- Ich from Eating Marine Mussels? -
Hello,
I was wondering if you ever heard of a Dog-Faced Puffer getting Ich from eating fresh marine mussels? <No, I haven't.> After reading your site, I see that I probably should have froze the mussel for a week before offering it, but hindsight is always 20/20 right? <Indeed.> I did rinse it and crack open the shell before giving it to him, and he ate quite a bit before I removed it from the tank a few hours later. The next day he had quite a few spots of Ich on his fins, but the rest of the fish (2 Percula Clowns, 2 Blennies, and a Foxface) were fine. I immediately quarantined the puffer, and the Ich has since subsided.
I froze the rest mussels, do you think they will be safe to feed, or should I just scrap the lot of 'em? <I think they're likely safe to feed.>
Thanks,
Paul
BTW great book, it has helped immensely.
<Cheers, J -- >

Sharpnose Puffer Losing Eyesight ?
Hi.
<Hello>
I have a Papuan Toby that seems to be unable to see food, even if it
falls in front it.
The eyes are not cloudy, however, they seem to have lost of that odd
sheen that I've notice
on these fish, and they look almost dilated.
<Good observations>
I've had this fish for over two years - could it just be age ?
<Possibly... usually these blindness events are tied to nutrition, parasites...>
It seems
to take it longer and longer
to change from its sleeping color ( almost white ) back to its daytime
color ( dark with spots ).
<Another good fact... relating sight>
I recently switched back to half actinic lighting, but I've had it
before, and it did not cause eating problems
with any of the fish, including this puffer.
Thanks,
Edward.
<I do hope your fish's sight loss is reversed. Do you supplement its food with a vitamin et al. soaking? You might try Selcon, Zoe... Bob Fenner>

Re: Sharpnose Puffer Losing Eyesight ?
Bob,
<Edward>
Just thought I'd give you an update.   Yesterday and today, I left the lights on
for a half hour before feeding.  It seems that it is just taking longer than it used
to for the Toby's eyes to adjust.  I'm not sure if this is because of the switch to
a half actinic Britelite bulb, but that is probably the culprit.
<Mmm, I hope you're right>
He is eating better.
The fish have always had a rotated diet of good frozen foods ( formula1, 2, and
krill ), so I was a little more suspicious of the newer lighting vs. poor nutrition.
This Toby has always been a bit of trouble.  His beak was oddly overgrown when
I bought him, and I eventually took him out of the water, and gently clipped the
beak down so that he could open his mouth up enough to nibble at rock and hard
things and maintain a functional mouth.
<Good move>
BTW - I had always wondered if two Tobies could live happy lives in the same tank.
<Mmm, usually not... unless the system is quite large, lots of hiding spaces... and best introduced at the same time... you can try, but I'd make them the same species, get one decidedly much larger or smaller>
A few months ago a put a small Valentini in the tank, and after about 10 minutes of
posturing (Valentini only ), everything was fine and both fish ignore one another and
are often hanging out in the same corner of the aquarium.
Thanks,
Edward.
<Glad to read of your success... As stated, canthigasterines usually fight/bite each other. One aspect of habitat partitioning behavior. Bob Fenner>

Blind puffer
Hello Bob,
Hope you can help. I recently noticed that my Golden dog faced puffer appears to not see very well. This actually seemed to happen overnight. One day when feeding, my puffer couldn't see the food. So now I have to put it directly in front of his mouth before he realizes it is there. I feed my puffer fresh squid, shrimp, cockles etc. for variety and he loves it. The only time my puffer wont eat is if I put Vita Chem on the food.
<Interesting>
  His disposition and color appear to be fine. He does seem to act a little unaware and slow. (as if he cant see)  I tried to find info on the web on fish blindness and it pointed towards a deficiency.
<Yes, often poor nutrition, or biological disease are causes here>
Is this possible that I would need to buy prepackaged frozen food instead of fresh since my fish will not eat the food with vita chem?
<Not in my opinion. The fresh, variety should be fine. You might try another vitamin/supplement product though, like Zoe, Selcon>
My fish has clear fins and eyes and looks perfectly normal.
I hope his condition can be reversed, although it seems silly to expect that.
Thank you for your help Bob!
Liz
<I do hope it is reversible as well. I recall hearing of a few cases of temporary puffer blindness over the years, but it is rare. Bob Fenner>

About my sick puffer
Hello, thank you so much for helping me out...
I have a 6 inches porcupine puffer and was doing
extremely well until last week, she bit my finger
while I was doing some cleaning of the tank. Due to
the pain I pulled out my finger from the water in
reflex speed which made her dropped on the floor since
she was still hanging on my finger during the pulling.
<Yikes!>
I immediately asked my husband to bring her back to
the tank and for the day after this accident she was
doing normal, but two days later she stopped eating
and sank to the bottom corner of the tank. The body
shape has changed too, with her back "raising up" a
little than usual. Do you have any idea what had
happened to her and is it the result of the drop?
<Perhaps a structural internal injury... Yes>
Is there anything I can do to help? (after she was
dropped I did not see her inflate, instead she was
just breathing rapidly)
thank you very much!
Pauline
<Puffers do at times go on extended feeding strikes... I would offer something large and meaty (like a cocktail shrimp or open clam) every few days... and otherwise hope for the best. No medicines here. Bob Fenner>

