The Puffer Forum

Im thinking that if it is bacterial and its not getting better then maybe the current med isnt working against it and it requires a different type of antibiotic. The only other thing i can think of is if its fungal? Im just trying to think of any possibilty because it sounds like he is doing really badley. Im sorry this isnt becomeing a quick cure and move on thing but do you have a qurentine tank you can try some more direct meds with? I know its not good to just throw meds at fish but it looks like its comeing down to haveing to do more agressive braod treatments. I hope someone comes along with some more exact treatment advice comes along soon to help out.

I don't have a quarantine tank set up. I don't know what other meds there are besides Melafix and Pimafix.

Awwwww.... I feel so horrible and so helpless. I wish there was something I could do for you Pufferluv09, I really feel badly. I hate leaving someone hanging without giving them the help they need and want. I feel as though we're letting you down. Please know that I would help you if I knew how. I just don't know what could be wrong with your guy and I can't think of anything that would help at this point.

I know this may not seem like much, but I will pray for you and your little Pocky tonight, promise. I just hope that he's better when we hear from you next time.

Thank you pufferpuggirl, that means a lot to me. I'm sad to say he didn't make it though. RIP Pocky... </3

Pufferluv09 wrote:His body has been dark since Tuesday, but the acting blind is just since this morning.

I am sorry for your loss... that really is terrible.

Acting blind (as I have read) is a symptom of nitrite poisoning. Your parameters were good when you posted but could they have slid before that? I know some people only test once the fish show symptoms

I was testing the water about once a week, so I don't think so. I hope I wasn't the cause of his illness.

Pufferluv09 wrote:Urgent update!!
This morning Pocky is acting very ill. He has been bumping into everything, acting very disoriented and hazy, and I'm sure he is blind. His eyes don't move at all, and doesn't react to anything right in front of his face. Also, the entire "green" part of his body is all dark brown, and it's been that way since I started the Melafix on Tuesday. I just did a big water change and put the activated carbon back in the filter. Also, I put him in a breeder box in his tank so he doesn't hurt himself by getting stuck to the filter or bumping into the rocks and things more.

If you had active carbon in there it would have taken out any meds that you may have added. That is Carbon's job

I am surprised no one pointed that out earlier .. Grrr

Sorry he didnt make it i know what its like and its not pleasant at all.

The carbon by my understanding was put in on purpose to take out the meds because they made him worse.

ok missed that. It was a few posts after the initial post.

I used paramed with my loach which is also scaleless and very sensitive. It worked to a point, but as PP predicted it trashed my bio filter and the thing ended up dying anyway.

Hard medicine it best in a QT tank which I understand Pufferluv doesn't have

Sad situation.

I know there is controversy over the Melafix /Pimafix solutions vs hard meds.

My personal experience (which is limited) is that they are similar to over the counter medications. They do the job with mild conditions.
If the condition worsens you need stronger medication (the prescription type for us).

When your doctor tells you to stay home he is QT'ing you. The same with the fish.. need a QT to add stronger meds.

don't know if that opinion is valid but moving forward that is how I'll work.

JP- I agree if the milder meds arnt working then its time for some stronger stuff. If the fish looks like he is whithering away anyway it cant hurt anymore then doing nothing will. Even if you dont have a Qteen tank then you can substatute one with a plastic bin of some sort. This is not bashing the OP by any means so please dont take it that way.

He just went downhill so fast. He was swimming around alright yesterday. I don't know what meds I could have given him if I did have a QT tank, since I don't have much experience with fish meds and didn't know what was causing him to be sick.

When my dojo got fin rot I treated with a broad spectrum product... it did IPs, fungus and bacterial infections. It was called Paramed by Seachem.

2 problems arose:
1) My QT tank already had QT'd fish in it and my display tank had more than 1 sick fish, so I treated the display tank.

2) That is a potent med!!! no joking.. the fish got better but it trashed my bio filter and 1 of the 2 sick fish ended up dying anyway. The second is still recovering but at least the infection is gone.

If the infection is identified as 1 of 3 you can treat it :bacterial, fungal or parasites. You have to know which one it is. A broad spectrum med like Paramed may be too much.

In your case, even if you caught it a couple days ago, it still might have been too late. The first signs of stress you have to let ppl know, and the Melafix/ Pimafix is most effective then. Once it goes deep tissue... well then you know the outcome.

Prevention is the best

Dont take it to hart you did your best and honostly I would be looking for help with chooseing stronger meds myself. I have yet to come across a need for them (knock on wood) so I dont have any experiance with them. We were just talking hypotheticaly. And this just adds to your experiance and knowledge and the good thing about this forum is alot of other people learn from others hardships aswell. So its a lesson learned to all of us. Hopefully you will not have to go through this anytime soon and if you do then you have a better understanding at how fast it can go downhill and hopefully do something else in time to save him. I had found some more aggresive meds online but hadnt ever used them so i couldnt give any suggestions.

Thanks for all the input. It is really hard, but I know it's a learning experience. I'm just kinda heart broken.