Re: Some sort of round bump on F8!! =[
Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 6:02 am
I had a Figure 8 with nematodes a while back (actually got it from a member here who needed to rehome him). For what its worth, the lumps were just lumps, no discoloration of the skin like you are seeing here. Sometimes they would move around a bit, but most of the time they were dormant and just looked like a bump under the skin.
Eventually the puffer did get skinner and skinner and die, but many of his nematodes were around the chin/throat area and I'm thinking he just couldn't swallow food anymore, in his "old age" his body wasn't fighting them off as well. But he did live a pretty long life I believe, I had him several years and I believe the guy who had him before me did as well.
If it is nematodes, or you are worried that it may be, be VERY careful with sharing equipment between this tank and any others and don't deworm him.. if you deworm him and it kills the nematodes they'll rot under his skin and kill him too.
It doesn't look like nematodes to me, especially since you say they've gone away now.. are there any other puffers in the tank? A bite from another puffer can look kind of like that, but its hard to tell from the pictures.
I'd keep that water quality up and a close eye out for it happening again, or any odd behaviors that might indicate an external parasite like flashing or twitching or trouble breathing.
Eventually the puffer did get skinner and skinner and die, but many of his nematodes were around the chin/throat area and I'm thinking he just couldn't swallow food anymore, in his "old age" his body wasn't fighting them off as well. But he did live a pretty long life I believe, I had him several years and I believe the guy who had him before me did as well.
If it is nematodes, or you are worried that it may be, be VERY careful with sharing equipment between this tank and any others and don't deworm him.. if you deworm him and it kills the nematodes they'll rot under his skin and kill him too.
It doesn't look like nematodes to me, especially since you say they've gone away now.. are there any other puffers in the tank? A bite from another puffer can look kind of like that, but its hard to tell from the pictures.
I'd keep that water quality up and a close eye out for it happening again, or any odd behaviors that might indicate an external parasite like flashing or twitching or trouble breathing.