Please help - sick fahaka

[we_tigers]

Go out and buy an expensive tank mate for him, Most of the time when puffer owners do not want their puffers to eat their tank mates, they will. "Yep they get a long fine my puffer and his new friend! Wait. Where did the little guy go?".......... JUST JOKING!

I am really glad to hear that the stuff on his back came off! One less thing to deal with!!

If jungle tabs do not seem to be working, I would go with something else. I am sure the other members here know of some better alternatives. Especially if he is not eating at all.

Good thing is, from the picture you showed, your puffer looks to be of a healthy weight, so he can take the hunger strike for a while..just got to deal with those worms!

This made me laugh because I've used Murphy's Law to my advantage all throughout my life.

Jungle tabs are working fine actually, there is another worm hanging from his anus as I type this.
I just wonder how many he has in there... I will continue the treatment every other day until his poo is of a different colour.

Yeah he is a rather big boy, he hasn't lost weight besides his flattened stomach.

Thanks for the support!

[we_tigers]

there is something oddly familiar with this and I really can't put my finger on it.

it has to do with the eyes.

I hope you can find an answer .... It eludes me at the moment. Maybe one of our mentors can help

Not sure what you mean.

I understand the colour of the eye seem blackened in the photo, but it's the normal orange colour with a film of cloud.

I'm guessing he's stressed because of the IPs, unless someone thinks differently.

I read that I can use Melafix and Pimafix during other treatments, so that will start on Tuesday.

[J-P]

there was something I can remember about the coating on the eye of a fish and how it was solved. AFAIK (or remember) that eye skin shows signs of problems that other areas of the body wouldn't detect or are visible to us.

I just can't remember what it was .... dang, and this is bugging me because I remember most posts / stuff I read.

I know that the eyes are the key. Something simple would not cause a cloudy eye...

[purplecandle]

J-P, are you talking about the theory that cloudy eye is a result of chemical exposure?

we_tigers..
Do you shake the heck out of your API bottles when testing? Is your test kit expired? Have you had any ammonia or nitrate spikes in the past couple of months?

[we_tigers]

No it's not expired.
I did shake it, and I will shake it again.
and never.

He's rather lively other than the not-eating thing,
He's been swimming around a lot more since the Melafix treatment..
Just wish the stores were open tomorrow so I could get some more.

IPs are more believable at this moment than chemical exposures..

[J-P]

J-P, are you talking about the theory that cloudy eye is a result of chemical exposure?

no that was in a book I recently read but thank you! a snipit came back

No, the film on the eye is made very tolerant to chemical changes, unlike internal organs which are protected. When the eye becomes "cloudy" it is usually an indicator of something else. IPs usually infect the organs and the intestines... leaving the eyes clear. Fish and humans can live very long lives with out knowing they have IPs (not that fish may or may not know they have IPs).

I must be getting old...

[purplecandle]

J-P are you talking about bacteria infections causing cloudy eye-thus it might not respond to Melefix and may need an anti bacterial (In a quarantine tank so you do not crash your tank)

Or maybe you are thinking of vitamin deficiencies that cause the cloudy eye (I am not sure which vitamins)

Or are you talking about the eye suffering an injury..that went unnoticed and turned into cloudy eye through a bacteria infection?

[we_tigers]

Many sources say that it's poor water quality, low pH, bacterial infection or the on-set of a pop eye.. while only some say IPs.

I don't have any experience in adding salt to the aquarium, I hope cichlid salts are not expensive at the lfs because melafix is..

[J-P]

over crowding is one cause.. bacterial

still researching .. will be back tomorrow.

[we_tigers]

Update:
I noticed another worm so I made a video;
He's swimming around happily... yet watch his anus there's a worm head sticking out it (if you can make it out).
The white stuff on his back right came back.. Whatever the hell it is.
His eyes look pretty bad now too.

Not Cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq5E-5NrNxk

[J-P]

do you have a spare tank & filters?

[we_tigers]

I do have a ball python tank but I don't think it could hold that much water.
At least Zilla says don't put water in it.

Not to sound brash, but I don't care for the cohabitants in the tank as much as I care for this puffer..

[J-P]

I was wondering more along the lines of having a spare filter and tank to keep the media alive.

A broad spectrum treatment for the tank may be advisable. But that would trash your biofilter unless you had something of equal capacity on stand by once the meds finish their course.

bacterial and IPs sounds like a bad combo.

Is it possible to treat the IPs via medicated food and the bacterial via pinafix/melafix? Or double up on the medicated foods? Do IP / Bacterial soaked foods with a garlic attractant?

P.S. Apparently garlic is supposed to be good for expelling the IPs also.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/sh ... lic&page=3

[we_tigers]

Yeah, I would medicate the food but like I've said a couple of times he's not eating.
I know about the garlic thing too, I have garlicguard but not eating = no go.

Well Jungle Lab says those tabs do have an impact on the biological filter, so if it crashes I will just sue them.

[we_tigers]

Another update:


Yellow/egg-yolky worm?