I think my puffer has some sort of bacterial infection, there are clusters of little raised bumps on his skin which i originally thought was ich but they (the bumps) are individually smaller and have been around a while and i have not noticed any change in my puffers behaviour over the last few weeks. The bumps are about a millimetre, (maybe smaller) in diameter and there is a cluster of them on both sides of the fish. At night, when my puffer sleeps and turns dark, i have also noticed a redness in his gills. Not too red but enough that i noticed it.
The water parameters are good and i have been doing two 15% water changes every week to make sure the water is clean. I'd like to know how bacterial infections are treated and what to use because i know that puffers are sensetive to most medications used in treating regular fish.
How to treat bacterial infection in GSP's?
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.
Re: How to treat bacterial infection in GSP's?
I had thought about giving it some zithromax. Lol.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: How to treat bacterial infection in GSP's?
Puffer spines? Can you get a good closeup?
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!"
Re: How to treat bacterial infection in GSP's?
Pufferpunk wrote:Puffer spines? Can you get a good closeup?
No, not spines. I can't get my digital camera to work but i took a closer look and they are more widespread around his upper body than i had previously thought. There are some by his gills and towards the rear fin as well.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: How to treat bacterial infection in GSP's?
Are they white? Why do you say, not ich?
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!"
Re: How to treat bacterial infection in GSP's?
Pufferpunk wrote:Are they white? Why do you say, not ich?
Not ich, only the tips of the bumps are slightly whitish... I haven't observed a change in behaviour or appetite in the past few weeks. The bumps have been around for two weeks.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: How to treat bacterial infection in GSP's?
Hmmm... have you tried adding Melafix, for starters?
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!"
Re: How to treat bacterial infection in GSP's?
I thought it was medications like that which were not so good for gsp's because they have no scales or something...
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Pufferpunk
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Re: How to treat bacterial infection in GSP's?
Melafix is a totally natural mixture of tea tree oil.
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!"
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Jase
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Re: How to treat bacterial infection in GSP's?
too much may hurt them though (or so I hear) and some don't like the taste either (can't blame them) just follow the directions... maybe even a tad less. 
good luck
good luck-Jase
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Pufferpunk
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Re: How to treat bacterial infection in GSP's?
The bottle says you can double the dose for advanced/chronic infections, so I don't think the recommended dosage will harm your fish.
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!"
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FishFan
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Re: How to treat bacterial infection in GSP's?
Our experience and research pn Melafix agrees with what Pufferpunk and Jase said.
Here is a link to an article by Veterinarian Doc Johnson describing the safety and efficacy of Melafix. This is a very safe and proven effective treatment, though the mechanism for its action is not as an anti-bactericidal agent. Fish occasionally find the addition of Melafix to the water very annoying, at least at first.
http://www.koivet.com/html/articles/art ... edications
As with most medications, it should be used as labeled. More isn't better. Overdose is known to burn fin tips on Koi for example.
Here is a link to an article by Veterinarian Doc Johnson describing the safety and efficacy of Melafix. This is a very safe and proven effective treatment, though the mechanism for its action is not as an anti-bactericidal agent. Fish occasionally find the addition of Melafix to the water very annoying, at least at first.
http://www.koivet.com/html/articles/art ... edications
As with most medications, it should be used as labeled. More isn't better. Overdose is known to burn fin tips on Koi for example.
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There has to be a point.
There has to be a point.
Re: How to treat bacterial infection in GSP's?
If it contains tea tree oil, can't i just add tea tree oil directly in my tank? I have some lying around somewhere....
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Pufferpunk
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Re: How to treat bacterial infection in GSP's?
There's more to it than that & how could you possibly figure out the dosage?
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!"
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Re: How to treat bacterial infection in GSP's?
I believe it's treated in some way to make it more water soluble, and is an exactly regulated amount.
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