Sick porcupine puffer
Hi,
<Hello there>
Just discovered this site - a lot of useful info...thanks!
I have a question regarding the use of hospital/quarantine tanks.
My 4 inch porcupine puffer has had recurring ich for a couple months
now.  Most of the time it isn't too bad, he gets a few spots and they go
away.  But twice he was covered with the stuff (once a month ago and
again last week).  Both times, I pulled him out, gave him a FW dip
(which he was fine with) and put him in a 10 gallon quarantine tank (all
I have space for) which has been running for a few months.  Both times
he was miserable.  Within a day of being in the QT, he developed cloudy
eyes and his skin color started to fade.  And he just lies there looking
listless.
<Yes... there is a definite psychological component in confining fish livestock...>
The ammonia level in the tank is high, about 2 ppm, but I
can't seem to lower it even with 30% water change twice a day.
<This is odd... if you change half the water, half the ammonia should be gone... though tetraodontiform fishes (puffers, triggers...) are large waste producers>
  I
skipped several feedings to keep ammonia level down, but it didn't help.
I know I'm supposed to leave the main tank fallow for at least 30 days,
but I'm convinced my puffer would die if he stayed in the QT for more
than a few days.
<Might... as you so well describe its reactions>
  The first time I pulled him out and returned him to
the main tank after 1 week, and the second time after 3 days because he
looked so awful.  As soon as I put him back in the main tank, he was his
happy self again...very swimmy and begging for food.  My question is,
are there fish that simply won't tolerate a quarantine tank?
<Likely so... unless these treatment tanks are large enough (hint), have some accoutrements (decor, filtration, aeration...) of a main tank>
  And how
would you recommend I treat the ich if it must be done in the main tank?
<I wouldn't>
I've raised the temperature of the main tank to 81 and have lowered the
salinity to 1.017.  (I have some live rock and a hermit crab in there.
The hermit crab seems to be doing ok with the hyposalinity so far.)  
Thanks much for your help!
Patty
<Please (re)read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pufferdisfaqs.htm
and the Related FAQs on puffer disease, and the articles and FAQs on Crypt starting here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ichartmar.htm
Bob Fenner>

Porcupine Puffer 12/29/04
Hi, I'm having problem with my new porky puffer.  I got him last week and the next night he puffed up for no reason.  Nothing that seemed to have scared him.  Couple days later we got a Foxface Rabbitfish as a present and put it in the tank.  After that he started to develop a discoloring of his skin.  It looks like a complete whiting patch near his fin, now it has spread and doesn't seem to affect him.  It makes him look a little wrinkly dry skin look, but no fuzzy, lumps, or bumps on him.  He is eating great and just has this discoloration going on.  Fins and eyes are clear with no cloudiness or patches of spots.  In the area of whiten you can start to see his spikes like the skin is gone from some of them.  It looks a little swollen.  <The mark could simply be an abrasion which more often than not will heal on it's own given a good environment.  If it gets worse, consider treating it with anti-biotics (see that section on WWM for advice).  You may also want to consider sending digital photos.  Puffers don't normally puff unless they have a reason, but as long as it is able to (and does) deflate, I wouldn't worry.>
The pH was low at 7.8 and now I got it up to 8.2-8.4.  I dropped the salinity.  It was a 1.021 and now it's down to 1.018.  ammonia was a 0.5 and got that down to <0.25 still working on getting it down with tank changes. <Why was the pH low, and why was there ammonia present?  If this is a fully cycled tank, please verify your results with another test kit.  Raising pH increases the toxicity of ammonia dramatically.  If anything, I would let the pH stay low until the ammonia subsides.  What kind of filtration and skimming are you using?>
They are in a 40 gallon, yes too small but it is temporary until they will be in a 75 gallon.  Any ideas on what may be going on? My local pet store thinks it may be due to the low pH and stress.  I was thinking of taking the rabbit out and putting him in to a coral 125 gallon but I'm afraid he will contaminate the other tank.  please help out before I loose him. thanks so much.  Heather
<Your pH wasn't low enough to be a significant source of stress on it's own.  I would suspect poor handling in shipping.  Please don't move the rabbit fish to another inhabited tank!  These fish should have been quarantined to begin with, and since one of them is sick you will put your other animals at great risk.  Since they both have already been exposed, I would leave them together until this is sorted out.  Best Regards.  AdamC.>

Sick Mappa Puffer
Hi folks, It's been a while since I needed your help, but I now have a 5" Mappa puffer with some kind of embolism.  It may be the classic air bubble, but I'm not sure.  He floats very aggressively (not sure how else to put it) such that he has to work hard to keep himself off the surface and now spends his time lodged under overhangs to keep himself anchored.  The potentially peculiar thing about his condition that I haven't seen mentioned before is that his buoyancy is very much in his posterior - he floats head down. There may be some body distortion back around the anus with a slight bulge on each side, but there has always been this sort of shape anyway - it may just be slightly more pronounced now. He is obviously not eating.  Given the apparent location of the embolism I wondered if it might be a digestive problem of some sort. Some history now.  He has been in my tank about 6 weeks.  He has been eating well since acquisition with feedings consisting mostly of scallop, mussel, shrimp, blue crab, and Spectrum pellets.  The symptom onset was sudden as he seemed fine yesterday morning, and couldn't swim yesterday evening.  About 1 week ago I began treating the tank with copper for ich.  Specifically I am using Cupramine that I have slowly ramped up to the recommended 0.5 ppm concentration.  The tank unfortunately has a latent, chronic infestation that I have been unable to eradicate and it bloomed when a new fish was added a couple weeks ago. Please help - I have to go out of town for 3 days on Thursday for Christmas and besides potentially losing the puffer I could do damage to the whole tank if I have a large dead poisonous fish in there for that period of time! |
 <Hi there! Sounds like your Mappa has an air bubble trapped inside his stomach, you should try “burping” him.  To do this you need to hold the puffer vertically in your hand with his tale end up in the water, do not lift him above the surface or the condition will worsen.  While the puffer is vertically suspended gently massage the stomach with your thumb and he should expel the extra air.  Your puffer may puff up when you do this and that’s fine, it will help him to expel the air along with the water. As for the ick problem, NO COPPER MEDS EVER WITH PUFFERS!!!!  Instead try hyposalinity, slowly lower the sg on the tank a few points for a couple of weeks until the ick is gone (ick can’t live in lower salinity levels) when the parasite is dead raise the sg back to normal. Good Luck!  LinearChaos>

