What could be wrong with my porcupine puffer?

[rstuedes]

180 gallon fowlr tank, I have a smaller porcupine puffer who was perfectly fine as of yesterday morning. I did a 25% water change and he was up by the drain pump watching me.

Later in the day I came back down to feed and he was slightly spiked and seemed like he lost some of his color. Since then he has regained his color but he is still not moving around much and just sitting in his corner, which is unusual of him to do for a long time. He's got his tail tucked but otherwise doesn't seem to have any spots, sores, irritations, etc. Any time he tries to nibble on food he seems like he hiccups.

My nitrates are a little higher than I'd like so I'm changing more water today, they were about 50.

I don't see any spots that would make me think he took in air but that's the only thing I can think of that would bother him so quickly?

 

[rstuedes]

YouTube video of what he's been doing. I just fed him and he was very happy to eat but right after eating went back down to his spot and starting doing the "hiccups" again

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

YouTube video of what he's been doing. I just fed him and he was very happy to eat but right after eating went back down to his spot and starting doing the "hiccups" again

The fish actually looks pretty healthy. Not sure what the "hiccupping" is, could it have swallowed some shrimp shell and gotten it stuck?

 

[Mike7744]

He looks fine, i have a porcupine puffer as well, they do some strange things. But i would no worry. Mine (Tater) does some weird things when he eats as well. He is going strong 3 years old. Dont think to much in to it, just let him be.

 

[rstuedes]

He looks fine, i have a porcupine puffer as well, they do some strange things. But i would no worry. Mine (Tater) does some weird things when he eats as well. He is going strong 3 years old. Dont think to much in to it, just let him be.

Thank you for the reassurance. I just thought it was concerning with it being something new since I've never seen him do that before

 

[vetteguy53081]

180 gallon fowlr tank, I have a smaller porcupine puffer who was perfectly fine as of yesterday morning. I did a 25% water change and he was up by the drain pump watching me.

Later in the day I came back down to feed and he was slightly spiked and seemed like he lost some of his color. Since then he has regained his color but he is still not moving around much and just sitting in his corner, which is unusual of him to do for a long time. He's got his tail tucked but otherwise doesn't seem to have any spots, sores, irritations, etc. Any time he tries to nibble on food he seems like he hiccups.

My nitrates are a little higher than I'd like so I'm changing more water today, they were about 50.

I don't see any spots that would make me think he took in air but that's the only thing I can think of that would bother him so quickly?

Ive seen this more than once and often with chunky foods which it has issue digesting.
Often this will occur with foods such as squid, clam and scallops.
What foods are you feeding and did this behavior happen right after a feeding?
How are you testing water?

 

[rstuedes]

Ive seen this more than once and often with chunky foods which it has issue digesting.
Often this will occur with foods such as squid, clam and scallops.
What foods are you feeding and did this behavior happen right after a feeding?
How are you testing water?

I try to do a bunch of variety but he is very picky. Grocery store shrimp is the most common food he eats and I mix in squid, octopus, krill and mussels.
It didn't happen after a feeding, but when I first noticed him doing this stuff it was within an hour or so of doing a water change. He's a little more active and ate today but still doing the burping thing. My only thought is he likes to nip at the pump and tube when I do water changes and I thought maybe he gulped some air.

I use the API saltwater test kit

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I try to do a bunch of variety but he is very picky. Grocery store shrimp is the most common food he eats and I mix in squid, octopus, krill and mussels.
It didn't happen after a feeding, but when I first noticed him doing this stuff it was within an hour or so of doing a water change. He's a little more active and ate today but still doing the burping thing. My only thought is he likes to nip at the pump and tube when I do water changes and I thought maybe he gulped some air.

I use the API saltwater test kit

Puffers can gulp air, but typically that causes positive floatation and often a swollen belly.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I try to do a bunch of variety but he is very picky. Grocery store shrimp is the most common food he eats and I mix in squid, octopus, krill and mussels.
It didn't happen after a feeding, but when I first noticed him doing this stuff it was within an hour or so of doing a water change. He's a little more active and ate today but still doing the burping thing. My only thought is he likes to nip at the pump and tube when I do water changes and I thought maybe he gulped some air.

I use the API saltwater test kit

When opportunity occurs, take a water sample to an LFS that does not use API or Spin-test and see what readings they come up with to confirm your readings and for comparison as API is less that reliable at times

 

[larrysaltisfun]

I try to do a bunch of variety but he is very picky. Grocery store shrimp is the most common food he eats and I mix in squid, octopus, krill and mussels.
It didn't happen after a feeding, but when I first noticed him doing this stuff it was within an hour or so of doing a water change. He's a little more active and ate today but still doing the burping thing. My only thought is he likes to nip at the pump and tube when I do water changes and I thought maybe he gulped some air.

I use the API saltwater test kit

When opportunity occurs, take a water sample to an LFS that does not use API or Spin-test and see what readings they come up with to confirm your readings and for comparison as API is less that reliable at times

Vetteguy, are spin test not reliable? I knew about API.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Spin test originally by lamo

Vetteguy, are spin test not reliable? I knew about API.

Spin test originally by lamotte are an API product producing mixed result often similar to API results