GSP turning white! Please help!

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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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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messy_da_legend
Figure 8 Puffer
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Post by messy_da_legend »

Best pic I could get. The other side is worse:
Image
Tom

1 x M. baileyi
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messy_da_legend
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 223
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 4:53 pm
My Puffers: M. baileyi called Esau
Location: Ipswich UK

Post by messy_da_legend »

Just a thought, can I soak his food in melafix so he gets it inside him quicker or does it only work dissolved in the water?
Tom

1 x M. baileyi
lisalisa

Post by lisalisa »

Melafix is a treatment for the outside of his body.
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messy_da_legend
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 223
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 4:53 pm
My Puffers: M. baileyi called Esau
Location: Ipswich UK

Post by messy_da_legend »

He is still with us this morning, and I have just added his second dose of melafix. He is eating bloodworm and he has a little round belly which is good. His tail looks no worse than yesterday, although there looks to be little bits of skin hanging off. His swimming is Ok but he doesnt really have full use of his tail, but is coping with the current fine. :|
Tom

1 x M. baileyi
perek
Green Spotted Puffer
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Post by perek »

Looks like a fungal infection, should have got Pimafix.
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messy_da_legend
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 223
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 4:53 pm
My Puffers: M. baileyi called Esau
Location: Ipswich UK

Post by messy_da_legend »

Slightly better picture:

Image
Tom

1 x M. baileyi
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messy_da_legend
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 223
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 4:53 pm
My Puffers: M. baileyi called Esau
Location: Ipswich UK

Post by messy_da_legend »

I have also been dosing Interpet No.8 which treats fungus and fin rot, and also melafix says it treats "mouth fungus". Is that a similar illness to general fungus?
Is Interpet's medication strong enough? (if it is fungus he has)
Tom

1 x M. baileyi
perek
Green Spotted Puffer
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Post by perek »

Yikes that looks nasty. Only other thing I can think of is a strong fungecide.

Whats the SG of this tank?

You could try a 3% salt bath.
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messy_da_legend
Figure 8 Puffer
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Post by messy_da_legend »

It's at 1.012. Whats a 3% salt bath?
3% of the 1.012?
Tom

1 x M. baileyi
perek
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Post by perek »

30 PPT
30/1000 = .03 = 3%

I think thats basically sea water 1.020 if i remember correctly.
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messy_da_legend
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Post by messy_da_legend »

So I make a 1.020 mix and put the puffer in?
Did I understand that right? How long for?
Tom

1 x M. baileyi
perek
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Post by perek »

See I am not used to doing this with brackish fish, I did it with my EBJD to clear a parsite infestation. Salt can kill just about any micro organism.

Try 1.022 for 30 mins. If that doesnt work try it for an hour.

Monitor the fish closely, when doing this with freshwater fish you basically do it to they turn on their side, I doubt the puffer could die from such a small salinity though.
Jager

Post by Jager »

what you should do is get an antibiotic and treat with that. there is no point in SW dippign a fish that has fungus issues, that works for parasites.

also was this a wound ? if it is the white turning is normal while the puffer builds another skin layer over itself.

i would give it antibiotics in the water, and keep the water as clean as possible.
lisalisa

Post by lisalisa »

Make sure you keep an eye on your water params while treating with the ab's. They should help your lil' guy.
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messy_da_legend
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 223
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 4:53 pm
My Puffers: M. baileyi called Esau
Location: Ipswich UK

Post by messy_da_legend »

I hadn't noticed an injury of any kind before the white stuff, but when he gets fed mussels he attacks it quite viciously and may have scraped himself but I cant be sure. Next time I'm at the lfs I'll look into some antibiotics but I have to rely on parents for transport and they're not quite as enthusiastic about it! :roll:

Should I be doing water changes while adding meds to the water or would I be just removing the meds needlessly?
Tom

1 x M. baileyi
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