Puffer Turning Purple
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.
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busybones
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 738
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- My Puffers: ******
(1)T. lineatus-Fahaka~Pookie 125 gal
(1)M. turgidus- Brown Puffer~Rowdy 30 gal
(1)T.nigroviridis-GSP~ 55 gal - Location (country): USA
- Location: Kentucky
Re: Puffer Turning Purple
I've read not to order from aquariumfish.com but i've never personally ordered from them. I have a Fahaka puffer named pookie and got him at a local pet store but he was an owner surrender I've never really had much luck with the LFS either so i feel you there. If your tierd of the SW maybe you should try a Fahaka they are really cool I ♥ mine and he's freshwater much easier to care for I just cycle my tank once a week and he's good to go if you do consider getting one read up on them they are very aggressive and must be kept alone. Just one fish! and you need a 125 gallon tank min cause he gets pretty big as an adult. I'm thinking you can order them for around $35-$40 for a 3' Fahaka
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LilGreenPuffer
- Former Staff Member
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- Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:26 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Dwarf puffer - Thumbelina (only mine in my heart now; she lives in CT with my friend)
RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond. - Location (country): United States
- Location: Kentucky
Re: Puffer Turning Purple
LiveAquaria.com is good. So is Diver's Den.
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
Re: Puffer Turning Purple
Incredible, my puffer died that fast, my whole family is sad. I don't understand, but "you live and you learn..." We'll try again, but we're going to be real picky this time. Time to bleach and cycle my tank again. Gonna start out with damsels first.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Puffer Turning Purple
If Maracyn is recommended, that means this is bacterial not paracidic & Paraguard will do nothing. Please go with what our Mentor has recommended. We make certain folks here Mentors, because they know! 
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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Dadof4
- Tech Team
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- My Puffers: 1 GSP (Microfiche) RIP, 1 Monotrete Turgidus (Leon) in a 30gal. 1 Monotrete suvattii in a 40 gal FW. 120 gallon BW with 3 juvenile Dragon Gobies (so cool). 55 gal with a 2" GSP named Hank. 180 gallon being set up for a Fahaka in the next few months!
- Location (country): United States
- Location: North Wisconsin
Re: Puffer Turning Purple
Great places to order online are Live Aquaria and their counter part Divers Den and Blue Zoo Aquatics. I've purchased from all of the above and never had a problem. I have heard good things about Thatpetplace.com but I don't have any personal exp. with them.
"Darwin swings...annnnnnd a miss. Boy Jim, Chuck's suffered at the plate tonight. He's 0 for 3 and I'm not sure he's recovered from that shoulder pull a few weeks ago. I'll bet the front office is re-thinking that contract."
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ryverrat
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 137
- Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:10 am
- My Puffers: 4 SAPs, 4 A. modestus, 2 GSPs, 3 DPs, 1 irrubesco, 1 congo , and 1 C. solandri
- Location: NE Pennsylvania
Re: Puffer Turning Purple
Never had anything shipped from That Fish Place (aka Thatpetplace.com ) but go to the store often. They do get puffers in and most look healthy (the exception is sometime the GSP when they get them in look thin- they do keep them in brackish). I got my congo there and he was in nice shape whe I got him. They do usually carry some of the more common SW puffers. One note is they won't ship during cold or bad weather to prevent harm to the fish. Best to call to order. Another place to try is Pet Solutions- got my solandri from them and he was in good shape when I got him.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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- Gender: Female
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T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
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DPs
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burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Puffer Turning Purple
Let's try to keep this thread on topic, please. 
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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edmlfc1
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 2011
- Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:03 pm
- My Puffers: Elvis (Stars & Stripes) R.I.P. 9/11/11
125G:Fahaka (Annabelle) - Location (country): U.S.A.
- Location: Texas
Re: Puffer Turning Purple
Don't call it quits, just don't try to rescue a sick puffer from a lfs. All the porc's that I've seen with vibrio have died within days. 
I didn't even think that they could be cured. I would do as Corvus says, follow his directions. I'm sure the lfs had no clue what was wrong with the puffer. My lfs had some porcs come in that started showing signs of the disease also. They didn't know what was wrong with them. I did some reseach, printed it out and brought it to them. Even being in the business for about 20 years they had never seen it before.
If you just noticed the other one showing signs I would start this right away, let us know how it goes.
I didn't even think that they could be cured. I would do as Corvus says, follow his directions. I'm sure the lfs had no clue what was wrong with the puffer. My lfs had some porcs come in that started showing signs of the disease also. They didn't know what was wrong with them. I did some reseach, printed it out and brought it to them. Even being in the business for about 20 years they had never seen it before.
If you just noticed the other one showing signs I would start this right away, let us know how it goes.
Corvus wrote:Try a combined therapy of Maracyn and Maracyn II in a hospital setup or as 10-20times overdosed half hour baths.
The problem with this Vibrio sp. infection is that almost never real antibiotics are used in the early stage (which would be day 1).
A large UV sterilizer with a slow flow and feeding high vitamin food as well as high oxygen (esp. by surface current, 30 times tank volume per hour, no skimming while treating) can support the treatment.
There are many diffeent Vibrio spp. with very variable symptoms, the most commonly known affecting humans is cholera. I *guess* Cholera meds may have an influence on the fish Vibrio species, too. Anyway, don't grab into the aquarum with wounds and clean your hands thoroughly after contact with the fish or its water.
Another imporant Vibrio species (obviously not the one of this infection) is thought by some scientists to live in symbiosis with puffers and to produce their tetrodotoxin poison.
Need to know what kind of puffer you have? Click on Puffer ID.....Puffer ID: ug.php/v/PufferPedia/
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What to feed your puffer? Click on Feeding......
