Figure Eight with sacs

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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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Karen
Puffer Fry
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Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 7:54 pm

Figure Eight with sacs

Post by Karen »

I purchased two figure eights last Saturday (four days ago). They didn't appear to have any marks at the fish store that we saw, but by the time we got home I had noticed a small abrasion on one - it kind of looked like a bit of a pimple. I thought it might be from the netting at the store at first.

The state of the reddish, raised area didn't change until yesterday (Tuesday) when we woke up to find a cluster of clear, fluid(?)-filled sacs hanging from the red area. The raised pimply looking part was gone and replaced by these.

This is the best photo I could get of "her" last night. You can see the sacs in the mid-belly region.

Image

This morning most of the sacs had burst, leaving behind one. By this evening, a new batch started to grow. This is a photo from about 20 minutes ago (it was the best I could get from the wrong side).

Image

Parameters are good - salinity 1.007, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10, pH 8.2.

She is in 31 US Gallons with one other figure-eight and a black molly. The tank is planted and has been running (starting with a fishless cycle, then the addition of the molly), since May 14, 2006 with almost zero fluctuation in parameters (except for a gradual increase in salinity). She is eating and very inquisitive.

Has anyone run into this before or know what it could be? Thank you for your help in advance.
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puffergeek
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Post by puffergeek »

Do you have a quarantine tank available... I'm not sure what that is (either infection or parasites... I'll let someone with more experience try to identify what it is) but a QT/hospital tank may be necessary for treatment.
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Pufferpunk
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Post by Pufferpunk »

Should have been in QT before adding to the main tank.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Karen
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Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 7:54 pm

Post by Karen »

I'm ashamed to admit that I do not have a QT. I live in a small apartment and as a result... space is at a premium.

I'm kicking myself for this though. I suppose it's past the time to find the space in this case? Even if I seeded a new QT with media from either of my other tanks it would likely be too unstable?
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Pufferpunk
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Posts: 32979
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Gender: Female
My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Greenville, SC
Contact:

Post by Pufferpunk »

You can instant cycle with Bio-Spira. There is an article on QT/Hospital tanks in our Library.

I'd be concerned that it might be contagious.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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