Fiji Puffer Needs Help
I have an orange tailed Fiji Puffer.  He hasn’t eaten in 2 weeks and seems lethargic.  I’ve read other postings but haven’t found any similar to mine because my tank has never experienced infestations.
His tank mates are a Picasso Trigger and an Assorted Puffer.  Both fish are eating and responding normally in the 50 gallon tank.
<... well, many puffer species do go on occasional feeding strikes... and they rarely are compatible with other tetraodontiform fishes (triggers, other puffers) in such small quarters... that is, there is likely a psychological component at play here>
Tank conditions are ideal, 78 degrees, salinity 1.023 – 1.025, Zero or minimal nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia.  All fish enjoy eating a varied diet of freeze dried krill, frozen brine shrimp, and live minnows.  25% of tank water and filters are change every 4 weeks or so.
I’ve had the Fiji for almost 3 months.  The Fiji’s behavior began to change after the last tank change.  I did move the live rock that he normally sleeps on.
<Good point... puffers REALLY don't like changes in their physical environment... often return to same sleeping place for years>
The fish get along.  The trigger nips once and a while at both fish but never breaks the skin or continues for a period of time.  Any thoughts on what could’ve caused the puffer to stop eating and become less responsive?  He is relieving himself on a regular basis so I was thinking he might be eating something else.  He also does seem a bit more bloated but he does not have any spots or change in color that would indicate parasites, disease, or injury.
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/pufferfdgfaqs.htm
and the Related FAQs beyond (linked, in blue, at top) Likely, only time need go by, some other food types offered... but in the long/er term, you need a bigger tank. Bob Fenner>
Thanks!

Dipping a sick puffer
Hi, thank you for telling me. My porcupine puffer has ich and was wondering
how long should you keep him in the bath for and also how often should I do it.
I am also going to go buy some medicine for him.
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/dips_baths.htm
and: http://wetwebmedia.com/pufferdisfaqs.htm
and the Related FAQs files (linked, in blue, at top).
Bob Fenner>

Pete the puffer
Hi Bob,
I have spent hours on your site looking for Puffer problems.
<Plenty here>
I haven't
found anything quite like what is going on with mine.  I have a porcupine
puffer, had him since July.  He was a voracious eater, eating freeze dried
shrimp 4-5 day.  
<Mmm, this may not be "good for him">
We then lost a couple of clowns which I thought he ate until the last water
change, they came out of a shell they were hiding in.  Then one clown died,
the other disappeared into the shell again.  We thought he was gone for
several weeks and another water change popped him out.
<Is there a correlation between what the water changes are doing and the clown/s appearance?>
His mouth was
swollen open and lighter in coloration around the lips.  Around the same
time, Pete began having troubles eating the larger shrimp.  I am now feeding
him tiny pieces and spending about 30 minutes a day feeding him.  He still
goes after food like he's starving just until the last few days.
<Past time to augment, diversify this fish's diet>
But we've
been doing this for several weeks.   He also got very distressed today, I
was trying to feed him silver fish with an object into the tank, he hates
things in the tank.  And he puffed up (second time ever)  and freaked out
for a while.  I went and got some mini frozen dried shrimp so he could eat
those but he was too upset today.
<This fish doesn't need to feed daily... twice, thrice a week is sufficient>
I'm concerned of something contagious.
The star has been acting bad as well the last week (had the chocolate chip
star since march).  But the yellow tang is rocking.
<Good clues here re what is doing well, not>
  Our tank is 250 and is
cared for bimonthly by a service who guarantees the tank.  They say puffers
just do this sometimes.
<Correct>
The clown can't eat either, he hasn't eaten for
over a month.
<That you've seen... this fish is eating>
   My puffer was happy until the last few days.  Is it a mouth
fungus?  I don't think lock jaw.  It's not his teeth.  It is more like he's
lost the suction he had.  The clown is swollen open.
Should  I send him back to the service to quarantine?
<I wouldn't>
  They tell me the
stress would kill him anyway.
<Too likely so>
  He's going to die at this rate anyway.  I
don't have the time to spend and I am ill watching him not be able to eat.
It will really hurt if he dies.
Laurel
<I would not panic... this fish can go without eating for a few to many weeks... check your water quality, clean your filters, skimmer... and wait a week or more to offer... a shellfish of some sort... an open mussel of clam... all will be fine. Bob Fenner>

Sick Porcupine Puffer! Need answers!
Hello! I sincerely hope that someone can help me out here. My fiancé and I
are contemplating the purchase of a beautiful porcupine puffer from the only
pet store in town. The puffer is absolutely gorgeous! He is a very bright
vivid yellow, and he has the most beautiful blue/green metallic flecked eyes
that are perfectly clear. We want to begin the process of getting set up so
that we can purchase the little guy and bring him home. There is a slight
problem. Over a time frame of a few weeks, the puffer had VERY FEW white
spots on his fins, and possibly his body. At this point in time, there are
no longer any white spots anywhere on his fins, however there are 2 CLUSTERS
of white spots on the upper body, one on each side of him. They almost look
like clustered eggs, for lack of a better description. The individual spots
that form the clusters are a little bigger than the typical white spots you
sometimes find on the fins. They aren't drastically larger though. The owner
of the pet store does not know what it is. He said he had asked someone
about the 2 clusters, and he was told that it was a fungus of some sort, but
now the clusters have stopped growing. They have not depleted either. I
don't think the manager is treating him because of the fact of not knowing what
it is at all. Anyone have any clue on what exactly this is and how can it be
treated???  Thanks in advance for all help!!
<I would not be concerned re these cluster spots... even if some sort of worm parasite (likely a trematode), VERY unlikely to spread to other species of fishes. I would buy this fish, place it as it is. Bob Fenner>

