porcupine puffer glass surfing/not eating

[porcpuffer124]

I recently purchased a baby porcupine puffer from the LFS thats about maybe 2 inches on monday. i currently do not own a QT tank so he went right into my DT. he looked fine with no visible white spot or illness. the whole time hes been in there, hes been glass surfing, while switching sides of the tank over night. The entire 3 days hes been in there hes swam around the rockwork once. Along with the glass surfing, hes also rejected shrimp and clams on the half shell with garlic. So im a bit lost to say the least, and looking for a bit of advice, ive heard that its common for them to glass surf but there also so eager to eat so it makes me a bit concerned. Hes opened his mouth quite a bit so i think that rules out lockjaw. His tankmates are also non aggressive, and hes currently in a 150 gal FOWLR, pic included of the lil guy.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Welcome to Reef2Reef and sorry for your trouble!

I'd suggest reading through the link below (particularly the "Aquarium Parameters," "Water quality," and "In-depth Information" sections) to figure out what info you can share here with the #fishmedic to get the best diagnosis and treatment advice possible:

Some Helpful Hints When Posting or Responding to Threads in the Fish Disease Treatment and Diagnosis Section

Aquarium Fish Disease Problem Solving Determining the best course of action for a problem with your aquarium can be a difficult task. Even advanced aquarists will often need to seek the help of others for complicated or unique issues. Our intent here on Reef 2 Reef is to offer expert advice...

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Also, for future reference with these sorts of issues, posting in the forum linked below can get you help faster:

Fish Disease Treatment and Diagnosis

A forum for discussing treatment and diagnosing saltwater reef fish.

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[Jay Hemdal]

I recently purchased a baby porcupine puffer from the LFS thats about maybe 2 inches on monday. i currently do not own a QT tank so he went right into my DT. he looked fine with no visible white spot or illness. the whole time hes been in there, hes been glass surfing, while switching sides of the tank over night. The entire 3 days hes been in there hes swam around the rockwork once. Along with the glass surfing, hes also rejected shrimp and clams on the half shell with garlic. So im a bit lost to say the least, and looking for a bit of advice, ive heard that its common for them to glass surf but there also so eager to eat so it makes me a bit concerned. Hes opened his mouth quite a bit so i think that rules out lockjaw. His tankmates are also non aggressive, and hes currently in a 150 gal FOWLR, pic included of the lil guy.

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Glass surfing is pretty common in these guys, but can be a sign of stress.

Do you know if it was eating at the store?
Is it breathing fast?

 

[Reefering1]

@AydenLincoln , didn't hewbie do this? How was that resolved?

 

[JC1977]

The glass surfing as mentioned is pretty common and mine was no different. As far as eating goes mine wouldn’t eat anything when first introduced. I started feeding krill and he went nuts for it. Krill isn’t an ideal long term staple food but it got mine eating after which he started taking shrimp silversides etc. Anyhow it may be worth a shot if he’s still not eating. Also keep in mind it’s not uncommon for them to go a week without eating. The other possibility would be internal parasites. I’ve read it’s pretty common in porcupine puffers.

 

[AydenLincoln]

@AydenLincoln , didn't hewbie do this? How was that resolved?

Yes he did! So the glass surfing with them seems to be extremely normal regardless of the tank size unless they are in a massive tank at a public aquarium. They get bored easily and tend to chase their reflection/follow what’s going on outside their tank. Every puffer is different though and some do it more than others but usually it’s a way for them to keep themselves entertained when they are bored but it’s not uncommon to be a stress response in a new environment. As for eating it’s typical for them to not eat when moved or in a new environment especially if they were just in the ocean a few days prior. I recommend trying live foods such as ghost shrimp, emerald crabs, crawfish, etc. it should elicit a feeding response and if it doesn’t then there’s probably another underlying issue going on like a disease. Once you get them eating they enjoy foods like clams, shrimp, etc. which helps keep their beaks down avoid feeding them fish though it’s not the best for them and they don’t eat fish in the wild. You could also try soaking the food in garlic to help and I recommend live foods every so often because it’s good for them.

 

[littlefoxx]

My stars and stripes did this for a little too when I first got him and he was super small. Now that he is bigger and established I dont see him do it much anymore