New Puffer HELP

[qsgirl1978]

I got this puffer from my LFS for really cheap because he is not in the best of health. He has an open sore on the top of his head. He also has a few little white spots on his fins I don't think that it is ich. We just got him yesterday and he swims a little then plops down in the tank like a rock. My hubby fell in love with him at the LFS and has always wanted one. We usually have a lot of luck takin care of sick fish we actually pride ourselves on it. We usually take in the sickly fish cause someone has to love them to LOL

The LFS gave us Metronidazole and Focus to put on its food. It is eating I was just wondering if someone can give me a site that has all the parasites and pictures of them and cures so maybe I can Diagnose what is on his fins. We have Melafix in the tank which works wonders on open soars and mouth rot and fin rot. I would put some pictures in here but my camera doesn't take great pictures in a fish tank. Thanks in advance for the help

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Better to have this thread with Steven S. Looks like you have a diseased fish. In a quarantine tank? What else is in with it? Started any other treatments? What other probalem fish did you have in there? Water parameters such as ammonia, salinity, etc?

 

[qsgirl1978]

He is in his own tank and we have had nothing else in there. Amonia is at 0 and Salinity is 1.20. We set up a new tank just for him to be on his own. We are gonna do a 25% H20 change in one week. We haven't started treating him with anything else.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

How long did the store say he had open sores? Imported that way or happen in house?
Moderator, care to move this thread to Steve S string?
Isn't he is the site disease IC staff.

 

[qsgirl1978]

He came in like that he was bagged with some really aggressive fish. They think that is where the sore came from.

 

[steve-s]

He is in his own tank and we have had nothing else in there. Amonia is at 0 and Salinity is 1.20. We set up a new tank just for him to be on his own. We are gonna do a 25% H20 change in one week. We haven't started treating him with anything else.

What else is in the tank with the puffer in terms of substrates/inverts?
Has the Melafix had any effect on the wounds at all?
How is the puffers appetite and what food types/brands are you feeding?
Has the Metronidazole/Focus been fed to the puffer?


The problem with the fins is most likely Lymphocystis. It's not something you can treat via medications but will easily clear up on it's own with the right water quality (zero ammonia and very low nitrate), the right diet of foods, vitamins and little if any stress.

The main concern here is those wounds, if it's just the puffer and rock, go ahead and lower the salinity a bit more towards 21 ppt.

 

[qsgirl1978]

Sorry the thread got moved couldn't find it. Update on the puffer still need some help. His wound on the top of his head has completely healed. But he still lays on the bottom of the tank and only swims to eat but he eats lots of frozen krill. About 8 pieces twice a day. He is in his own tank still with hermit crabs. I would really like to get him up and swimmin can anybody help. Thanks in advance. We are still keepin the salinity at 1.20 and doin every other week water changes.

 

[ronj]

not sure what's wrong, but this tank needs to have water changes done several times a week!!!the nitrates can build up really fast... how large is the qt tank????

 

[qsgirl1978]

The Qt tank is 20 gallons we are fixing to move to a house So we are gonna buy a 90-120 we haven't decided yet. Someone was sayin maybe he had some kind of leaches on him or something like that. I just don't know why he has a happy appetite but not swimming

 

[ronj]

i would at least do more water changes ..what are your water parameters???