Puffer Puffed with Air 11/8/04
<Hi Mike, Pufferpunk here>
I suspect my Valentini Puffer has "inhaled" some air. What can I do ?
<Try holding your puffer vertically (head under water) by it's tail & shaking gently, until it's burps.  It's ok if it puffs again, as it will just be sucking in water, which is good.  It is extremely bad for a puffer to puff with air.  Please be careful & don't ever expose your puffer to air.  This can kill your puffer.  If you need to scoop it out, use a cup or similar container.  By the way, it is called a valentini puffer.>
Thanks   Mike
<Good luck, ~PP>

What Else Can I Do? Puffer, ich
Hi guys,
<Hi, MikeD here>
First of all I want to thank you for all the information you make
readily available to everyone interested in learning how to care for
their tanks and pets the right way.  That being said, I have a problem
and was wondering if you could shed some more light on the subject.
Sushi our 2" Porcupine Puffer (  Diodon holacanthus I believe..?) we
got from the LFS 3 days ago has come down with a case of the Ich.<This is quite common, with porcupines and Burrfish being quite easily infested> All
tank parameters are good (Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate <10, pH 8.1,
temp 78-79, SG 1.023). He looked great at the LFS, ate voraciously,
appeared to transition well to his own tank (it's all his), and
immediately began begging for food.  Tonight when I got home from work
he was covered in the evil little white dots, so on advice I gathered
from your site, I set up a 20 gallon QT with no substrate to ease
sucking up the Ich from the bottom, and dosed it with Methylene Blue.
I also gave him a freshwater dip for 20min also with the Meth, making
sure that the pH and temp in all three of the environments matched. I
mixed a lower amount of salt for the QT (about 1.020) and plan on
dropping it gradually with each water change while boosting the temp
to about 82-83. He was still eating this evening and considering the
stress of the above, he appears to be doing well at this point. With
all that in mind here are my questions:
How high can I bump up the temp in the original tank and not kill the live rock?<In the high 80's-low 90's F should be fine.>
Should I be dropping in some food to rot in the original tank to keep the nitrifying bacteria happy/at current levels since he won't be in there for 4 weeks?<I wouldn't. You don't say how long the tank has been established, bit I would consider adding a non-fish and non-menu inhabitant, rather than food, which can cause a bacterial explosion. Sea cucumbers are often excellent scavengers that are ignored by most puffers and are often inexpensive as well.>
How low can I drop the specific gravity in the QT and not affect Sushi adversely?<Slowly....gradually replacing evaporated water with fresh often works until you reach the desired level.>
Should I FW dip him again, and if so how often?<I'd suggest against the dips, as puffers should never be removed from the water, as in a net, as they are prone to ingesting air, often with fatal results>
Is the Methylene Blue in the QT ok or should I remove it with carbon and a water change?<I'd continue using it at a reduced level from what is usually instructed (about 1/2)>
Is there anything else I can do for him?<Just monitor the water for ammonia spikes and do changes as often as is necessary to prevent it.>
Oh, and is it normal to get so attached, spend so many hours, and so much money on one little fish? :)<**grin** Often, yes, particularly with "personality fish" like the many of the puffers, often described as "dogs with fins">
Thanks,
Jason

Porcupine Markings
Hi;
<Hi, MikeD here>
    I am writing about my porcupine puffer who has recently developed what appears to be 2 black dots below each eye. I have not noticed them earlier and was wondering what they where.<From your description, I wouldn't worry about it, other than to keep an eye peeled for any other developments.  With two under each eye, it's likely that it's just normal markings becoming more visible as the fish settles in and gets used to the tank.  Keep in mind that most sold are juveniles and changes in markings are to be expected as the fish grow and mature.  The one thing that you might want to watch out for is a possible marine ick outbreak, as they are quite sensitive to it when young.  If you see white spots on the clear fins, you'll need to remove the fish to a treatment tank, and keep in mind that most puffers don't tolerate copper as a treatment, with the cure often as bad or worse than the disease.>
He has been I my 55 gallon for about 4 days. Any help would be appreciated.<You might want to consider quarantining new arrivals in the future, and keep in mind to NEVER treat your tank with medications, removing anything that requires treatment to a separate tank or container.> Thanks Steven

Did I blind him?
Hi Team,
I have recently bought a star & stripe puffer fish from my ex, whom is moving
to Hawaii, about two weeks ago.  he didn't give me any information on how to
change the water and how to take care of him.  The night that he brought the
tank and fish over, he added 2 buckets of tap water to the tank and the next
day I added some sea salt to adjust it.  On 10/17, which was two days ago, I
got him some decorations and cleaned his tank and so I added some more tap
water to his tank.  Last night when I was trying to feed him I noticed that
he's having a hard time finding his food!  Did I harm his eyes?  I'm taking
some sample water to the nearest pet store today an I wanted to know whether
I traumatized him?  I hope not!!! Thank you, Pardis Memar <Hi Pardis, it doesn't sound like the tank was cycled, if the bacteria necessary for the puffer isn't in the tank he will have all kinds of problems.  I would suggest getting a hold of a copy of The Conscientious Marine Aquarist and other reading materials to read up on SW tanks and their care.  Good Luck! Heather>

Puffer Spots or Spines?  10/20/04
Hello all at wet web, how is everybody?  
<Hi, PufferPunk here & I'm doing great!>
I had a question about my dogface puffer I was hoping you could help me with.  I had this puffer for almost a year now.  A couple of times when I've gone in to look at him he was covered
in white spots. They seen to be raised of the skin a little and pretty uniform in there shape and size.  Yesterday he did it again and I had my camera.  Pic 1 is him with the spots,  pic 2 is actually 15 to 20 min. later.  No more white spots.   Is this something normal?  Should I quarantine him?  
<Those pics do not really show anything I can see--they are too out of focus.  If they come & go like that, I would say those are his spines.  All puffers have spines, but you can't always see them. He might be flexing them.>
Unfortunately I don't have a scientific name for him.  My girlfriend bought him as a DALMATIAN DOGFACE PUFFER
,  I've only been able to find 1 pic of one other than mine, but they looked the same.  
<You might be able to ID your puffer here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tetraodontpuffers.htm>
Thank you for your informative web site  you guys are the best.   
<You're welcome!  Good luck with your "spiny" friend  ~PP>

