Lost my best fishy friend... RIP Wasabi

[Candi]

I'm sick, I'm sobbing.

My green spotted puffer is swimming past the rainbow bridge. I had him for over a year, brought him up from a tiny pea sized puffer rescued from Petco. He's recently been grump in the 50g since I converted it to a reef so I went and bought him his own tank, just finished cycling it and was going to move him into it today. Yesterday I couldn't spot him, but it's normal for him to hide alot... this morning he still wasn't around. I found him under the tank stand. I'm sick... he was so close to his own tank and happiness again. The tank is acrylic and only has two small openings on top, the canopy encirles it... I thought there was no way he'd ever jump out, let alone make it to the floor or ground.

I can't stop crying, I loved this fish so much. He had such a great personality, he chased strings around from inside the tank.

Now I have empty SW tank... I want another puffer I can't imagine not having one... but if I even find one it'll be freshwater so I'm not sure what to do now, I suppose I could tear down the SW and recycle it as fresh and start the journey again.

Please, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE cover your open top tanks with something, eggcrate etc. Don't lose a best friend like I did.

 

[RevClyburn]

Sorry about your lost Candi,

hopefully you can find another one, and if you know Petco, there are always fish to rescue. I saw Anthias, angels, clowns and puffers at Petco, and wondered what in the world were they doing with them, and how long with the live. I check out Petco all the time, if I see a puffer at the one in Manalapan, I will give you a shout ok. In the meantime, why not continue to set up the tank. It would all ready for the next fish, preferably a puffer you rescue from Petco. Which Petco did you get it from? I'll keep my eye opened at that store for you ok.

Cheer up, there's always a sunndy on the horizon

edwin - revclyburn

 

[Candi]

Thanks Edwin.

He was from a petco in MI over a year ago... the issue is they come in FW and I slowly raised the salinity .002 per week until eventually he went full marine. The tank I have ready is already SW so unless I find someone with a green spotted puffer already in SW I either need to pick a different kind of puffer or start the tank over as FW.

Right now I just feel sick, I really did love this fish

 

[RevClyburn]

ok

I didn't know that. Hey, maybe you can get a little box puffer. And why not find another and acclimate it to s/w. It would definitely give you joy, and since you've done it before, you know exactly what to do. I'm hoping you find another puffer s/w or fresh, so that you will find your joy again,

praying for peace of mind for you

edwin

 

[Edwardw771]

I feel your pain with your loss. That has got to be the worst part of this hobby. I have lost a few fish over the years. Hang in there.

 

[Candi]

Thank you.

I'm still trying to figure out what the next step will be. Some people on the puffer site have suggested a Valentini puffer for the tank... anyone here have one? How is their personality? Wasabi (green spotted puffer) had such a great personality and his eyes/face were the best.

I've also thought about maybe trying to acclimate a young one over night? I know people sometimes get mollies and acclimate them via slow drip 8-10hours to saltwater, do you think I could try this with a green spotted or would I be better to just restart the tank as freshwater?

 

[Daniel]

Sorry for you lost but I hope this helps http://www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pages/puffer_fish/puffer_fish.htm

 

[kathainbowen]

Thank you.

I'm still trying to figure out what the next step will be. Some people on the puffer site have suggested a Valentini puffer for the tank... anyone here have one? How is their personality? Wasabi (green spotted puffer) had such a great personality and his eyes/face were the best.

Firstly.... *hug* I'm so sorry about Wasabi. I was having fun reading about him!

Second... *deep breath*

I <3 <3 <3 tobies! I absolutely adore both the Valentini sharpnose puffer (aka Valentini toby) and the Fiji Orangetail! They're both super sweet species and can with other semi-aggressive animals (say, like some members of the pygmy angel family and some clownfish). They do pick at things, so, if you do go with one, you should only keep them with sturdy animals that can take a little nipping here and there. They don't get too terribly large, and they're fairly simple, easy keepers.

 

[Candi]

It continues to be a very strange fishy day. Some may remember I've been wanting another black clown, I had the opportunity to get a clown pair where the female was a black today... since I now had the empty cube I moved my GSM clown over and got them. They are gorgeous, granted it's hard to be to happy since I do miss Wasabi so much.

So for now I have my gsm clown in the FOWLR alone, would a toby get along with her or would I be better to rehome her and have the cube a puffer only like it was going to be for Wasabi?

