Topaz with lumpy belly and open vent

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!

Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.

1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.

2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.

3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)

4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.

5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.

We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.

While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.

Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Post Reply
Crystaltopaz32
Puffer Fry
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:35 pm
Location (country): Nottingham, UK.

Topaz with lumpy belly and open vent

Post by Crystaltopaz32 »

Hi
Had 3 topaz puffers now for around 4 months in a 200 litre tank. Feeding well and very active.

Nitrite/ammonia at zero, Ph around 8, Nitrate is slightly high around 25ppm due to local tap water. Temp 27 degrees C.
50% waterchanges done very 10 days.
Using FX6 external canister plus large internal air powered foam filter.

Feeding mainly earthworms, snails, large krill and cockles plus occasional bloodworm, large king prawns and mussels.

After a good feed Monday I noticed the largest of the group has lumps around his rear underside either side of his vent plus the vent is now a large hole (pen diameter) so very concerned. I have added Marine salt at 5g/gallon to raise the salinity slightly but only by 0.02 at present. Previoulsy were in freshwater.

As of today he still looks the same and is still active bit I am serioulsy concerned about these lumps and open vent. The other two are totally normal shape and the vents look normal (not a gaping hole).

Any advise welcomed.
Thanks
Chris
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Topaz with lumpy belly and open vent

Post by Pufferpunk »

Try adding 1 tbsp epsom salt/5g. Won't hurt the others.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Bleedingheartmommy
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 185
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 9:39 pm
My Puffers: Honey (SIP Cantaloupe): C. Travancoricus
Mad Max: P. Cochinchinensis
Apollo: T. Miurus
(SIP Bonnie) Clyde: C. Irrubesco
SIP Orchid
Location (country): USA-Seattle, WA

Re: Topaz with lumpy belly and open vent

Post by Bleedingheartmommy »

Do you have any readings for GH and KH?
"Genetics loads the gun, and environment pulls the trigger."-Brené Brown
Crystaltopaz32
Puffer Fry
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:35 pm
Location (country): Nottingham, UK.

Re: Topaz with lumpy belly and open vent

Post by Crystaltopaz32 »

Thanks for the response.
I am making regular water changes and as of today the lumps seem to have gone down and he has eaten again so hopefully on the right track since adding the salt. KH & GH quite high as our tapwater is hard plus i've added coral sand to buffer the water.
Another issue is that all three seem very nervous (office tank) but only two of us in the office. When you approach the front glass they go crazy and worried about them injuring themselves on wood/rockwork. It's a 200 litre tank with few rocks and wood roots although plants are dying off since i added salt (as expected).

Any advise on how to calm them down please? They always come for food but if you sit at the front of the tank they seem to panic.

Thanks
Chris
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Topaz with lumpy belly and open vent

Post by Pufferpunk »

How heavily decorated is the tank? Can you post a pic of it?
Also, that tank really is only large enough for 1 adult.
viewtopic.php?f=38&t=28646
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Crystaltopaz32
Puffer Fry
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:35 pm
Location (country): Nottingham, UK.

Re: Topaz with lumpy belly and open vent

Post by Crystaltopaz32 »

Hi

Belly lumps have gone now so hopefully ok and feeding well.

Still very nervous when you get close to tank but always come for food. I am still adding salt at 400g per 200 litres giving a SG reading of 1.002.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Topaz with lumpy belly and open vent

Post by Pufferpunk »

Expect those plants you have in there to rot, as you add salt. Are you using marine salt?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Crystaltopaz32
Puffer Fry
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:35 pm
Location (country): Nottingham, UK.

Re: Topaz with lumpy belly and open vent

Post by Crystaltopaz32 »

Yes using Marine salt and yes plants are starting to fade away but the puffers seem to enjoy nibbling them so will keep adding the odd bunch for some veg. I though about adding big plastic ones for extra cover but worried in case they ingest?
What do you use as main food to keep the teeth in check? I am struggling to keep up with snails so offering mussels, large shrimp in shell, large krill and cockles (shelled) as struggling to get whole ones.
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Topaz with lumpy belly and open vent

Post by Pufferpunk »

I'm on vacation, so it is difficult to link to our library but in the drop-down menu you can get an entire page on feeding articles.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Post Reply