Porcupine Puffer question
I recently purchased my 2nd porcupine puffer, didn't realized its eyes were glazed over with what looks like a white film, should I be worried, can my other puffer "get" this film?
<Yes... can be simply "stress" related, or evidence of inappropriate water quality, perhaps a rough scraping (usually with just a net) over the eyes... Should clear up on its own if the animal is in good health otherwise, the tank agreeable>
p.s. my original puffer will not eat anything that has a hard shell. what can I feed it to file its teeth down?
<Try "cocktail" type shrimp (sans the sauce of course)... these are often irresistible, come in a few grades/sizes, and a good start to weaning this animal onto harder fare>
thank you in advance.
David shin
<You are welcome. Bob Fenner>

Copper + Puffer = Problem!
Help!! We've had our porcupine puffer for a year and in last 2 months developed white spots which then started peeling off.  Our aquarium service guy added copper and does partial water changes every 5 weeks.  The dark colored skin is totally peeling off to reveal white skin underneath.  We just removed a trigger fish who was pecking at the dead skin.  Ever heard of this???
<It is most likely a "side effect" of the copper. I would avoid using copper for puffers; instead, formalin-based remedies are safer for maladies like Cryptocaryon. Copper, although quite effective and safe in many instances (when used correctly, of course), can have negative consequences for some species of fishes, such as puffers and Centropyge Angelfishes (as well as tangs, if exposed long term). Do exercise care with it's use. Copper really should not be added to the display under any circumstances, IMO, as it is difficult to control the dosage, not to mention the possible side effects on invertebrates and other animals. It needs to be administered in a dedicated treatment tank devoid of substrate, and its dosage carefully monitored with a test kit. You can help remove some of the copper in this tank by utilizing PolyFilter or Cuprisorb, which both excel at removing copper from saltwater. With use of one of these media, as well as regular water changes (and overall good husbandry techniques!), you should be able to nurse this fish back to health. Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Sick porcupine puffer
I have had this puffer for about 3 weeks and my water levels are good.  He was
eating fine yesterday but was acting sluggish and today he is covered in a  
white slimy type coating and is breathing heavy.  I put some Maracyn tablets
in the tank and he chooses to sit on the bottom close to one of them as they
dissolve.  His eyes are glossed over too.  I'm so attached to this little guy
and was wondering if there is anything I can do to help him out, Please help
Tami
<Hi Tami, it sounds as though your puffer has an external bacterial infection and the most effective treatments are tetracycline, penicillin, Naladixic acid, as well as freshwater baths.  You're doing a good job with the Maracyn.  I would also be doing partial water changes at about 10% every other day.  Good Luck! Heather>

A persistently problematic puffer
hello.  
<Hello there.>
I have a dogface puffer that was scheduled to enter my large display tank from the 40 gal QT tank he is currently making his home in (with a small damsel that lives there to help me monitor the tank).  unfortunately he has been a resident for about three months now in that tank. 
<Yikes>
 the problem is this-
shortly after purchasing it it developed a slight cloudiness in its eyes and a light dusting of ich.  there are/were about twenty little spots randomly scattered across his skin (he is about 6", so just imagine only a few barely visible spots).  he also pulls his pectorals into his gills when he is sleeping.
<A problem I find quite often in dogface puffers just home from less than perfect water conditions at the pet stores.>
now the three problems I immediately came up with- first is the obvious one, the ich parasite- I tried using traditional methods (variety of copper and non-copper based medications, freshwater dip, raised temp, etc.) and nothing works.  then the cloudiness, which appeared right around the same time as the ich.  but there really are no water quality issues (I've even purchased a new kit just in case mine was expired).  then the gill/fin behaviour- only not a fluke in sight.  I have tried everything I can think of, even formaldehyde which is always my last resort.
<I suggest you lower the salinity down in your QT, having a Hyposalinity levels will really help this fish finally get rid of the parasites.  And I have noticed that a Dog-Face in Hyposalinity QT will have a little bit healthier appetite and health system.  I have had a friend keep his Dogface in conditions like that for about 3-4 weeks and it made a definite improvement.   And the best thing was that he did this without using any medicines.  The freshwater dips only go so far, having the fish live in a SG of 1.018-1.019 was a great way to ensure that the more sensitive parasites died off.  Their life cycle tends to take about 2 weeks so give it at least that.>
the strange thing is that he does not behave out of the ordinary (I also have a porcupine and a masked puffer whom I use to gauge his behaviour- they are in the larger tank which he *thankfully* never made it in to).
<good thing, that is why I ALWAYS quarantine fish before going into my display tanks.   On a side note, I do hope this is a large tank you have.  The fish you mentioned so far will get pretty hefty and will need a large tank as well as good filtration in order to keep water conditions optimal.>
  he eats voraciously, constantly active, sees fine, not gasping or in any way respiration unusually. 
<That is good, an active and eating puffer means that there is hope for the little guy.>
 but this is a serious three month long problem for him.  I have done daily water changes and everything... I'm really at my wit's end here.  it may be worth noting that the damsel fish that he is currently housed with shows no signs of any type of infection.  and I also thought I saw him flick against a rock in the tank (another new symptom!) this morning, but only once and this is the first time, and I have been watching.
<When a fish "flicks" against a rock, it's referred to as "Flashing" where the fish is actually trying to rub the annoyance (usually parasite) from it's skin.  This can be dangerous because the fish can cut itself and allow infection to get under the skin.  I suggest you check out some of the articles living here on WetWebMedia.  They should offer more info than what I have given you.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/treatmen.htm>
please help me!  sorry to be so verbose, and thank you in advance.
<No problem, and I'm much happier to have a long email then an email that severely lacks info.   Good luck with the puffer, I do hope it gets better. -Magnus>

