Green Spotted Puffer hurt (Pics added)

GreenSpottedPuffer · #1 01-09-2009, 08:37 PM

I came home from J&L today to find my GSP has been stung by my carpet anemone. I guess it actually had a hold of him and he managed to escape and pull away. One side of him is not covered in welts, swollen and peeling off. He is swimming around ok but not using the fin on the side that was attacked.

I am very worried about him although they are probably the toughest fish I have ever owned (and my hands down favorite).

I would say most fish his size would not have been able to rip away from the anemone and if they did, I don't know how their skin would have looked! Being a puffer, he has incredibly tough skin. Needless to say, the carpet is outta here! Anyone interested?

Pictures coming...of all the times for my battery to be dead

Zoaelite · #2 01-09-2009, 09:30 PM

Well, scared me there for a second I though you were hurt badly. Still not as bad but I hope the little guy gets better!
Levi

Delphinus · #3 01-09-2009, 09:38 PM

Don't know what his chances are. Seems to me if he made it this far he might be OK.

I've had fish get caught up in my ritteri before though, and although not initially killed, did eventually perish.

Happened at least twice - once a pajama cardinal, once a doliatus rabbit (yeah, isn't that great, I wait >2 years to buy one and then he lives for 2 days in my tank because the anemone killed him. Needless to say that anemone was out of the tank at that point, 7 year ritteri or not that was the last straw

). These were smaller fish though and quite clearly covered in burns.

Anemones can be sometimes more trouble than they are worth.

Snaz · #4 01-09-2009, 09:39 PM

Sorry to hear about your sick fish. If he makes it, and I'm sure he will, he might have some really cool scarring to make him look even tougher!

GreenSpottedPuffer · #5 01-09-2009, 09:48 PM

I am still waiting for my camera battery to charge and then I will get pics. The amazing thing is though that the more time that passes, the more of the skin is falling off and the skin underneath looks perfectly fine.

He is also starting to use his injured fin again.

This fish means SO much to me and loosing him would be devastating.

He is swimming like normal as if nothing ever happened, os maybe he will be fine. I can't believe his eye is ok...there are "burns" all around his head and eye but the eye looks untouched.

Delphinus · #6 01-09-2009, 09:56 PM

Both mine that I lost had the eye damage. You could tell they were blinded.

I think they just basically lost the will to live, I think had they managed to hold out one more day they'd have pulled through.

Glad to hear your guy is looking better already. Hopefully that trend continues..

GreenSpottedPuffer · #7 01-09-2009, 10:01 PM

Yeah I am actually getting kind of annoyed because I want to take a picture of him while he looks like Two Face (from Batman) but the skin is shedding and he looks normal underneath...which of course is great but still.

I think if it were any other fish, they would not make it. But since Puffers have such tough, thick skin, he seems to have been able to handle the sting. From the looks of the burns, the anemone must have had him very tight and was starting to engulf him. He must have really struggled to get loose. When I have touched that anemone, it does not let go easily. Its hard to rip your finger off and it takes the skin with it.

untamed · #8 01-09-2009, 10:36 PM

Hmm...whenever the anemone tries to catch my hand, it is bits of the anemone that come off stuck to me (not the other way 'round).

My blonde naso has a habit of trying to steal food from the nem. I can always tell because he looks like he has herpes for about a day.

To my knowledge, my green carpet has never captured and eaten a healthy fish. I've seen it eat a large hermit crab, and my friend swears he saw it eat a large serpent star...but no fish. At this point, it could be that the clowns scare potential meals away.

Sounds like your friend will be just fine. Maybe he learned that he isn't indestructible!

GreenSpottedPuffer · #9 01-09-2009, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by untamed

Hmm...whenever the anemone tries to catch my hand, it is bits of the anemone that come off stuck to me (not the other way 'round).

My blonde naso has a habit of trying to steal food from the nem. I can always tell because he looks like he has herpes for about a day.

To my knowledge, my green carpet has never captured and eaten a healthy fish. I've seen it eat a large hermit crab, and my friend swears he saw it eat a large serpent star...but no fish. At this point, it could be that the clowns scare potential meals away.

Sounds like your friend will be just fine. Maybe he learned that he isn't indestructible!

Yeah I have no idea what kind of anemone it even is. I tried to get an ID for along time on here and RC with no luck. No one seems to know.

It is ridiculously sticky though and I have watched it eat healthy fish. I have also watched it spit back out a large hermit shell. It eats anything. It even ate a piece of monti cap that fell into it. About two days later it spat the cap frag back out which was completely white of course by then.

I think your right that he will be fine. I think I may be able to take some pics now.

GreenSpottedPuffer · #10 01-09-2009, 11:10 PM

So I guess I overreacted...maybe hurt BADLY was not accurate but at the time, it looked bad. Now it looks 10 times better. Most of the skin has already come off and underneath looks great. Amazing little fish these guys are!

Its so hard to get a pic of him because the tangs crowd the glass

as soon as you get within a few feet of the tank.

This gives you an idea of his size...hes still quite small. He is also very dull since the incident, usually he is bright green...poor guy!

And the stings...you can see where all the welts were. He was actually swollen at first too but the swelling is mostly gone. Too bad my camera was dead when I first noticed it.

Here you can see his "good" side. Also in the background is one of the small carpet anemones. I don't think this one stung him. Its too small.