very nervous Nelly. Do consider if the placement of the tank is not forgiving with regard for the human traffic patter. Is it near a door for example where the fish is frequently startled all day long by humans. Is there a cat or dog n the house that loves to jump up on the tank for a peek. Perhaps very bright light? In the meantime offer a large PVC segment of pipe of like attractive/safe bolt hole for this little bugger> But. this is killing me...I love all my animals so much...and I don't want them to hurt at all. <as we all agree> Has something like this happened to other people....???? <there certainly are fish that are notorious for being skittish... blue regal tangs, many wrasses, small damsels, etc> Is Magnum (trigger) trying to commit suicide??? <not sure.. do you play a lot of Muzac covers of 70's hits?> Hey, hey you really start to wonder now...) Did he injure his "brain" the first time when he got stuck.... <tough to say... small brain to be concerned about> We guess that we need to build something around the air pump...so it can still suck up the water....but this time without Magnum.... Please advise.....Plleeaaassseeeeeee <do try subdued lighting and patience for this fish to adjust and heal. Medicate if necessary but only on evidence of an infection. Best regards, Anthony> Inju

Re: Porcupine puffer and feeding. well, hi again well...update on our trigger he survived the first hours after the last air pump attack. he looks a lot better now. we bought something to put around the sucking area. to divide the water pressure.. it kind a like a plastic round box with gaps on the side (like a hamster wheel) so would he get stuck again, the air will be sucked from the other side... let's cross our fingers well. Magnum (the trigger) is eating well, so well that he managed to bite the leg of our small crab..... <a very natural food indeed> we put him with magnum thinking that he would be safer.....so I guess NOT!!! <correct> Will the crab survive with one leg?? <yes and even regenerate it in time (several molts)> gosh...I keep on going with my questions!! sowwy!!! <no worries. Kindly, Anthony>

Re: Porcupine puffer and feeding. Hi there again, Well your point seems to be clear. But, are you saying that Magnum (the Humu Humu trigger) will eat Spikey's (porcupine puffer) eyes out <heehee... point made and taken. Please do separate or I assure you that you will be spending months or years nursing an eyeless puffer in an isolation tank. Kindly, Anthony> I guess you mean the other way 'round right It is really strange, we were advised that the triggerfish would go well with the puffer and they did for more than a year. <yes...my apologies... I thought we were talking about two puffers. I misread> Watching them now, they look fine together...and watching them yesterday with feeding, went pretty okay too. But it seems that the puffer is indeed keeping an eye out for the trigger, if the latter seems to have found food...the puffer wants to be there first. <indeed puffers can be quite aggressive about food and have the teeth to back up any aggression> I would hate to separate them because, they seem attached to each other.....and I am wondering if spike would not be lonesome, alone. <I'm not so sure that fish in captivity if anywhere feel lonesome. The very small living space of even the largest aquarium is a drop in an ocean compared to what they came from. Tolerance of other fishes (even same species) is most always the problem!> Yep, I am a pretty sentimental person hahaahaha <awwww.. a lovely flaw if at all> but thanks for all your time and advice, I will definitely think about it! <Cheers, Anthony>

Emperor Angel and Porcupine Puffer As always you guys are doing an AWESOME job! (I know it's clich?here, but its true) <awwwhhh, shucks! Thanks kindly <smile>> Anyway, two quick questions: 1. I recently purchased a young Emperor Angel and he was eating as soon as I got him home, aware of his surroundings, etc… BUT he seems to swim slowly on one side or the other. Is this normal behavior for this species, or a sick fish? <hmmm... symptomatically called "listing"...indeed not normal or healthy but not indicative necessarily of a specific condition to treat. Continue to feed well until it improves or betrays an addressable symptom (spots, fin erosion, etc) 2. My Trigger and Puffer had an accident. While feeding they went for the same target, but the trigger missed and caught the puffer between his eyes. The trigger took my puffer (the first time I've seen him puff up) for a spin before realizing what he had done. When he let go the puffer had a mark on the side of his eye where he had been bitten. That mark has turned white like scar tissue over the last two days. Is that white possibly infection, or new skin? <hmmm hard to say, but infections get ugly real fast. My guess is raw skin and healing. Do watch closely though and review disease section here on WWM for injury treatments and medicants if necessary> Will it heal and return normal color? <very likely> Do I need to worry about infection, do anything to help it heal? <be prepared with a good QT tank if necessary for either fish> Thanks a million, Mark <best regards, Anthony>