Stars & Stripes Puffer...bloated with difficult locomotion 9-30-04
Help!! <I will certainly try>
I have had my stars and stripe for over 9 months now. He is 6 inches long, 4 inches round. My tank is 135 gallons. With him are a dog face, cat shark, porcupine puffer, Dorrie, damsels and small eel. All have done great together.
<That tank is small for 3 Puffers, a shark and an eel. The Puffers are big fish and both the Puffers and eel produce quite a bit of waste. >
I run know copper of course and always stay up on my water changes. Stars and Stripe seems to be acting strange. He seems to look bloated and stays very still on the bottom of the tank under rocks. Almost as to hold him down. Throughout the day, his size seems to get larger, and he bobs around. Swimming looks difficult, as though he is heavy. It takes him awhile to surface, then goes back down very quickly. He looks like a beached whale.
< I have seen Puffers do this after over eating. Mine worked it out on his own in 24 hours or so. If this has been going on for a few days I would hold off on feeding for a couple of days and give his GI system a chance to rest.  Epsom Salt contains mag sulfate which is a laxative but also helps osmotic regulation in fishes... It is used to relieve some types of bloating in fishes, the fluid
behind "pop-eye", and blockage from greedy fishes gulping dry foods.  It is a  very good tonic and harmless if not helpful.  Place him into a 10g tank hospital or quarantine set up with a  either a small power filter or a pump for circulation and a few pieces of live rock from your main tank.  Be generous, add 1 heaping tablespoon per 5g, so 2 Tbsp and observe him for a couple of days. If the problem persists you can add another 2 Tbsp dose. This usually works well.  If the problem persists after this there is some other more serious problem. >
Although, he will rise for feeding.
<Good sign, but as I mentioned please do not feed him for a couple of days. >
Normal meal is frozen krill.
<Your Puffer needs a much more varied diet, as do all fish and creatures. Please see the articles on feeding..... http://www.wetwebmedia.com/feeding.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pufferfdgfaqs.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pufferfdgfaq2.htm
I did try to fresh water dip him in hopes that he would puff all the way up, but didn't seem to help.
< I don't think in this case a FW dip or Puffing up would be beneficial. >
He looks very unhappy. What do I do?
<Try the above mentioned tonic. HTH and best of luck with your Puffer, Leslie>

Porcupine Puffer Hiding and Inactive 9-30-04
Sorry to bother you again, <It's no bother that's what we are here for >
but I forgot one thing.
The porq puffer that I have is eating fine, but when he is not eating he insists on hiding in the live rock. I hardly ever see him swim around the tank. He basically lays around in the same spot all the time. Is something wrong with him?
<Hard to say, as I did not see the prior email. My porcupine Puffer has quite a big appetite and when he stuffs himself he lays around. Perhaps you are over feeding your Puffer. Another possibility is that one of the other fish is bullying him. HTH, Leslie>

Dogface Puffer w/Internal Parasites? 9/25/04
Greeting all!
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I have a possible problem I'm hoping you can offer advice on.
I recently purchased a dogface puffer who was very skinny. It was a rescue from a chain store - I know I shouldn't have as it just encourages them to buy more, but the poor thing was in a 10g tank (its nearly 6 inches long) looking at me with sad eyes begging "please, please get me out of here!" Anyway, they said they had trouble feeding it, but were only offering it frozen brine shrimp. Upon getting it home, I discovered he was more than
happy to eat Krill, Clam, Ghost and Mysis shrimp, as I suspected.
<Brine shrimp for a 6" puffer?  Poor thing.  Brine shrimp is mostly water & not very nutritious at all.  He's lucky to be in your home, eating the "right" foods.  Try whatever you can find in the fish dept of your grocery store (except fish).  I buy a lot of assorted goodies & freeze.  Then I thaw in warm vitamin water, as needed.>
Mr. Puff has now been in quarantine for about three weeks with lots of meaty food daily, but isn't getting as fat as I had hoped. He's not nearly as emaciated as he was when I first got him, but is still rather streamlined for a puffer, especially after he poos. I'm wondering if he may have internal parasites, or if I'm not giving him enough time to recover the lost body mass. Would it be advisable to treat for parasites? If so, any suggested medication?
<It certainly couldn't hurt.  I have had great success using Discomed, by Aquatronics.  Unfortunately, that company has gone out of business, but there are still some boxes around for sale.  Here's a guy that has some to sell: http://puffer.proboards2.com/index.cgi?board=lounge&action=display&num=1095291341 & a thread on alternatives to that med: http://puffer.proboards2.com/index.cgi?board=hospital&action=display&num=1093270673.>
I have heard adding Fenbendazole to the food is
good, and it is available at the local farm supply store, (though figuring out small enough dosages could be a problem). However, I'd rather not treat unless necessary.
<You are correct that the med has to be added to it's food.  Some folks have had some success with garlic, but I think that will just enhance appetite, not rid the fish of internal parasites.>
I also had a question related to damsel compatibility. When he's out of quarantine, he will be making his home in a 75g aquarium. I was thinking I would like to add blue damsels for color. I realize it might not work because the puffer might decide to eat the damsels, but that isn't much of a concern for me. Not that I want them to get eaten, but if they do, its really not much different than offering feeder fish.
<I don't see any problems with adding damsels with your puffer.  they are quick & can hide out in places the puffer can't reach.  I have had damsels for quite some time with much more aggressive puffers, without any problems.>  
What I am more concerned about is after reading about damsels going after divers, that they might turn on the puffer. Is this a reasonable fear? Or would they
likely leave their potential predator alone?
<I have been "bitten" by many a damselfish while diving.  There is no way those little teeth would be able to do any harm to a puffer's leathery, spiny skin.  Not to worry!>
I was thinking of adding five or six blue devil or yellow tail damsels, or even doing three of each to keep their battles for territory occupied with each other and not the puffer. If this sounds reasonably safe, what would the best order to introduce them be? The puffer and the damsels at the same time, or one before the other?
<I don't really think it matters, but if you are concerned, add the damsels first.>
Thanks so much again for your assistance!
<Sure & enjoy your puffer!  ~PP>
Take Care, Tami

