The Puffer Forum

Can you get API general cure? It's an antiparasitic for external parasites, but it contains metrodizole and praziquantel. Normally, it does nothing for IPs added to the water, so I recently tried an experiment with a very sick GSP at my job, and he has been gaining weight. This was only tried once, but it did seem to work. Mix up a half gallon of fresh water, and add enough of the general cure for 20 gallons, which is two packets of the new powdered stuff or two pills old school. Your fish must be in brackish for this to work, so if he's not, acclimate him over several hours to about SG 1.005-1.008, in a quarantine of course, so as not to affect the biofilter in your main tank. Then, add your fish to the half gallon of fresh water with the 20 gallons of treatment, no acclimation. This isn't pleasant for him, but as a result, his gills will absorb FW and he will even drink some in an attempt to acclimate himself quickly to this new conditions. With such a massive overdose of the meds in the water, this seems to get enough medicine into the puffer to kill the parasites. You should only leave him in for about 20-25 minutes, then return him to his tank. Do this once a day for 5 days. This is a HARSH treatment, but, the one time I have tried it, seems to have worked, in the store, no other meds were available, and the alternative was certain death. Try this at your own risk, I only mention this because you seem to be getting into desperate straits. I place some live food in the medicine vat(live blackworms) as if the puffer DOES it, which my store puffer did, even more medicine will be taken in.

Day #3

I soaked his food for an hour like I was told to do and he doesn't want to eat. That's his fourth day with out food. I tried.

Thanks for your help

pufferpunk I know that but hes NOT EATING OK

Try soaking the food in garlic extract to mask the taste of the meds.

Maybe he'll just get hungry enough and eat it. Maybe you can try a splice: soak some of the worms in the meds, and leave some unmedicated. Toss him a couple un-medicated ones, then mix them together and feed him. Maybe you'll trick him into eating a couple (which, at this point, having any of the meds ingested would be beneficial). *Shrug*

If the meds aren't cutting it, try the pumpkin seed recipe that's posted in our Internal Parasites article. It doesn't have the same taste as the meds, so the puffers aren't hesitant to eat it! Just remember to use a timer when you're reducing the pumpkin seed recipe over low heat. I forgot about it for a few hours and came back to it being burnt to the bottom...