Porcupine puffer and feeding. HI <Back atcha!> Spike and Magnum have been together for a more than a year. <even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes> Spike is not chasing Magnum at all. Just with the feeding. <toothy predators biting chunks and eyes out of each other is bad even if it is only at feeding time. And they get more aggressive with age. Having worked in the aquarium industry as a wholesaler and retailer for a decade, I have literally seen more than a thousand of these creatures run through holding tanks. They are what they are... intolerant of each other> Spike always did that but never too aggressive and Magnum always duck away. <a stressful way to live and it gets worse as they mature (sexual maturity, territorial aggression, etc)> Lately Spike seem pretty hungry....and aggressive towards food. He never seem to want to hurt Magnum, <be careful, my friend <smile> this is anthropomorphism. I assure you that Spike has never given a thought as to whether or not he "wanted" to hurt Magnum. Magnum's goin' down if the mood suits Spike one day> he more seem to forget that Magnum is attached to the food he is eating..... <heehee... point made and taken. Please do separate or I assure you that you will be spending months or years nursing an eyeless puffer in an isolation tank. Kindly, Anthony>

Porcupine puffer and feeding. Hi Jason. <Anthony Calfo with the follow-up> Thanks for your help. We plan to feed the fish once a day now. The size of the clams are thumbnail size. Not very big. Lately we are seeing another problem. Spikey is getting more and more aggressive towards Magnum. <yes...some puffers are quite intolerant of conspecifics as they mature> Spikey, fast eater will really attack Magnum, who is a very very slow eater. <its not going to get any better either. Pet stores cannot keep too many together otherwise they start biting the eyes out of each other!!!> Today I have been crying my eyes out because he really bit Magnum in the face when he had some food. It looked so sad, his mouth had a different shape completely. Luckily he patches up really fast. But we are worried now because we really have to keep Spike away from Magnum. We hope feeding them daily will ease Spikey down. <I'm sorry... they need to be separated> About the nitrate, we have even tried water changes weekly....just 30% of the water. It seems to be structural....we have had it for a year and tried a lot Now, if the daily feeding does not work, we consider to turn the sweetwater tank into a saltwater as well. And then we'd need to buy a smaller one for my other puffer (figure eight, schoutedeni and red eye puffers) Someone told me that these puffer could slowly adjust to a saltwater environment....is this true. <some species are full seawater as adults, but others are only brackish or even pure freshwater> Well...thanks again for your help Wendy <best regards, Anthony Calfo>

Feeding Puffers Hi there. <<Hello, JasonC here...>> We have a porcupine puffer and a Humu Humu trigger and we were wondering if we are feeding them enough. <<if I were a trigger or a puffer, the word "enough" would not be part of my vocabulary.>> Unfortunately being in the Netherlands there are limited feeding options. So far we have been feeding them clams...(not the shell) And we feed them 3 times a week, let's say 4 clams for Spikey, and 2 for Magnum if he is lucky....... <<and I'd be a lucky trigger to be eating clams all the time, but depending on the size of the clam, you might be able to feed a half-clam or less per day and still meet the nutritional needs of the fish.>> This has been the advice since we bought them but recently we found out that this guy is a scam..... <<uh oh... well, no harm done by the clams - this is much better food by a factor of 100 [or more] than brine shrimp, which is what many people in the US are told they should feed. So really, you're not doing so badly.>> Can you help.. We once in a while feed them frozen sardines and shrimp (of course, defrosted ;-) <<ok - you might want to try chopping/blending/mixing those three things in a blender or food-processor into a chunky, lumpy goo, and then freeze into a sheet, ice cubes, or something similar. This would also be an excellent opportunity to add some vitamins to the mix. You could then thaw a half cube or so and use that to feed a more precise portion. Check out the reading at: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/feeding.htm >> The reason why we don't feed so much is that we always have high nitrate... <<yes, good plan, although you may/might want to change the water a little more often if the nitrates are always on the rise.>> let me know? Thanks in advance Wendy <<Cheers, J -- >>

Re: Porcupine puffer Thank you for your quick response, <always welcome> however when I got home yesterday he had a white spot on his head. I tried to call the fish store and they were already closed. He was sitting on the bottom and breathing laboriously. By morning he was dead. I assume he contracted a disease, but what? <diseases don't work that fast... this fish was sick many days before hand.. tough to say what though> How can I prevent it and will my other fish be ok. <there's a chance that your other fish will be infected but that remains to be seen. This is one reason why it is so important to always quarantine your fish for 2-4 weeks in a hospital tank first. It gives you a better chance to save a new sick fish and prevents the established fishes from getting infected. Do get a hospital tank ready in case other fish fall ill> Thanks. <quite welcome my friend. Best regards, Anthony>

