Porcupine Puffer with weird growth inside eye.

[cdnco2004]

I have been considering this Porcupine Puffer at a lfs but when I went in today I saw he had this issue in his left eye. Right eye looks good. Got some pics and vids.i did not buy him yet.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Looks like an injury and the eye has been severely damaged. it probably can't see out of that eye (maybe can see light and dark). I've had a one eyed porcupine for many years with no issues. However, this fish is glass surfing a lot and it looks like it may have rubbed it mouth. I'd take a pass on this fish.

Jay

 

[cdnco2004]

Thank you.

 

[holly_g]

Was this at the Petco in Arvada? I've seen that puffer there for a very long time, and they allowed me to adopt him today (no charge). He's pretty perfect for my tank. Funny story, but this is the first thing that came up on my google search.

 

[holly_g]

Looks like an injury and the eye has been severely damaged. it probably can't see out of that eye (maybe can see light and dark). I've had a one eyed porcupine for many years with no issues. However, this fish is glass surfing a lot and it looks like it may have rubbed it mouth. I'd take a pass on this fish.

Jay

It seems like this post has lasted a little over a year, and apparently so has the puffer. I've seen him in there almost every time I go in, and finally today they told me today that I could adopt him for free. I have a video of him I can upload, but I'm almost positive it's the same fish. Any suggestions for keeping him healthy? I don't notice him surfacing as much as the previous video.

And a random other question, are there any large invertebrates or cleaners that he won't eat? Like really big snails? I have a wrasse but I didn't realize he was going to be such a messy eater! I'm fine with the water changes, but would be curious if there are any other cleaners that won't be snacks!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

It seems like this post has lasted a little over a year, and apparently so has the puffer. I've seen him in there almost every time I go in, and finally today they told me today that I could adopt him for free. I have a video of him I can upload, but I'm almost positive it's the same fish. Any suggestions for keeping him healthy? I don't notice him surfacing as much as the previous video.

And a random other question, are there any large invertebrates or cleaners that he won't eat? Like really big snails? I have a wrasse but I didn't realize he was going to be such a messy eater! I'm fine with the water changes, but would be curious if there are any other cleaners that won't be snacks!

Large snails and echinoderms (starfish and urchins) should be o.k. I would avoid small crabs and shrimp.

Jay

 

[holly_g]

Large snails and echinoderms (starfish and urchins) should be o.k. I would avoid small crabs and shrimp.

Jay

Great! Thank you!

 

[Boehmtown]

Everything you feed him should be working on filing his teeth down. You can attach files to the outside of tweezers but make sure they are secured very well or he'll swallow one and that's not good. Or what would be more safe is cut file teeth into the back of tweezers. I started every day by dropping in some clams. Teach him to use his teeth to open them. Crabs, clams , mussels, shrimp with the shell etc etc. No free meals

 

[holly_g]

Everything you feed him should be working on filing his teeth down. You can attach files to the outside of tweezers but make sure they are secured very well or he'll swallow one and that's not good. Or what would be more safe is cut file teeth into the back of tweezers. I started every day by dropping in some clams. Teach him to use his teeth to open them. Crabs, clams , mussels, shrimp with the shell etc etc. No free meals

Thank you! That's great advice!

 

[AydenLincoln]

Large snails and echinoderms (starfish and urchins) should be o.k. I would avoid small crabs and shrimp.

Jay

I would definitely disagree with this especially as they get older and bigger. Any inverts are not safe with porcupine puffers in my experience and research but like anything personality is going to vary but I would never trust a puffer with inverts.

 

[AydenLincoln]

Everything you feed him should be working on filing his teeth down. You can attach files to the outside of tweezers but make sure they are secured very well or he'll swallow one and that's not good. Or what would be more safe is cut file teeth into the back of tweezers. I started every day by dropping in some clams. Teach him to use his teeth to open them. Crabs, clams , mussels, shrimp with the shell etc etc. No free meals

I give my little guy clams and I open the shell slightly because when I don’t he looks at me like what is this Mom? I can’t open this…I give up! It’s safe to say he’s spoiled and domesticated lol! Also clams on the half shell are more widely accessible than frozen clams shell-on.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I would definitely disagree with this especially as they get older and bigger. Any inverts are not safe with porcupine puffers in my experience and research but like anything personality is going to vary but I would never trust a puffer with inverts.

Perhaps I should have been more emphatic when I said “large”. It is all about relative sizes. Like how your smaller puffer can’t open clams on its own…

Jay

 

[AydenLincoln]

Perhaps I should have been more emphatic when I said “large”. It is all about relative sizes. Like how your smaller puffer can’t open clams on its own…

Jay

Okay good point. And I think he can he’s just too lazy/used to not having too anymore he’s not that small at least compared to my baby one I have now. I say this because I fed him a live crab before when I first got him and couldn’t get him to eat and he had no issue with them. And I know very well he was fed shelled cockle by the wholesaler he came from and was munching on crabs and clams in the warm waters off Costa Rica lol! And his bite leaves a mark lol he’s probably around 7 inches or so now they grow so fast haha. Plus I hear him crunching on the small clams I open for him haha. He is definitely domesticated/adapted now and used to me at least compared to when he was right out of the ocean which is basically how I got him. He was in the ocean a few days prior. Sorry off topic to the OP. Glad you can give him a good home and hopefully/maybe nurture him back to health.

