Porcupine fish, going blind after eating frozen shrimp

[J-P]

My recommendation would be to build up the main display again, run some carbon, put in the box fish, and keep the 2nd tank as a QT / hospital tank. I am not familiar with the medicine you have mentioned but many anti bacterial meds will have a negative impact on your biofilter. Thus keep the meds out of the display tank.

I am just re-watching the vids. That looks like it is on the interior of the cornea. It reminds my of something my wife had a while back. To the naked eye it looked like a white film developing, but under a microscope, it was VERY vascular. It was extremely odd. The doctors didn't know what it was and basically gave her some meds and eye drops and said "try this" and it worked. It took about 6 months to recover. I'm not saying that is this case, but just similar.

[FADE2BLACK_1973]

I agree with the others. Leave the main tank alone and do the WC's needed, maybe add a uv if your afraid that it is somekind of bacterial disease, add carbon in the filter or sump in case of a cowfish toxins leakin into the tank, sepperate the porcupine into a hospital tank and treat him there but not the cowfish. Cowfish needs not to be stressed.

[Nuclear_Glitter]

Do a Google search of "stressed boxfish release poison". Everything says they release the poison.

Why are you even risking it? Even if you're not completely sure that they do or don't, there's a possibility, so why even take the chance?

Even in Google scholar there is studies that show boxfish DO release poison. Even if he doesn't cause your puffer to go blind, he could KILL you puffer, which no meds will cure.

Anyway, as far as the medicine you're using, you need to make sure it has no copper in it, and it may or may not work. You can try it, but it's not going to replace the vitamins your puffer is lacking.

[J-P]

N.G +1 on the toxins.

copper is ok as long as there are no inverts in the tank and it is a pure hospital tank. Copper is typically used to treat IP's or external parasites. This puffer isn't showing signs of either. So the med may be safe. May, being the key word.....

[J-P]

He has gotten a hold of Kelly at Marine Depot.


She is much better at this than we are. We can only guess at the causes and remedies. She most likely knows.

[TheShield]

I can't move the cow into a separate tank, I haven't got any. The 3rd is occupied with corals, 4th with a small puffer. Not feeling like buying another one for the cow now. So far the cow looks far from stressed, I would say that from all the fish I ever seen this one shows the most careless attitude. Also, Lactoria Cornuta seems to be one with the lowest toxin of the boxfish family.

Had this cowfish with other 3 cows at some point, the rest used to fight each other, not this one. Perhaps worth mention that all of those 3 other cows died unexpectly sharing same scenario. While one day they were fine, the next day they couldn't swim and get stuck into the powerhead. That would affect only one at a time, the remaining were in perfect shape. I recall first two dying in about 3 days interval while the last after some weeks. They have been together only for 1 month or so. However, I have a friend who lost a cowfish in extaclty the same way, showing the same symphotms, and it was the only one in his aquartium. It seems they are prone to some internal parasites, I have never digg into it to find out more. Overall, I would say a difficult fish to keep.

Apart from Thomson published study in 1964 all I can read are hobbyist impressions. Just wondering if someone ever after such 'wipe-out' event got the water tested for the toxin and published the results. Reports are contradictory, however there is no case of poisionong ending in fish blindness, from all reports they either survived or died.


Back on topic, feeding a variety now, althought the puffer doesn't really like the new ones, eating mostly same old mussel. Found Selcon, adding it to each meal. Treating samll tank with Myxazin, started today, will last for the next 5 days.

Any feedback/advice is welcomed.

[Nuclear_Glitter]

Let us know how everything turns out. Let us know how the medicine works. Good luck! =]

[bertie 83]

This is gonna end in tears I assure you. The puffer will keep nipping, probably when you are not looking

[Nuclear_Glitter]

Any update? Any signs your puffer is doing better?

[TheShield]

Situation is same, from what I have gathered so far it seems the puffer went into a bad shape due poor nutrition (only shrimp and clam for a very long period of time). Apparently, with a better diet he may recover some of the eye sight.

Still waiting a couple of more replies, Steve the owner of a very good shop here in UK asked some guys at the Interzoo in Germany last week but it seems no one really knows about it. Tried to book one of the best UK vet clinic but after an initial phone call explaining the situation they have declined their competence.

Overall not really showing any progress, no one seems to have a clue about it.

[J-P]

I also had the Same Q on Marine Depot. I am surprised that Kelly hasn't chimed in

p.s.

that site you pointed to was a bogus site. Trust me on that one.

[TheShield]

Some updates...

Using Selcon and Vita-Chem, some improvement in the past week, still not seeing food into the water but now follows the stick and pick the food, follows the finger outside the aquarium, panics when cleaning the bottom of the tank because can distinguish the pipe, hidding under a rock when turning lights on.

Last days, another issue. With some of the eyesight recovered, he started to bite the live rock, circling around it like 'seeing' something he could eat and then hard biting at it that I can hear it breaks loud foots away of the aquarium. Any chance to damage his teeth now?

[Pufferpunk]

This is his normal way to do "self dentistry".

[TheShield]

This is his normal way to do "self dentistry".

I think this applies to those who can see what they are biting at.

Anyway he seems to have stop doing that.

[FADE2BLACK_1973]

This is his normal way to do "self dentistry".

+1