Puffer Fish I own a porcupine puffer in a 120 gallon tank. I've had him since Christmas. Since Christmas he has always ate at least 3 pieces of krill a day. For past 2 weeks he has not wanted to eat krill any more. He appears to be very healthy. The only thing he likes to eat is live food. So I've been feeding this 3 inch puffer 2 guppies every other day for the past 10 days. I work next to a fish market so I was thinking of bringing him home fresh shrimp and squid to eat. Would that be a good idea? <Yes, even whole shellfish (good for its teeth as well)> However I have experimented with him and I found out that he loves to eat bananas. Can bananas be part of his diet? <Yes. Have seen this done overseas> Please respond back soon and let me know what you think of my ideas. Thank you. <Please take a read through the "Puffer" areas on our site: starting here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/puffers. tm, reading through the linked FAQs files. Many people have periodic problems with Puffer feeding strikes, nutritional imbalances, overgrown teeth problems... You will read about these here. Bob Fenner>

Porcupine with cloudy eyes My porcupine puffer has somewhat cloudy eyes. His vision does not appear to be affected. I am trying to decide whether to treat him with furan-2 or to just see if the condition can clear up on its own. <With good water quality, most bacterial infections are slow... you can observe for another 1-3 days before medicating in a quarantine tank as above> Can he spontaneously recover from cloudy eyes, or does this require treatment? I can not find info on this condition anywhere on the net, and I am wary of treating him unless it is serious. Thank you, Laura <better safe than sorry if it progresses. Puffers are not sensitive to antibiotics as they are copper or organic dyes. Do be well read on their care and husbandry including diet and dental care (food for keeping teeth filed). Do study the extensive articles/FAQs on puffers on this site in the archives (begin with the home page). Kindly, Anthony>

Re: porky puffer- cloudy eyes Are puffers sensitive to Methylene blue? <although they are very hardy fish, they should be treated as sensitive...they are scaleless and can overdose easily... no metals or organic dyes for these guys. Anthony Calfo>

Why will my porcupine puffer not eat I have a porcupine puffer and for 3 days now all he does is chase his food around the tank. He's healthy and watches me go for the can and is all happy splashing what is the problem. I'm feeding him jumbo shrimp (freeze dried). Thank you Debbie <do experiment with other live and frozen forms of shrimp. The puffers behavior sounds otherwise reassuring. Anthony>

Burping a Porcupine puffer I bought a porcupine puffer approximately a week and a half ago. He is a baby, only a little over an inch long. <scary small indeed> I have a bubble wand in my tank and am concerned he has gotten air in him. <never bubbles with puffers...they are curious and ingest them> At first, he loved the vitamin infused brine shrimp, but now the only thing he will consistently eat is frozen plankton. < a much better food than brine even enriched> Yesterday, he was partially inflated and afterwards, his eyes became opaque and remain so. <cloudy eyes have nothing to do with air bubbles or feeding... look for other signs of disease> He swims around and just checks things out. At times he will attempt to come to a rest on the substrate and he will just begin floating towards the surface. To sleep he gets under an overhang of live rock and floats up on it. He seems to have no abrasions and the other fish in the tank (a clown/fairy wrasse and a striated wrasse) don't bother him though they kind of crowd his space sometimes. I really like the little guy and want to ensure he is as healthy as possible. I greatly appreciate your quick response, as I am very concerned. <it may literally need burped if it looks like air is trapped. Use a soft nylon net to capture it and massage the creature through the net with its mouth pointed upward to see if bubbles can be burped out. Kind regards, Anthony>

