Pufferpack
Fish Herder
Here is a little story about my latest addition to the Puffer Pack.
Oct 1st - I went into my lfs to get some frozen foods and of course while there I had to check out the stock. Well I looked into one tank and saw 4 of the most pathetic little target puffers. They had been there for about 4 months and were so chewed up and starving that I thought they would be lucky to last another week where they were. I couldn't leave them there any longer, so for the price of $9.99 each I decided to see if I could save 2 of them (the other 2 IMO wouldn't have lasted the rest of the day
) I brought them home and put them into our little 5 gal QT tank and started them on medication, Maracyn-two combined with Discomed, normally I would have just used Discomed to treat the internal parasites but with them being so sick I couldn't chance their not eating the medicated food.
the poor little gaffers were all eyeballs and skin, their color did brighten up a bit in the first couple hours but that is about it, I let them rest for the night.
Oct 2 - I attempted to feed them frozen bloodworm and mysis shrimp with no success , the lfs had been feeding them feeder fish, which I was unwilling to do, so I went to the lfs and got a dozen snails and 6 ghost shrimp. once I introduced the snails and shrimp Chubbs started to take a bit of an interrest in the snails, but nothing from Skinner, I was afraid he was not going to make it
Oct 3 - I tried the frozen foods again (hoping the Maracyn-two and snails gave them an appetite) and was encouraged to see Chubbs tennatively picking at the bloodworm, but all Skinner would do was snuffle through the foods without eating, but at least he was still moving around. I decided to check the back yard to see if I could find any live foods and came up with 2 earthworms and a small centipeed like grub. I dropped a small piece of the earthworm into the tank and both puffers soon came over to see what the movement was all about, Chubbs took a few small nipps and Skinner circled around but wouldn't bite. I then dropped the grub into the tank, as soon as it hit the bottom Skinner exploded, he went halfway accross the tank in a single burst and ripped the end off the grub. As soon as Chubbs saw Skinner eating he shot over and between the 2 of them finished off the grub in about a minute flat. I left them to eat, and when I checked back later the worm was gone as well :thumbsup:
Chubbs still lumpy fron eating snails
Skinner feeling better after attacking the grub
Oct 6 - Chubbs is filling out nicely, and Skinner has lost that starved look and actually had a little pot belly today for the first time. Their colors are brightened up nicely now
Oct 8 - The puffers seem to have finished off all the snails and most of the Ghost shrimp, they still pick at the frozen medicated foods, but it seems they are on the mend nicely.
Well rather than bore everyone with the rest of the story day by day I will finish off with the most recent pics of my newist little terrors Chubbs and Skinner, a couple of little Tetraodon leiurus - Target Puffers who seem to have made a full recovery and are waiting to be relocated to a nice 35 gal tank where thay will have lots of room to swim and hunt (for now
)
Chubbs
Skinner
Oct 1st - I went into my lfs to get some frozen foods and of course while there I had to check out the stock. Well I looked into one tank and saw 4 of the most pathetic little target puffers. They had been there for about 4 months and were so chewed up and starving that I thought they would be lucky to last another week where they were. I couldn't leave them there any longer, so for the price of $9.99 each I decided to see if I could save 2 of them (the other 2 IMO wouldn't have lasted the rest of the day
) I brought them home and put them into our little 5 gal QT tank and started them on medication, Maracyn-two combined with Discomed, normally I would have just used Discomed to treat the internal parasites but with them being so sick I couldn't chance their not eating the medicated food.
the poor little gaffers were all eyeballs and skin, their color did brighten up a bit in the first couple hours but that is about it, I let them rest for the night.
Oct 2 - I attempted to feed them frozen bloodworm and mysis shrimp with no success
, the lfs had been feeding them feeder fish, which I was unwilling to do, so I went to the lfs and got a dozen snails and 6 ghost shrimp. once I introduced the snails and shrimp Chubbs started to take a bit of an interrest in the snails, but nothing from Skinner, I was afraid he was not going to make it
Oct 3 - I tried the frozen foods again (hoping the Maracyn-two and snails gave them an appetite) and was encouraged to see Chubbs tennatively picking at the bloodworm, but all Skinner would do was snuffle through the foods without eating, but at least he was still moving around. I decided to check the back yard to see if I could find any live foods and came up with 2 earthworms and a small centipeed like grub. I dropped a small piece of the earthworm into the tank and both puffers soon came over to see what the movement was all about, Chubbs took a few small nipps and Skinner circled around but wouldn't bite. I then dropped the grub into the tank, as soon as it hit the bottom Skinner exploded, he went halfway accross the tank in a single burst and ripped the end off the grub. As soon as Chubbs saw Skinner eating he shot over and between the 2 of them finished off the grub in about a minute flat.
I left them to eat, and when I checked back later the worm was gone as well :thumbsup: Chubbs still lumpy fron eating snails
Skinner feeling better after attacking the grub
Oct 6 - Chubbs is filling out nicely, and Skinner has lost that starved look and actually had a little pot belly today for the first time. Their colors are brightened up nicely now
Oct 8 - The puffers seem to have finished off all the snails and most of the Ghost shrimp, they still pick at the frozen medicated foods, but it seems they are on the mend nicely.
Well rather than bore everyone with the rest of the story day by day I will finish off with the most recent pics of my newist little terrors Chubbs and Skinner, a couple of little Tetraodon leiurus - Target Puffers who seem to have made a full recovery and are waiting to be relocated to a nice 35 gal tank where thay will have lots of room to swim and hunt (for now
)
Chubbs
Skinner
good work
)
(I thought my wife was going to cry...I'm so cruel 
) The little guy lasted 3 weeks and grew 4 times it's original size...we named him "Clawless" and the next morning we re-named him "Breakfast"...seems Chubbs and Skinner were just waiting for him to fatten up before chowing down 
, she wont even let me feed live fish to my chaca chaca unless they are half dead with no hope of recovery (not diseased fish BTW, just the ones that get stressed during transit on their way to the lfs).
