Hole in the cheek of my fahaka

[Ti_CLaD]

Hello,

PH: 7.5-8
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10
10-20% water change every week and a half

My fahaka lives on his own for 4 years now in a 100gallon tank, I think it was stunted from the beginning because it was 2inches when I bought it and now it's only 5 inches, fed everyday to his appetite... seems happy anyways so I didn't panic over it.

Last few months or so it would stop eating fish or shrimp, unless very hungry, but would eat snails no problem. I usually feed him river trout (that were frozen for at least 2 weeks before serving) or shrimps (uncooked and also frozen before). So I decided to find him other kind of food to try to get him interested in other things than snails. I found some other fishes to try, a few days later I noticed he had a hole in his cheek, I'm guessing either a burn from tank heater or most likely to me, the fish I started giving him had bigger fish bones, so I think he must of poked himself...

Did some research on this forum and also on google, seems frequent that they hurt themselves by eating hard shelled stuff and since I was still eating, I figured he's going to heal. I still added 1 tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons to try and help him heal. A few weeks have passed and a few water changes later, the hole seems to be getting bigger, now I see the back of his bottom tooth, and this week he is staying on the bottom of the tank mostly, once in a while he can be seen swimming but seems easily scared off and the worst part... he's not eating no more... he seemed to want to once in a while, bites it than releases it and goes off in the bottom, I'm thinking it's hurting to the point he rather not eat at all, even snails are now living with him, that would never happen...

So this week I added salt again (same quantity) but wondering what else I can do to help?

I'm from Quebec, I have hard access to medication here, they passed a law not to sell fish medication in pet stores, because they figure people over do it I guess, so I'd have to go see a vet for "prescribed medication", but in my region, I don't have one that would see a fish... anyways wouldn't know where to start finding a fish vet... I have a few medications I already had before they did that, so maybe I have the right stuff, I just don't want to do a mixture that could get things worst.

I know if he don't eat, he will weaken and probably won't survive this, I need to at least try to save him please.

Thank you,

[Pufferpunk]

If it is an infection, I would add Kanaplex & Melafix, if you can get them. In CAN, many of these meds can be used on humans, although not for human consumption, so I guess they just nixed the sale of fish antibiotics altogether.

[Ti_CLaD]

Since I don't know if it's an infection or not, do I still treat the tank anyways in case?

Also, I think I can get those by amazon, but it will take at least 48hres, I have these products by seachem at home, can one of these be a good alternative?:

Paraguard
Polyguard
Metroplex
Focus

If not I will order and hopefully receive it but I doubt amazon would block the shipment.

What can I do for the feeding? I tried snails, he won't go for it anymore. I tried dipping in garlic but no results neither...

Thank you,

[Pufferpunk]

Try live earthworms. I'm not great with meds, sorry.

[Pufferpunk]

Try our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/232090576878942

[Ti_CLaD]

Well... sadly he didn't survive the treatment... hopefully I didn't kill him doing the treatment...

After receiving the melafix yesterday, I did a 15% water change, then the treatment of mealfix like stated on the bottle 5ml for every 38L, the fish was alright then, tonight I did another treatment like the bottle says, the puffer was laying quietly on the bottom like he's been doing lately, about half an hour later he just started swimming weirdly and fast, like unstable from left to right tilt, started bumping in a lot of stuff, them going upwards, barrel roll once or twice as he sunk to the bottom, lay on it's side on the sand and act like a fish out of water (like kicking on it's side a few seconds) did that 2-3 times and then nothing no more... Didn't like seeing it like that so I left the room but he never came back, 2 hours later and still not breathing so it passed... Really made it look like a heart attack because it lasted less that 5 minutes and it was all done... I'm scared I caused it with the melafix but I did what was written on the bottle. He has been wounded for a month or so and stopped eating a little more than a week now, so maybe I acted too late to save him, maybe it was just going to happen anyways... I'll never know I guess.

Thank you for your help, I always had great advises and help on this forum! I'm no longer a pufferfish owner now, maybe I'll get back into it, we'll see, I'll let the tank empty for a while, to decide what to do and make sure the tank is clean/safe with no more medication before I put something new in it.

RIP Mushi

[Pufferpunk]

Melafix wouldn't do that. It's pretty harmless- an antiseptic.