Sick porcupine puffer Sorry to bother you, but I need some advice. <no bother at all> I have a porky puffer who has cloudy eyes, and white spots on his back fins. <pufferfish are quite prone to external parasites particularly due to fluctuations (especially down) in temperature. Be sure home tank is not fluctuating more than 2F daily. That explains the spots if they are like grains of salt, but not the cloudy eyes... could be bacterial or water quality...do test thoroughly> he also has a red "spine" either on his back tail, or protruding from his anus ( I can't tell which). <unrelated to Ich...treat with antibiotics if it doesn't clear within three days> He is very young, only about 2-3 inches. I'm guessing he has ick, so I am going to put him in a quarantine tank. <very wise move> What should I treat him with? <Formalin and Furazolidone/Nitrofurazone (like in Jungle brand Fungus Eliminator) for 5 full days> My LFS recommended copper, but I wanted to ask you first. <they are very mistaken... your puffer is a scaleless fish that could easily overdose on copper... works for some but is generally an irresponsible move> The puff is in a 45 gal, with some inverts, and a bi color blenny. Is my tank now infested with ick? <in a manner of speaking, yes... but all fish carry something, so you cant expect the tank to be sterile. Not much to worry about with healthy fish and good immunity> Are there any "reef safe" treatments I could use? I have been using coral-vital by marc Weiss because it says that ich has trouble adhering to fish when it is being used. Needless to say, I don't think its working. <please don't get me started talking about snake oil <wink>> Once again, I am sorry to bother you, but I love this little puffer and don't want to do anything to hurt him. Besides the white spots he isn't showing any other symptoms of Ick, like rapid respiration, or rubbing up against stuff. <all good to hear... once in QT, I suspect that your personable puffer will be just fine. Best regards, Anthony> Thank you, Laura Canney

Follow-up to Sick Porcupine Puffer I cannot find jungle brand fungus eliminator. Are there any other products which contain the active ingredients you mentioned? (formalin, Furazolidone/Nitrofurazone?) will these medications cure the ick or just the cloudy eyes? <These are two separate medications/recommendations. One is formalin, the second is Furazolidone/Nitrofurazone. Look for Furan-2 from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals as an alternative to Fungus Eliminator which also contains Furazolidone & Nitrofurazone. When you use both of these in conjunction, you should be able to effect a cure of both the ich and cloudy eyes, given a good environment. -Steven Pro>

Follow-up II to Sick Porcupine Puffer Hello, well it seems like I jumped the gun: I started using copper on the puffer and the blenny in the Q tank yesterday. After reading your email today, I did an 80% water change to dilute the copper, which was at .15 . Will it still be okay to use the formalin/ Furazolidone etc..., or should I do a 100% change and/ or use some kind of copper remover first? <Try using Chemi-Pure and a Polyfilter for a day to remove residue copper. Then remove both and begin new treatment.> My second question: should I reduce the salinity in the main tank to 1.017, as you describe on wet web? <Not needed now, as I believe you removed all the fish to hospital/quarantine tank.> I know this will hurt my inverts (not to mention my mushrooms, live rock, etc..), so if you do recommend it, can I move the inverts to another tank? <No need to do anything. Without a host, the parasites will die in your main tank (go fallow) while your fish are in the other tank.> I have a 15 gal tank which just got done cycling, but if I move the inverts to that tank will it become infected as well? <No, there are separate diseases for inverts and fish.> Thanks for your help, Laura <You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Puffer teeth Hello Mr. Fenner. Well....seems my green puffer's teeth have grown too long. He can still eat, and I'm feeding him snails regularly, but they don't seem to stop the growth. I've looked through your website and can't find an actual description for grinding down your puffers teeth (I apologize if I somehow missed it). How can I file down my puffers teeth. <I assume that you browsed the FAQ's on this page: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/diodontidfaqs.htm... beyond that it is about as simple as it sounds. A rotary tool (Dremel tm, or the like), a gently handled fish wrapped in a towel wet with aquarium water, a helper or IV drip raining saltwater in the gills for the short time that it takes (be sure not to stress the puffer when caught for the procedure). I'll make sure Bob gets this message with a request for a possible referral to published info(?) from the puffer queen (Kelly J). Kindly, Anthony Calfo> Thank you, Mark Keusenkothen

Porcupine Puffer, not-eating, reading WWM Hello Bob, In one of the last emails I sent you I asked you about my porcupine puffer that is hungry and even goes for the food can not actually bite it. He gets up close to it but cant bite not really sure but his teeth couldn't be over grown because he doesn't even touch the food with his lips. You suggested me to your website but there wasn't any info about this there. This puffer hasn't eaten in at least 2 weeks and he is not to big? Do you think threes anything I can do or no? <Please read over the FAQs files on Puffers. Bob Fenner>

