Now one eye has cleared up and today the other appears to have what i can only describe as a scab looking thing covering the pupil....any ideas as poor Mr Puffer not looking very happy???
mbu..had previous probs,got bit better now scab on one eye??
Forum rules
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.
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.
mbu..had previous probs,got bit better now scab on one eye??
Oh dear....i had previously posted as my MBU had problems but they seemed to stabilise and i tried nearly everything to rid him of a greenish oil slick looking film over his eyes as it had appeared to make him blind as he was bashing into things.
Now one eye has cleared up and today the other appears to have what i can only describe as a scab looking thing covering the pupil....any ideas as poor Mr Puffer not looking very happy???

Now one eye has cleared up and today the other appears to have what i can only describe as a scab looking thing covering the pupil....any ideas as poor Mr Puffer not looking very happy???
Sadly the 'my boy' pic was before the eye got bad it is just the others that are more recent.
This morning before i came to work and before 'lights on' i noticed that his underbelly has gone kind of lumpy...like little raised lines under his skin and he has lost some yellowness under there (not to do with eating and not the line that is supposed to be there!). I am quite concerned now and still got 9 hrs left at work so wondered if anyone has any ideas on this either?
This morning before i came to work and before 'lights on' i noticed that his underbelly has gone kind of lumpy...like little raised lines under his skin and he has lost some yellowness under there (not to do with eating and not the line that is supposed to be there!). I am quite concerned now and still got 9 hrs left at work so wondered if anyone has any ideas on this either?
- manutius
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1316
- Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:49 pm
- My Puffers: RIP Clooney the Mbu :(
- Location: Southend essex, UK
- Contact:
The Mbu have little black dots on the underside that I think are where the skin folds are or possible the lateral line but that is a very under-educated guess. Do they look like these that are inflamed? 
If it is the lateral line it is part of the central nervous system and this if damaged usually by a bump or disease this will aftfect the fish the same way as brain damage so I have been told. When Clooney was ill this was a suggestion put forward by Matt Clarke of PFK who knew of a large catfish that had been injured on the lateral line and was for a better example exhibitibg stroke-like symptoms. That whole side was affected and the fish's motor skills were affected.
Don't take this as what has happened to your Mbu though, I would like to know what the other more "scientifically minded" people here think of my suggestion.
If it is the lateral line it is part of the central nervous system and this if damaged usually by a bump or disease this will aftfect the fish the same way as brain damage so I have been told. When Clooney was ill this was a suggestion put forward by Matt Clarke of PFK who knew of a large catfish that had been injured on the lateral line and was for a better example exhibitibg stroke-like symptoms. That whole side was affected and the fish's motor skills were affected.
Don't take this as what has happened to your Mbu though, I would like to know what the other more "scientifically minded" people here think of my suggestion.
-
Pandora114
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 397
- Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 1:28 pm
- My Puffers: C. travancoricus RIP both of you little guys. Tank will be a F8 after GSP goes full marine
T. nigroviridis Named Pepsi - Location: Comox Valley, BC, Canada
- Contact:
I would have no problem paying out for a vet...but no idea how to go about looking for one in my local area that actually know about mbu's or any puffer fish. My LFS (there are a few) including Maidenhead Aquatics who are a national Aquatic shop dont seem to know what they are talking about regarding puffers other than the standard general knowledge i.e dont put certain ones together - i was quite shocked
at how little F.Shops know about them. The sad thing is rather than say sorry we arent very experienced in puffers they jus trundle along giving you middle of the road advice which is pointless
. Any idea where i can find a decent Vet in/near Swindon (distance not a worry - xcept for Mr Puffer as have car)? 