A masked puffer with ich
Hey,
  I'm so sad right now. My puffer has ich real bad. He's a masked puffer, and it came out of the blue. Its all over his body, and he's definitely affected by it. I want to do a freshwater dip with Methylene blue. Will this get rid of it? If it doesn't , could you please tell me what to do. He doesn't look very good. His top fin is clamped, and he is sitting in the corner of the tank. Could I treat the tank with copper? I don't care that ill never be able to get it all out. I don't want this fish to die! What else could I do? Anything would help.
  Evan
>>>Hi!
I normally recommend hypo salinity these days, but an off the shelf ich med will work, such as Rid-Ich. I'd stay away from copper. It's difficult to keep at proper levels. Yes, a 20 gallon is a bit small for that fish! Forget about dipping, that will not help your situation given the life cycle of the parasite in question.
Feel free to send an update.
Jim<<<

Sick Porcupine Puffers?  9/20/04
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
Hi, I have 3 porcupine puffers and I was feeding them frozen shrimp and live boxer shrimp.  The other day I decided to give them a change and bought live glass shrimp and frozen marine food. I gave them some last night and now this morning the 3 of them are on the floor of the tank panting for air and they are not swimming, just laying there breathing heavy, like they are struggling to breathe. What could I do? Please help!
Thank you Candy
<It sounds to me like your system may have crashed, due to over feeding.  Test your water for ammonia, nitrItes, nitrAtes & pH,  then do a 50% water change.  How large is the tank?  How long has it been set up?  How big is the tank & puffers?  Any tank mates?  Get back with all this info & we'll see if we can help.  ~PP>

Puffer Problem
Hey,
<Hey! Scott F. with ya' today!>
I know already that I should have used a quarantine tank, but I was dumb, and I decided he was ok. STUPID ME.
<Well- I'm not going to call you stupid... :)>
He has little white spots all over his body, teeny tiny, and I'm guessing its ich.
<If it looks like ich, acts like ich....>
So I gave him a freshwater dip in a five gallon bucket. I treated the water for chlorine, and added 2.5ml of copper. I heard they are very sensitive to copper, so that was probably a really stupid move.
<I wouldn't use copper with puffers...Formalin based products would be the weapon of choice, IMO>
I'm so dumb.
<C'mon...Stop beating up yourself...It's supposed to be a fun hobby. Mistakes are how we learn, unfortunately!>
So I get him back in to the tank and he was freaking out because he had ingested some air. So I took your advice on the site, and held him vertically, head up, and the air came out! That was good. He seemed to settle down after this, but I noticed his tail fin is drooping, and his top fin Isn't either. I have a feeling there is some really bad news coming....... but I hope not. I love this fish. What else can I do? Please write ASAP. Thanks you so much.
Evan
<Well, Evan, if the white dots are still there, you will need to treat the fish at some point. I'd be inclined to let him "rest and recover" for a couple of days before embarking on a new treatment regimen, however. A formalin-based product would be okay. Maintain very high water quality, and observe the fish carefully. Stay in touch...Regards, Scott F>

Help! Dogface Puffer swallowed shrimp shell
Hi Crew, <Hey Carol, MacL here with you this evening.>
You've helped us so much already, and now I'm not sure if I'm just worrying for nothing or if our Dogface Puffer (Scooby Doo) will have a problem.  Our tank is 100 gal and we have the Dogface Puffer, Maroon Clown, Naso Tang and Chromis.   We did as you suggested, and have added whole shrimp and crab legs (frozen first for 1 week and cut into 1 inch pieces) in addition to frozen squid, all soaked in Selcon or VitaChem to Scooby's diet.  Scooby's about 5" and our Maroon Clown is about 3".  Actually, I think Scooby's gotten a bit lazy because when I initially fed him the crab and shrimp, he really didn't want to work for his food.  However, our Maroon Clown really liked it and would grab it and swim away.  Scooby would track it down and continue eating.  Last night, I gave Scooby some shrimp, and this time the Clown grabbed the food and swam away, Scooby went after and got it back and they went back and forth a few times grabbing the food from each other and then finally Scooby just swallowed the rest of it entirely, INCLUDING THE SHELL! <That's actually not a bad thing.  They need the crunchy stuff to keep their teeth trimmed down. And they eat shrimp in the wild so he should be quite fine.>  He seemed fine and was looking around for more food.  However, today his belly still has that rounded full look and he is not swimming around or coming out to see me as much as usual. <Probably with that big mean he's not as hungry. Do keep a close eye on him as you know your fish and their behavior but my guess is that he's just still full.>  At first I figured this must happen in their natural habitat, but I am worried that he won't be able to expel the shell.  Please let me know if this is normal or what do I need to do to help Scooby Doo. <Let us know again if things don't change Carol. Good luck, MacL> Thanks for all your help, Carol     

Internal Parasites & Trimming Puffer's Teeth
Hello,
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
Sorry to bug you guys again.  If my puffers teeth plates have overgrown is there anything I can do for him?  Also is there medicine to kill intestinal worms?  Thank you for your help.
<If their teeth are too long (from not feeding enough hard-shelled foods), you will need to do some puffer dentistry yourself.  Here is a link to info on that: http://puffer.proboards2.com/index.cgi?board=hospital&action=display&num=1085932782  Read through the whole thing, there is also info on larger puffers in there too.  There is also a thread on Discomed (the preferred int. parasite cure, but the company has gone out of business) in that same Hospital forum & the available alternatives.  There is a guy that is offering Discomed for sale there too.
--Trent Cupoli
<Good luck with your puffer.  ~PP>