Feeding: library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/
Have a GSP, need more information......Click on GSP Article.....
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Re: Puffer Turning Purple
You guys/girls are great! However, my 2nd puffer puffer died immediately after posting. This disease is too fast moving to treat! My puffer acquired it almost immediately and this is a disease I've never seen before. I should go back to the store where I purchased this puffer from and let them know that "regardless" of the discount, I now have to bleach my tank, buy sand, salt, etc. to restart it which is 10x the cost. If I was a rep from this store, I wouldn't have taken advantage of a customer regardless of their ignorance to this particular disease and call it a "bruise." Lesson learned: QUARANTINE and DON'T BUY SICK FISH.
Anyway, it is my fault for buying this puffer and I do have a soft spot for "less fortunte animals," and believe that everything deserves a "fighting chance," but now I'm worse off and have NO salt water fish. Thanks again everyone for your help, but if anyone has the unfortunate experience of dealing with this Vibrio disease, I wish you the best of luck and please POST if you happen to actually cure this disease. I'm going to research this disease more (microscopically) and learn to fight it.
BTW, I posted the following in regards to finding a good fish store, so if anyone has any ideas, please post:
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=17305
Lastly, I do have a horseshoe crab in the Vibrio tank still and he hasn't acquired the disease as far as I can tell (he is still living)... does anyone have any ideas about what I should do after I take him out and clean the Vibrio tank...should I put him back in, or do you think the horseshoe crab might be a carrier. I don't want to have to buy a separate tank for him now. Do you think he has enough of the disease on him to spread it throughout a new tank? He heh, bleach dip maybe (just kidding). Seriously though, how about a Erethromyacin dip or treat the whole tank with Erethromyacin (with him in it) instead of bleaching it.
Anyway, it is my fault for buying this puffer and I do have a soft spot for "less fortunte animals," and believe that everything deserves a "fighting chance," but now I'm worse off and have NO salt water fish. Thanks again everyone for your help, but if anyone has the unfortunate experience of dealing with this Vibrio disease, I wish you the best of luck and please POST if you happen to actually cure this disease. I'm going to research this disease more (microscopically) and learn to fight it.
BTW, I posted the following in regards to finding a good fish store, so if anyone has any ideas, please post:
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=17305
Lastly, I do have a horseshoe crab in the Vibrio tank still and he hasn't acquired the disease as far as I can tell (he is still living)... does anyone have any ideas about what I should do after I take him out and clean the Vibrio tank...should I put him back in, or do you think the horseshoe crab might be a carrier. I don't want to have to buy a separate tank for him now. Do you think he has enough of the disease on him to spread it throughout a new tank? He heh, bleach dip maybe (just kidding). Seriously though, how about a Erethromyacin dip or treat the whole tank with Erethromyacin (with him in it) instead of bleaching it.
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marksrush
- Fahaka Puffer
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- Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2008 8:10 pm
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- My Puffers: One GSP.
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Raymore, Missouri USA
Re: Puffer Turning Purple
I'm no expert on this disease, but I wouldn't put your horseshoe crab into your freshly sterilized tank because it's almost certain that some of the bacteria is in him or on him, whether or not he's showing signs of it.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32980
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Puffer Turning Purple
What about the system at the shop he came from? Was it connected to all their SW tanks? Their entire system should be cleaned out & sterilized!
Have you done research on that crab? They grow quite large & only eat little critters found in their sand bed, requiring an open sandy area of 10'x10', to survive.
Have you done research on that crab? They grow quite large & only eat little critters found in their sand bed, requiring an open sandy area of 10'x10', to survive.
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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crazedpuffer
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1755
- Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:57 pm
- My Puffers: 1x Porcupine Puffer
1xValentini - Location: Long Island, NY
Re: Puffer Turning Purple
I have tried treating several puffers for this disease (both my own and 2 at work) and no matter how early I have caught it the fish ultimately die. It's nota good disease at all, but IME it has only affected the pufers, no other creatures have been infected. I'm guessing it has something to do with them being scaleless.megalodon wrote:
Anyway, it is my fault for buying this puffer and I do have a soft spot for "less fortunte animals," and believe that everything deserves a "fighting chance," but now I'm worse off and have NO salt water fish. Thanks again everyone for your help, but if anyone has the unfortunate experience of dealing with this Vibrio disease, I wish you the best of luck and please POST if you happen to actually cure this disease. I'm going to research this disease more (microscopically) and learn to fight it.
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=17305
I say treat him, I'm not sure if he would carry the disease, but it's better to be safe than sorry. I would do a double dose to ensure that the disease is gone.
Lastly, I do have a horseshoe crab in the Vibrio tank still and he hasn't acquired the disease as far as I can tell (he is still living)... does anyone have any ideas about what I should do after I take him out and clean the Vibrio tank...should I put him back in, or do you think the horseshoe crab might be a carrier. I don't want to have to buy a separate tank for him now. Do you think he has enough of the disease on him to spread it throughout a new tank? He heh, bleach dip maybe (just kidding). Seriously though, how about a Erethromyacin dip or treat the whole tank with Erethromyacin (with him in it) instead of bleaching it.
Sorry about your fish btw.
Re: Puffer Turning Purple
Yea, I know he eats detritis, but he also loves fresh shrimp (tears them apart). He does fine in my 55 for now, but heh he, I don't know what I'm going to do when he gets really big (basketball size). I didn't think he'd last this long/was a gift for my girlfriend who thought it was too cute to pass upPufferpunk wrote:What about the system at the shop he came from? Was it connected to all their SW tanks? Their entire system should be cleaned out & sterilized!
Have you done research on that crab? They grow quite large & only eat little critters found in their sand bed, requiring an open sandy area of 10'x10', to survive.