Would you say the valentini's have alot of personality? Wasabi used to chase your fingers or string around and had the greatest eyes

 

[GregW]

Would you say the valentini's have a lot of personality?

I've always wanted a valentini ever since reading an article in Tropical Fish Hobbyist about what a great personality they have. That was about 15 years ago and I still don't have a fish-only tank :-\

 

[IrradiatedReef]

Hay Candi, I have a really nice, friendly Porcupine Puffer in my store that someone brought in to us. He is very healthy, eats like a horse, and even puffs up for no apparent reason! He is also always smiling, no really, he smiles, its the funniest thing. I also have 2 dogface Puffers, 1 is a rescue from someone who didn't feed it very well. He eats very well, but is skinny. Trying to fatten him up. The other is fat and is kinda blah personality.

All 3 LOVE eating live feeders. They all also eat frozen, dried veggie, and the small dogface eats flake. If you are interested, let me know.

 

[Treadingwater]

Sorry for your loss Candi. It's always hard losing a pet

 

[Candi]

I'm still really torn up about it, I keep getting that synching feeling in my chest when I look at my tanks or think about it.

IrradiatedReef: Thanks but the tank I have waiting is only a 30g (which will move into my 50g in the future when I upgrade that) so none of the puffers you mentioned would come even close to fitting. My options are one of the small tobies or getting another green spotted and trying to acclimate it over 10 hours or so to marine. I would add some crunchy foods to their diets though, they need to wear down their teeth... snails, shell on shrimp, mussels, etc... and I'd personally lose the feeders... shellfish are much more of a natural diet for puffers.

I think I'm going to go check out some of the smaller ones today if I can find them at a LFS, really liking the looks of the hawaiian spotted puffer... but if I can find a petco rescue green spotted I'm likely going to give that acclimation a try, I miss Wasabi's little face!

 

[IrradiatedReef]

No problem. If you need help finding any paticular species, let me know. We go and select our fish every Tuesday. I can put in a request to get what ever you need.

 

[GregW]

but if I can find a petco rescue green spotted I'm likely going to give that acclimation a try, I miss Wasabi's little face!

I’ve never bought a fish from Petco and actually I never knew they sold SW fish so I only know from what I’ve read here. I really wonder if we are doing any fish a favor by buying from a place like that even if it is a “rescue”. Aren’t we just encouraging them to replace it with more fish that will probably turn into “rescues”? I would think, and maybe I’m way off base, that the casualties are factored into the sales price.

Having said that, I’m hope if I ever come back to this world as a fish and end up at a Petco, a big-hearted person like Candi will rescue my sorry half-priced, ick-covered butt from a sure death.

 

[Treadingwater]

Actually the Petco by me has some decent sw fish. I have bought a couple and they have all done well. The tanks are clean and the fish seem to be taken care of fiarly well. I have seen quite a few LFS that don't take care of their tanks and fish near as well.

The main thing is to know what your buying because the salespeople there usually only have a general idea. I made the mistake of buying a lunar wrasse from Petco for my 55 gal when I first started out. I got home and did some reading up on it and was very disappointed to find out that it will quickly outgrow the tank. I ended up giving it away to someone who could give it a better home (bigger tank).

 

[Candi]

Greg: I'm not sure if I'd ever buy a SW fish from them, although as Treadingwater said (sorry don't knwo your real name) very frequently what I've seen in their SW selection actually does look far healthier then what I've seen at some LFS... I think it really depends on how quickly after they get a shipment in you grab it. Although I do agree with your points about how rescuing these fish usually just leads to them buying more that need to be rescued.. there's been big debates on that over at the puffer forum when they get the gsp's at Walmart (I don't know if NJ Walmart's have fish, but it's a terrible place for a fish to end up from one's I've seen in MI)

As for green spotted puffers at Petco, they are in freshwater if they ever have them and typically very small... which is probably why I got so lucky with Wasabi, he was a tiny little guy and I quickly got his tank going as low brackish.

Either way OB got some tiny little guys in for me, so I'm hopeful I'll go pick one up this week

 

[Candi]

Got my new little guy today, Wasabi 2 (normally I'd have given him a different name but my daughter insisted). So adorable and tiny

 

[IrradiatedReef]

I have been in the Petco by me and the had "Tank raised" True Perculas for $18!!! At that price, it is VERY doubtful they are tank raised. Even at wholesale price $18 is decent for a tank raised. Just be very careful as to how they mark their tanks.