Puffer with Worms in eyes, What Do I Do? Foll0w Up (9/8/04)
Leslie,
Thanks for the response.  
<Your welcome I hope it helped>
Tank parameters: Ammonia: 0, Nitrites: 0, Nitrates: <5 ppm,  PH: 8.3,
Temperature:  current 79 ( goes from 78-80) and Current Salinity: 1.016 .
<Thanks for the info.... All looks good except I would be tempted to bring the salinity up closer to 1.018 and I like to keep my tanks a tad cooler in the 75 to 77 range if possible.  I have found that lower temps help to minimize bacterial populations along with routine water changes. >
Medicines and procedures used:
Hyposalinity 1.010 as recommended by LFS with half does of rid Ick (per
container and Mike D. for scaleless or sensitive fish).
<I have had stubborn cases of ich where 1.010 was not sufficient to effect a cure. As soon as I lowered the specific gravity to 1.008 the visible spots were gone in 3 days and after 4 weeks at that salinity they never returned.>
Brought the salinity back up now per Mike D.
Hyposalinity needs to be used for at least 3 weeks to allow for the complete life cycle of the critter, with 4 even better. I have used it as long as 6 weeks. >
Used Para guard for 3 weeks...improved for a while then came back. Dosage per container.
<I have heard varying reports on the effectiveness of this treatment>
Currently using Metronidazole.. been using for 2 weeks some improvement until 3 days ago then ick came back and discovered the worms. Dosage 6 scoops every other day as per container's directions
<Metronidazole, is an antiprotozoal drug with a antibacterial effects
against anaerobic bacteria only. If this is ich it will not treat it.>
The only thing I have been able to find in my own research was the
possibility that it is a copepod eye parasite.  I'd send a picture, but I
don't currently have the ability.
<Oh that's to bad a photo would be helpful as well as educational. >
He was housed with a moray when first quarantined.  The Eel never showed any signs of the disease and was removed.
<These guys are pretty hearty. Glad to hear the eel did well and has been separated from the Puffer. Good job!>
No other changes to the tank.  Tank filtration consists of a Bak Pak
skimmer/filter and a bio wheel with carbon removed.  Live rock (7 lbs).  The tank is a 29 gallon quarantine tank.
<Glad you have the fish in quarantine. One other thought that comes to mind is that depending on the size of your Dogface Puffer 29g is on the small side unless you have a tiny guy. >
The Eel has been moved to the display after separation and observation. Anything else that you need?  I finally did make contact with Mike D. He is in the middle of the hurricane and said he would get back to me when he could.
< I had a feeling Mile was in the middle of that storm....hope he and all his critters are safe.
Hmmmmmm. I think I would give the puffer a break from the meds for a bit. I once had the MOST stubborn case of ich, near about drove me nuts.  I used dechlorinated  pH, temp adjusted freshwater dips daily for 7 days, as recommended here on the site by Bob,  in conjunction with hyposalinity at 1.008 for 6 weeks. It is imperative that you use a calibrated refractometer when employing hyposalinity.....all the other methods of measuring salinity are far to inaccurate, leaving to much room for error....... below 1.008 is not recommended and much above that you are not really treating the parasite. Scott Michael has a recent article on marine parasites in which he
mentions the use of FW dips for up to 30 minutes if the fish is comfortable and tolerating the dip. My Puffer did very well for the full 30 min, he even ate in the dip bucket.   Slight increase in gilling would be normal but thrashing, spitting  at the surface, gasping, rapid gilling  or rolling over on to it's side would all be signs of undue stress and reason for immediate removal from the dip.
I have found the following article and FAQs invaluable.....
The Three Sets of Factors That Determine Livestock Health/Disease & FAQs http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mardisease.htm
Nutrition plays a big role in how any of us fare with illness...enough
cannot be said for optimal nutrition all around but particularly during times of stress and illness......if you are not already varying his food and providing a good vitamin supplement you should start ASAP. Bob frequently recommends liquid baby vitamins. Have a look at this article .....
Nutrition: Foods and Feeding for the Marine Aquarist
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/feeding.htm
If you have not read the articles here on the site re marine parasites please do have a look at these as well....Marine Aquarium Parasitic Diseases and FAQs http://www.wetwebmedia.com/parasiti.htm
Steven Pro has an excellent article called Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon
irritans - A Discussion of this Parasite and the Treatment Options
Available, Part I & II which can be found here ...
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.htm  and
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-10/sp/feature/index.htm
If it is ich those should help.
However Bob Fenner responded to my request for assistance with this and here is his response.....
"The small  spots could be a single-celled organism (microsporidean
possibly) or encysted worms of some group... in all cases, with the observation of likely nematodes in the eyes, I would prescribe the same sorts of treatment"
Your puffers spots may not be ich and may very well be related to the worms
in the fish's eyes......I wish I had a definitive answer for you. Once  he has had a chance to recoup a bit from the previous meds and has had some supplemental nutrition in the way of vitamins, all things considered in addition to the fact that Puffers frequently come to us with worm infestations I would be inclined to go ahead and treat for worms with one of the antihelmenthics. It would be important to do this while he is still eating. One of the antihelmenthics from  available from National Fish Pharmaceuticals may be easiest to use. I would also recommend frequent water
changes any time one is dealing with pathogens. The water changes function to keep the environment clean as well as reduces the pathogen load, fewer pathogens are easier to fend off than larger numbers would be. Again best of luck with you Puffer and please do let us know how he does or if you have any additional questions.
HTH, Leslie>