The Puffer Forum

Arny wrote:Hey rtr, if fw puffers can absorb ammonia, nitrites etc through their scales skin why can they not absorb meds in the water? Thx

RTR said they don't drink water & the meds need to treat the IPs in the stomach & intestinal tract.

Ammonia burns the gills does it not? I'm certain that's how it kills fish

Pufferpunk is correct. Fish absorb only water (H20/HOH) through their skin and passively via the gill membranes. The gills also have highly specialized cells/channels for active transport of certain ions. Those are the ions which they use internally to keep their own blood/lymph/etc. in balance. Some of those specialized transport techniques are one-way, others can transport in either direction. BUT those highly specialozed channels/techniques are all, repeat all, highly specific. That means they transport only ions which are major factors in the fish's internal biology.(sodium, potassium,etc). More exotic and larger ions (most meds and all protien-containing molecules - which are huge in relation to the simple mineral ions subject to active gill transport).

Ammonia and nitrite are definitely excluded. Those are always and eternally toxic. Ammonia also is directly damaging to the gill membranes. Fish which have ben exposed to dangeraous levels in their youth may -if they survive the initial exposure - later produce some new gill membranes to help the problem of permanently damaged membrane. However, the repaired membrane will never have the capacity it had before the ammonia or nitrite damage. Think about it. That means that the gills will never have the reserve they borm with, so will always be at higher risk. This in non-trival and very important.

HTH

RTR wrote:Pufferpunk is correct. Fish absorb only water (H20/HOH) through their skin and passively via the gill membranes. The gills also have highly specialized cells/channels for active transport of certain ions. Those are the ions which they use internally to keep their own blood/lymph/etc. in balance. Some of those specialized transport techniques are one-way, others can transport in either direction. BUT those highly specialozed channels/techniques are all, repeat all, highly specific. That means they transport only ions which are major factors in the fish's internal biology.(sodium, potassium,etc). More exotic and larger ions (most meds and all protien-containing molecules - which are huge in relation to the simple mineral ions subject to active gill transport).

Ammonia and nitrite are definitely excluded. Those are always and eternally toxic. Ammonia also is directly damaging to the gill membranes. Fish which have ben exposed to dangeraous levels in their youth may -if they survive the initial exposure - later produce some new gill membranes to help the problem of permanently damaged membrane. However, the repaired membrane will never have the capacity it had before the ammonia or nitrite damage. Think about it. That means that the gills will never have the reserve they borm with, so will always be at higher risk. This in non-trival and very important.

HTH

Thx for the info rtr