I'm looking for some help to identify this issue.
We got this porcupine puffer and a lunare wrass about three or four weeks ago. They we're in neighboring tanks on the same water supply, so we quarantined them together. We put them in a bare 20 gallon tank, with 50% water change daily, and a sponge bubbler in the corner. The tank was just cleaned, and filled with fresh RODI saltwater (Instant Ocean) After 2 or 3 days the puffer developed a bump in the center of his upper lip. It grew daily until it was about the size of a pea. I was unable to figure out what it was, and saw nothing matching it online.
Not sure what to do, I started treating with Furan2, and went through 2 cycles (8 days) of treatment. A few days or so after finishing treatment and after daily water changes, we woke up to the bump looking like it had ruptured, and his eyes had a white cotton-like covering over them. I immediately moved him into a new quarantine tank and began treatment with Pimafix and Melafix. (We lost a porcupine puffer to something that started with this type of coating on the eyes several months ago).
We are now a week into this treatment. He received a 50% water change daily, followed by a dose of meds. The substance on his eyes is gone, but it looks like there is a translucent coating over his eyes. Yesterday we noticed several more bumps forming around his head. I'm at a complete loss.
The Wrass has showed no signs of illness whatsoever, and is very active and healthy. It is a voracious eater, and feeds primarily on mysis shrimp and snails.
We never see the puffer eat. He is holding a steady weight and is pooping, so he is apparently eating at some point. His diet is mainly mysis shrimp. I add krill, but he doesn't seem to touch it. He also shows no interest in snails, squid, bloodworms, or anything else.
I have Cupramine on hand, but have been reluctant to use it because I've read it is risky with puffers. I also don't know if it is the appropriate treatment at this time.
Anyone have any thoughts?
Growths on new Porcupine Puffer
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.
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.
Growths on new Porcupine Puffer
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Pufferpunk
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- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
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C valentini
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Re: Growths on new Porcupine Puffer
I have often seen porcys being highly susceptible to Vibro. I hope this is not the case. Do a search here on treatment.
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"