puffer emergency

Sploke

Sploke

resident boozehound
Staff member
Oct 20, 2005
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South Windsor, CT
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Matt
I am in the middle of doing water changes, I just found my GSP stuck to the canister intake. Somehow the strainer and sponge came off so it was just the open tube end. I thought it was dead so I turned the filter off and pried it off with the net, and it started swimming around, much to my surprise. It looks seriously stressed, and the side that was stuck to the pipe has a round swollen area, much like you'd expect if you stuck the vacuum hose to your arm for a while (minutes? hours? I have no idea how long he was there). I don't think he was there for too long, since he's stilll alive. There's nothing in the tank that will bug him (mollies, BBGs, mudskipper) so I'm thinking I might leave him in there to recover...although I have a 10gal brackish QT running with a violet goby in there, I could move him if necessary, maybe just trade one for the other. I don't think there's anything else I can do but keep an eye on him and see how he does, but if anyone has ideas, I'm welcome to them.
 
Here are a few quick pics I snapped, sorry for the crappy quality. The side that was stuck is his right side, so on the left as you look straight at him. You can see where it's still kind of bulged. His spines are still a little raised as well. He still looks severely stressed, but he's swimming around relatively normally now so I'm hoping for the best.

puffer 001.jpg

puffer 002.jpg

puffer 001.jpg puffer 002.jpg
 
Well its looking more back to normal. It ate piggishly, as normal, its spines are pretty much all down now, and the big lump has pretty much gone away. I think it might pull through. I can't imagine it was stuck to the pipe very long, I must have gotten lucky and caught it right away.
 
He'll be fine. Tough lil guy! Treat him with Melafix if you wish.
 
It seems to be pretty much back to normal today. Hiding a bit under the mudskipper platform, but otherwise good. Lucky.
 
I've had puffers fall victim to a HOB filter several times now.

I switched to a Fluval Canister filter, the intake tube diameter is much much bigger and I noticed a great difference in the velocity in which the water is pulled up into the tube, I doubt I'll experience any more fish loss due to the filter tube sneaking up on a poor cruising fish.
 
This happened with a canister filter.
 
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