Porcupine puffer injured? sick? <Anthony Calfo here in your service> Today I noticed a small roundish area on the side of my porcupine puffer's body that appears to be injured. It happened sometime today while I was gone, as he was just fine this morning. It is covered with what seems to be white dead skin that is peeling off. I'm thinking maybe he got a little too close to the heater and burned himself or maybe scraped on the live rock. <as unusual as that might be, I'm likely to agree. A pathogenic symptom would not manifest that quickly...definitely mechanical injury in nature> His skin is a little puffed out around the area but doesn't seem to be infected, and he is acting fairly normal. The only tankmates are a sergeant major damsel (about 1.5 inches) and a blue damsel (about 2 inches). The puffer is about 5.5 inches. The tank is 80 gallons with a skimmer and Fluval canister and about 45 pounds of live rock. Any ideas of what to do besides keep an eye on him? <agreed...mostly just keep an eye on him, maintain good water quality and feed well (but do not overfeed). Look for stabilization or improvement in three days...else be prepared with a quarantine tank and antibiotics. A normal reef dose of iodine in the tank may be mildly antiseptic and will at least raise redox. Please follow up promptly if you need more help, but I suspect it will be fine. Kindly, Anthony>

Sick spiny puffer I have a spiny puffer both of his eyes are white he can't see. What do I do? help! <Please read over the articles, FAQs files on puffers, and on to the links therein posted on WetWebMedia.com Bob Fenner>

Sick fish needs help quick <Greetings, Anthony Calfo in your service> Hi I'm the guy who was telling you about the problem with my puffer breathing heavy. He is now doing okay he is eating pretty well now since I added the first treatment of Formulite in the system. But now my clown fish is breathing heavy and not eating or swimming around much. When he takes a crap its all white in color and it takes a while to fall off him. <sometimes an indication of internal parasites, but not usually. You can feed medicated antiparasitic food to help if you like> I had loss power for one day so my tank had no power. <did the temperature drop much... a sure fire way to flare up external parasites> That night when the power was turned backed on I fed him and he ate very well. The next day I did a 10 gallon water change. Then I added the Formulite 2 to the system I only put a half dose. <good for the scaleless puffer> The next day I found him breathing heavy as I described earlier. <perhaps brought on from the previous stress> My water is testing good. <what are the readings specifically> What's going on with the clown? Is it Brooklynella disease? <can't say for sure yet... fast breathing can indicate water quality issues as well as pathogens. Brooklynella is unlikely and conspicuous> I even gave the clown a freshwater dip. <please continue daily for up to eight days... an excellent way to treat fish and avoid hostile meds> Please respond back soon. <best regards, Anthony>

Fish <<Hello Debra, JasonC here doing a cameo while visiting with Bob in sunny San Diego.>> Hi I own a 120 gallon saltwater aquarium. In the aquarium I have a four inch long percula clown and two small domino damsels and a three inch long porcupine puffer. I have excellent filtration. My water is reading perfect PH- 8.3 AMMONIA- 0.0 NITRITE- 0.0 NITRATE-0.15 I do a 10 gallon water change every two weeks. Over the past two weeks my porcupine puffer has been breathing a bit heavy. <<in what way? like deep breaths or [very] rapid gill movement?>> However during this time he has been eating like a pig. But during the past few days he hasn't been really wanting to eat too much at all. He doesn't show the interest like he use to. IM worrying that his heavy breathing has caught up to him, He still is very active but he doesn't want to eat he just wants put the food in his mouth and spit it out. <<hmmm>> Do think he has a gill parasite? <<is certainly a possibility>> If so I want to know If Formulite a copper base formula will cure his problem? <<if he has a gill parasite, this will aid the situation.>> Will it? Its a five day treatment. Can I just add this medicine to my main system since its only copper and because I don't have any invertebrates present in my tank? Please respond back soon. Thank you. <<Well, here it comes... if you haven't already do read up on the WWM site about puffers, there's some good stuff there: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/puffers.htm As non-mammalian fish go, these are among the smartest ones around. With that said, sometimes they can go into a funk, for no particular reason that you and I can determine. Luckily enough, they often come back just as quickly. I would attempt to feed this fella some whole krill [frozen, no freeze-dried] as this is a favorite puffer treat. It also serves to keep their teeth from overgrowing and causing other problems. Now for the copper and formalin - this is a fairly toxic mix, which can be useful if you need a broad-spectrum thing-killer. Most often, copper treatments can also cause problems with your biological filtration. Best use of copper is in a separate system, bare of substrate and decoration. Here's another page on WWM to see: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/parasiti.htm You best bet is to keep an eye on the puffer, do some reading and hold off on the copper for the moment. Best of luck. Cheers, J -- >>