 

[cdnco2004]

Was this at the Petco in Arvada? I've seen that puffer there for a very long time, and they allowed me to adopt him today (no charge). He's pretty perfect for my tank. Funny story, but this is the first thing that came up on my google search.

Yes the Arvada Wadsworth and 80th location.

It seems like this post has lasted a little over a year, and apparently so has the puffer. I've seen him in there almost every time I go in, and finally today they told me today that I could adopt him for free. I have a video of him I can upload, but I'm almost positive it's the same fish. Any suggestions for keeping him healthy? I don't notice him surfacing as much as the previous video.

And a random other question, are there any large invertebrates or cleaners that he won't eat? Like really big snails? I have a wrasse but I didn't realize he was going to be such a messy eater! I'm fine with the water changes, but would be curious if there are any other cleaners that won't be snacks!

Look at the date I made this post June 18th 2023.

Yes I was going to buy him as they were having a hard time getting him a home and then I came in and the tower of tanks he is in was marked NFS while they tried to figure out what was the matter with him. After a few days they reopened the tower of tanks. They have no idea whats the matter with him, thats why I asked here in this post.

This Arvada PetCo had become my go to fish store for Saltwater fish in Denver metro. They had a lead Aquatic Partner who used to own a saltwater store until he had a disaster in his store and lost everything. He really turned that store around got all the tanks in great shape but the GM at that Petco did not like him and got rid of him. His assistant got promoted and she has been trying to keep it to his standards. I like her a lot as well but the GM makes bad decisions about livestock care in my opinion. I think I have spent almost a grand on fish from this store. But less and less lately. The GM just gets in the way. Like the lead had shutdown a fresh water tower of tanks for an Ich outbreak and the GM put the tanks back in service to sale the fish, you could still physically see ich on fish in the tower but he put them back for sale anyways. I have been going back to Elite Reef for most things now, or I order online from PetCo.

Did you hear that they are dropping the Vital Care discounts from 20% to 15% and removing the Live Fish discount entirely?

 

[cdnco2004]

Okay good point. And I think he can he’s just too lazy/used to not having too anymore he’s not that small at least compared to my baby one I have now. I say this because I fed him a live crab before when I first got him and couldn’t get him to eat and he had no issue with them. And I know very well he was fed shelled cockle by the wholesaler he came from and was munching on crabs and clams in the warm waters off Costa Rica lol! And his bite leaves a mark lol he’s probably around 7 inches or so now they grow so fast haha. Plus I hear him crunching on the small clams I open for him haha. He is definitely domesticated/adapted now and used to me at least compared to when he was right out of the ocean which is basically how I got him. He was in the ocean a few days prior. Sorry off topic to the OP. Glad you can give him a good home and hopefully/maybe nurture him back to health.

I have seen a bunch of tanks with triggers and puffers, and they had a good number of inverts. They just got ones too big for the fish to eat and they ignore them.

 

[AydenLincoln]

Did you hear that they are dropping the Vital Care discounts from 20% to 15% and removing the Live Fish discount entirely?

WHAT! CANCELLING IT!

 

[cdnco2004]

WHAT! CANCELLING IT!

The change will not take effect until you hit your renewal anniversary. So just disable auto renew on your membership. They will keep billing you for the remainder of the term with current benefits of 20% discounts plus live fish discount. Once current term expires they will not renew you for another year at the new benefits level as long as you turn auto renew off. Then you can keep using the good benefits while you still can. I am honestly not surprised they changed it. The deal was so lop sided in our favor. That 20% off fish was great. I was ordering all my expensive fish from Petco to get that 20% savings.

 

[AydenLincoln]

The change will not take effect until you hit your renewal anniversary. So just disable auto renew on your membership. They will keep billing you for the remainder of the term with current benefits of 20% discounts plus live fish discount. Once current term expires they will not renew you for another year at the new benefits level as long as you turn auto renew off. Then you can keep using the good benefits while you still can. I am honestly not surprised they changed it. The deal was so lop sided in our favor. That 20% off fish was great. I was ordering all my expensive fis from Petco to get that 20% savings.

I know but if you reach out to them or block the payment you can get them to stop charging. I think the whole entire thing of a mandatory year is extremely stupid but there is a way around it.

 

[cdnco2004]

Well yes, but I want to keep getting these great benefits as long as I can. In fact I actually lucked out in May. I had replaced my debit card and forgot to update Petco and so they cancelled my membership and I had to sign back up for a new membership. My original membership would have expired in next month in July, and I would have lost all the benefits. But since i started a new membership in May I get to keep it all intul next May.