MBU puffer needs help!

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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.
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mrorchid
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MBU puffer needs help!

Post by mrorchid »

Hey guys I'm new to this forum, I have a 5 inch Mbu puffer that I got from LFS about a month ago. He is very picky but eating fine on shrimp, clams, mussels and snails. I have 2 problems that I need help with. Mbu puffer experts please help!
1) Water parameters all normal
2) 40Gal Quarantine, 100G main tank with plecos, Danios and Guppies for cleanup.
3) 25% water change everyday sucking up all the stringy poop.
4) 2 months.

First, I don't know how Mbu puffer poop should look like but I have a lot of experience with cichlids. His poop looks white stringy and beady. I believe he has internal parasites as it is common from wild caught fish. He is not skinny at all though. I have been treating him with API general cure mixed in his food with garlic juice and Epsom salt for 2 weeks now. The picture I attached is his poop after eating shrimps with medication from a few hours ago. I don't know if his poop is normal, I just don't want to be treating him unnecessarily.

https://ibb.co/8zvsyrd

Second problem is his tail fin. He has a split in the middle since I got him, I thought it would heal but hasn't healed at all over a month. I believe it might be a defect or he was injured by other tank mates. I think the split might be permanent since it looks like the cartilage is damaged. What I'm worried about is that it is not fin rot right?

https://ibb.co/0yTtqvj

Any help is appreciated thanks!
Last edited by mrorchid on Fri Nov 30, 2018 7:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: MBU puffer needs help!

Post by Pufferpunk »

[welcome]
It is possibly IPs--wouldn't hurt to treat. API General Cure looks to be more for external parasites though. I'd go with Metro or Prazi.
library/hospital/internal-parasites-pre ... treatment/

As far as the tail, it does look like it had been damaged. It may or may not heal back to a single tail. You could try Melafix for that.

Some extra reading on mbus:
library/puffers-in-focus/mbuforyou/
viewtopic.php?f=56&t=150
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!"
mrorchid
Puffer Fry
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2018 5:40 pm
Location (country): US CA

Re: MBU puffer needs help!

Post by mrorchid »

Pufferpunk wrote: Fri Nov 30, 2018 7:00 pm [welcome]
It is possibly IPs--wouldn't hurt to treat. API General Cure looks to be more for external parasites though. I'd go with Metro or Prazi.
library/hospital/internal-parasites-pre ... treatment/

As far as the tail, it does look like it had been damaged. It may or may not heal back to a single tail. You could try Melafix for that.

Some extra reading on mbus:
library/puffers-in-focus/mbuforyou/
viewtopic.php?f=56&t=150
Thank you pufferpunk, I have tried Seachem Metroplex for a week and it does not seem to work. My puffer hates food that has been soaked in Prazipro which I also tried. Since Metroplex contains Metronidazole and Prazipro contains Praziquantel. API General Cure contains both Metronidazole and Praziquantel which I thought would be a good idea. I also ordered Levamisole HCl to give it a try and should be coming in the mail in a few days.
User avatar
Pufferpunk
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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: MBU puffer needs help!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Add a crushed garlic clove to the med soaks. It enhances the flavor for some reason.
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!"
mrorchid
Puffer Fry
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2018 5:40 pm
Location (country): US CA

Re: MBU puffer needs help!

Post by mrorchid »

Pufferpunk wrote: Fri Nov 30, 2018 11:18 pm Add a crushed garlic clove to the med soaks. It enhances the flavor for some reason.
I tried with Garlic with Prazipro, he just spits it back out. Just to confirm, the poop is not normal right?

Thanks Pufferpunk!
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Pufferpunk
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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: MBU puffer needs help!

Post by Pufferpunk »

It does look awfully stringy but their poop often looks like their food, especially if overfed. You feed a lot of white, meaty foods.
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!"
mrorchid
Puffer Fry
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2018 5:40 pm
Location (country): US CA

Re: MBU puffer needs help!

Post by mrorchid »

Update: this is how his poop looks like after treating with Metronidazole and Praziquantel mixed in a piece of shrimp with Espom salt, Seachem Focus and Garlic juice.

https://ibb.co/5B43dyV
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: MBU puffer needs help!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Looks like the food you're feeding him. How's his weight?
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!"
mrorchid
Puffer Fry
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2018 5:40 pm
Location (country): US CA

Re: MBU puffer needs help!

Post by mrorchid »

he is not skinny at all, eating well on shrimps, clams, live crabs, live snails and live shrimp. his poop looks fine when he eats crabs. Black poop which looks more normal I guess.

Trying to avoid live food unless I'm not home for a few days and I put a bunch of them in the tank.

Should I stop treating and resume if he gets skinny or refusing food?
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: MBU puffer needs help!

Post by Pufferpunk »

I think so, yes. I've rarely determined IPs from poop & to me, it looks like the white, meaty foods he's eating.
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!"
mrorchid
Puffer Fry
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2018 5:40 pm
Location (country): US CA

Re: MBU puffer needs help!

Post by mrorchid »

update: he's healthy and no more stringy poop! when he eats shrimps, the poop tends to be a bit stringy and white. when he eats clams and snails, his poop looks normal(black little drops)!
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