Green spotted puffer HELP

[hmmwvj]

First, thank you very much for helping out with my sick puffer. I greatly appreciate your help and will act promptly on any of your suggestions. In short, my puffer displayed some very distressing symptoms that have improved in isolation. I've provided a detailed description below.

1. My puffer
To the best of my knowledge Puffy is a green spotted puffer, but I wanted to make sure so here's a picture of the little guy. He's about 2 inches long now and I took him home in September (3 months ago). Diet is frozen blood worms and sometimes freeze dried shrimp.



2. Water parameters (via JBL test strips):
NO2: 0 mg/l
NO3: 0 mg/l
GH: >4°d
KH: 6°d
pH: 6.8-7.2
Cl2: 0 mg/l

3. Tank parameters
General: Freshwater (seeing Puffy is just two inches long), 150 liters, ADA Amazonia substrate, carpet plants that aren't growing very well, has an algae problem treated for the past month with Seachem Excel (liquid carbon) and liquid potassium, temperature 25° Celsius / 77°Fahrenheit, well lit 8 hours a day, has shaded hiding place for puffer, moderate water flow rate. Tank was established August and is fully cycled.
Inhabitants: Puffy, 11 neon tetras, 4 harlequin rasboras, ten Endlers guppies- all showing no symptoms.

4. Incident chronology:

2pm: All inhabitants displaying normal behavior. Did a 50% water change, as I have done several times before.

3pm: Found puffer stuck to filter intake. Moved him off with finger. Movements normal. Added new filter intake for a faster flow rate.

4pm: Found some drops of CO2 drop checker reagent leaked into tank. Removed remaining immediately. Leak may have occurred before puffer was found stuck to intake.

7pm: Observed puffer at surface, not moving much but in control of posture, not feeding. All other inhabitants normal.

7.10pm: Puffer vertical, head down, spinning and knocking head into substrate.

Moved puffer to isolation tank. 10 liters, 80% dechlorinated tap water 20% tank water, aerated, temperature 27° Celsius / 81°Fahrenheit.

7.20pm: Puffer in control of posture but knocking head into tank sides with some speed.

9pm: Back from store. Could not find Melafix in stock, Dosed JBL Ektol crystals to reduce stress and Ocean Free Yellow Powder in case of bacterial infection. Puffer displaying normal behavior, movements and posture.

2am: Puffer awake, displaying normal behavior, movements and posture.

3am (now): Puffer appears to be asleep, still exhibiting normal control of posture.

5. Questions

What do you think caused the symptoms described- exposure to drop checker reagent, bacterial infection or parasite infestation, swim bladder infection etc?

What course of action and/or medications would you recommend?

All responses greatly appreciated. Please help me.

[Pufferpunk]

Hi, So sorry this had to be your 1st post. It would help to be able to see your photo of him. You have to load it onto a storage site & then link it here. What are you using for testing? You should be showing some nitrate, if the tank is cycled properly (you didn't mention how it was cycled).

If indeed you have a GSP, then it belongs in brackish water: library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/

[hmmwvj]

Hi, thanks for your reply.

Here' are some pics of him. The pics are about a month old but this is what he looks like most of the time.
https://imgur.com/a/T8ILrwh
https://imgur.com/a/1dYDxL7

His belly is never distended or concave, seldom if ever grey. found him stuck to the filter intake yesterday. Right now he seems as normal as he can be in a small isolation tank. Movements and posture normal.

I will be changing the water in his usual tank again. Should I worry about anything and would you recommend any just in case medication?

About the brackish / salt water, I didn't know it would be required until he gets to about two years (got him 3 months ago and he's less than two inches now.) But thanks, I will be following your link's instructions closely. I could get a tank today but it will take weeks to have it cycled.

[Pufferpunk]

You can cycle it instantly by adding some of the filter media from your existing tank & then a bottle of Tetra Safestart to the filter. He actually looks quite healthy in those pics. Brackish water may do the trick for him.
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=19348

[hmmwvj]

Thank you!

I did an 80% water change on his old tank and put him back in. He started moving his fins rapidly, drifting with the current and turning his belly black. Moved him back into isolation where he's much calmer. None of his tank mates are displaying symptoms, but I'm starting to suspect a water quality issue, reasoning his eye issue and his having no scales that would make him more sensitive.

A small part of one eye looked cloudy and fuzzy today. I will have him on Melafix with aeration until it recovers. He isn't eating the frozen bloodworms.

He has a new 85 liter tank waiting for him that I'm soaking overnight. I doubt Safestart is available where I am. I suppose I could do with some used filter media, dechlorinator, ISTA nitrifying bacteria and JBL FilterStart? https://www.jbl.de/en/products/detail/2 ... ilterstart

Your link says a juvenile puffer should be kept with SG at least 1.005. This will take two weeks, rising by 0.002 per week. Will that be quick enough?

Thanks again!

[hmmwvj]

IMO the more worrying thing is him not having eaten anything for two days and counting. He's ignored the frozen bloodworms and freeze dried shrimp.

[Pufferpunk]

Your nitrifying bacteria could probably withstand 1.004 right away.

[hmmwvj]

I have moved him to an isolation tank with SG of 1.002 and am continuing Melafix for the cloudy eye he developed yesterday.

The video shows his current condition. He tends to move until he hits the glass, pectoral fin movement is rapid, twitches his body, and still has tendency to point his nose downwards. https://youtu.be/dxHsaZg1ysI

Here's another short video showing the nose down twirling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4BSwloDvbo

He also has not eaten anything for three days (refusing his usual frozen bloodworms and freeze dried shrimp.)

Would love to know your diagnosis of his condition and what I can do to help.

[hmmwvj]

Please let me know if these are symptoms of constipation so I can start the Epsom salt remedy ASAP.

[Pufferpunk]

Does it look like he possibly swallowed some air?
I would toss in some large PVC pipes for him to hang out in, I'm sure he doesn't like the bare tank.

[hmmwvj]

Does it look like he possibly swallowed some air?

What should I do if he has?

I doubt it, though. He was rather still and under control in the isolation bucket. Immediately in his new 85-liter he began with the nose down. Also, these symptoms showed three days ago.

Are Epsom salts something I can do, just in case? I am out of ideas. His not eating is worrying me.

[hmmwvj]

Ps he might have had a few baby guppies (parents bred a fresh batch a few days ago). Could anything be stuck inside him?

www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21988

[Pufferpunk]

Epsom salt couldn't hurt (1tbsp/5g).
library/hospital/help-my-puffer-is-air-filled/

[hmmwvj]

Six hours after I administered Epsom salts, he pooped! White stringy bits. I'm wondering if these are parasites and if I should give Metrodinazole tonight.

He is healthier now- explores the tank, no longer twitches or loses balance. But still bumps the glass and comes up for air very often even though it is well aerated.

There's been some improvement today. More balance and exploratory movement, less twitching and vertical drifting. But he's still bumping into the glass, breathing and moving pectoral fins faster than normal. Cloudy eye is recovering well with Melafix.

He even had his frozen bloodworms today- for the first time in four days!

[Pufferpunk]

If you treat for IP, they must be treated internally, so soak all his foods in it for 3-5 days of feedings.