I think my puffer is sick.

[Sturgeon]

I have had my puffer for probably 3-4 weeks now. He spends about 90% of his time swimming around the tank, occasionally he will rest on the bottom. But, for the past couple of days he has just laid on the bottom of the tank and only swam to eat then laid back down. I didn't think much about it until my wife asked if he was o.k. I don't know if this is normal or if something is wrong. Does anybody know? If there is something wrong is there anything I can do to help him? Now that I think about it he did swim a little today but not like he used to.(Maybe 5 minutes all day) Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Sturgeon]

I forgot to mention and don't know if it matters but the puffer did eat more today than usual. I put a few more godfish in the tank than I thought I did. He usually eats 2 and today I think he had 4. I don't know if that would have anything to do with it or not. He wasn't swimming a lot yesterday but more than today.

 

[Anonymous]

Switch off goldfish.
Freshwater fish aren't great in the long run for marine fish.
See if you can get the puffer to eat silversides.
Maybe you can raise some mollys or platys in a saltwater tank and feed your puffer these.

How is your water quality: ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH, temperature, etc?

 

[Sturgeon]

I have been trying for a little over a week to get my puffer to eat silversides and I have just started trying to feed him shrimp. So far no luck. I have heard that I should just not feed him goldfish and eventually he will eat the silversides as opposed to starving to death.

 

[tenshi]

I here puffers also like to munch on snails and hermit crabs. It helps them keep their teeth the right size.