clamped fin...hovering near surface

[Dadof4]

I know it looks fuzzy like cotton in that picture but the only protrusion is the black dot in the center. The rest is flush with his skin.

He did eat some frozen blood worms tonight. I'd say he's slightly better than yesterday but still not right.

He twitches every now and then and sometimes he looks like he's coughing.

he is a cute little guy... I really really hope he gets better. did you notice his heart shaped spot?

I don't think the issues you are having are stemming from the black spot, it may be contributing but not the main cause. From the pictures I think you are correct in thinking that it may be bacterial but I don't know what it is. Have you treated for IP's on this guy? The reason I ask is that his belly looks fairly misshapen and the symptoms you describe make me think that he may have them. This can be causing the stress, robbing nutrition, and generally not letting him heal.

[SammyDee]

+1 dadof4 I was just gonna say that it looks like something more phyical going on inside him. Have you tried addind any Melafix to the tank that might help the surface of his skin but Id still treat for internal Parasites his belly is really lumpy looking in all the pics. Mine only are lumpy for like 20min after eating. Then it smooths out as it digests. Id QT him and treat for IP's and use melafix.

[mookie loves you]

I have not treated him for anything...how do I treat for IPs? I'm new to all of this.

His belly is a lot less lumpy than when I got him, but he was really skinny when I got him and it would get really lumpy right after he ate. He's been getting rounder since I've had him and there are no white strings in his waste...but it won't hurt to treat him for them, will it?

I don't have a quarentine tank but he lives alone. Is it ok to treat him in the tank he's in? Any advice on how to treat him (with the melafix too) is greatly appreciated. I'm going to try to read up on it tonight. Thanks for your help.

[Pufferpunk]

Sounds like he doesn't have IPs.

[mookie loves you]

I'll try to post some more pictures so we can figure out if he has IPs

I will get melafix tonight and try to start treating him. Now I am currently adding aquarium salt. I think I should get the freshwater melafix and do I need to do anything with my filter? I plan to read all the instructions once I get the melafix but please confirm that I should get the freshwater kind...

[mookie loves you]

ok, so some other forums that I was reading through confused me. I only found one melafix at the petstore which says it's ok for fresh or saltwater.

I took the carbon out of my filter as it instructed me to do so. I imagine this means the bacteria lives in the sponge part? I'm worried that taking out my carbon means I'm taking out my bacteria too.

I used 2/3rds the recommened dose after a 70% water change. The bottle says to give another dose each day for seven days and then do a 25% water change. So that means I just keep adding the stuff? won't it get too concentrated in there? I appreciate any suggestions.

Mookie was doing worse after the water change and addition of the melafix. he had grey along his sides and was hiding a lot. He's also been sleeping a lot with his tail curled but not sitting on the bottom. He's been floating around. But this evening he woke up and was very animated. He gobbled up some frozen blood worms and seems to be doing a little better although the grey on his sides came back soon after he finished eating. Anny suggestions on the dosage I'm using? Could the melafix be causing him more stress or did he just need to get used to it?

I'm actually wondering if he's not feeling well from a puffer bite that he's had since I've had him. He lives alone now, but there's a good sized greyish ring on his belly that doesn't get rounded out when he eats. Maybe something was damaged internally that he's struggling with. Is this possible?

Sorry for all my questions and if I seem paranoid. I want to make sure I'm doing all I can.

After the water change, levels are
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0 (was 10 before the water change)
Ammonia - 0
PH - 7.8

[Pufferpunk]

It might help to use marine salt (measured with a hydrometer). Aquarium salt doesn't make brackish water.

[SammyDee]

I think that if the tank is cycled well then yes, you should start adding the "Marine Salt" as PP said. instead of Aquarium Salt. Its doesn't raise the salty-ness of the water like real "Instant Ocean Marine Salt"( it also contain some beneficial goodies too). And I am sorry I shoulda said Use half the dosage of the Mela-fix recommends but treat twice as long. That what I did for My sick puffs once. Id only use Aquarium salt if I had and Ick outbreak and don't want to use Liquid medicines that may be bad for Bacteria and Invertebrates. Also can you show a pic before eating and then one of him full and then one after say a n hour after he/she ate?

[SammyDee]

After review the photo again Is it hole in the head disease? IDK never seen it before but heard of it? Or..... possibly I have heard of puffers biting out each others eyes in dispute. Maybe he/she was gettin ballsy with another puff while shipped or in the store. It kinda looks like a Matrix Dodge and she got bit above the eye leaving the long scar from top and bottom beak of other puffer.

[mookie loves you]

I will take some pictures tonight, right before feeding, right after and an hour later.

SammyDee, the spot in his head is from Nitrite poisoning, my tank wasn't cycled when I first got him and the Nitrite burned his skin (we think). The Nitrite is under control but the spot isn't going away, it's turning whitish.

After the daily water changes, my tank is finally cycled but has only been cycled about one week. I want it to stabilize for at least two before I start switching to brackish. Also, should I wait until he's healthy before I go to brackish or will that help him get healthy? I have a hydrometer and instant ocean and can start now if recommended.

And with the half dose twice as long on the melafix...that's two weeks of adding half a dose daily without taking any water out, right?

Thanks for the help.

[Pufferpunk]

You can always do WC (& should when necessary) when medicating. Just add the meds after the WC.

[mookie loves you]

thanks pp for the clarification

He seems to be sleepy most of the time unless I'm by his tank. Then he wakes up and is searching and begging for food. He still isn't using one of his fins and is typically hovering at the top, although sometimes on the bottom and sometimes floating around with the current, tail curled. The melafix seems to be having a negative affect on him. Should I keep using it? maybe in smaller doses? Because I add it everday, I imagine it wears off over the course of a day? It's almost feeding time, I will post pictures of his belly this evening.

[mookie loves you]

I'm not able to take pictures of mookie's tummy before and after eating because he's stopped eating : (

I've tried every kind of food I can. He nibbles at some raw shrimp and even less at the earthworms. He's getting skinny and the black lines on his belly don't go away. He spends most of the time sleeping.

The spot on his head is starting to sink into his body. I don't know what to do. I am using melafix and am thinking it might be fungus on his wound so might sart also using pimafix. Please help me... It is so awful seeing him suffer like this. : (

nitrite - 0
nitrate - 10
ammonia - 0
ph - 7.8

[Nick]

Metronizdazole is effective against protozoan wasting diseases and some internal/external bacterial infections. It's highly soluble in water, though it does need to be redosed every day along with a 50% water change, and has particularly good gill absorbtion for fish that won't eat. I'd consider using this instead of the pima/melafix at this point. There is a type of local protozoan infection which coats the mouth and throat, so the fish is hungry but is badly hurt when it tries to eat. Metronidazole will take care of this local infection, if that is the trouble, used just in the water.

[mookie loves you]

Thank you so much Nick. I will look into this. I think I need to try something more drastic than the metafix/pimafix.

Today he is showing clear signs of IPs. His poo has been normal until today, white pearl-like encasings, and his stomach is starting to look pitted. I ordered some jungle tabs. I hope I will be able to get him to eat.

The theory about his mouth hurting him makes sense because he does act hungry but doesn't seem able to eat. Although each day he seems less and less hungry.

I will try to get some metronidazole today. Can I buy it in a store or do I have to get it online? I also saw that you recommend wormer plus for deworming in another post. Do you recommenend it for my case and where can I find it?