The Puffer Forum

Also, did a water change when I got home from work, the look better but now the puffer has what looks like a slime on him. I don't know what to do for him.

Please help!!!

In light of good water parameters - Excessive sliming could be related to:
1. Reaction to chemicals/medications
2.Excess stress
3. Also have to consider external parasites other than ich - brooklynella, velvet.....
neither of these will respond to hyposalinity.

Brooklynella = formalin baths
Velvet = copper.

I did see this fish. Being yellow, it was actually difficult at 1st to notice the fish was entirely covered in white spots. I'm not very familiar with SW puffers, especially with "skin" like this species has.

Got home today, I think we lost the wrasse and the puffer is on the bottom of the tank very heavy breathing. Went to two stores to get the meds and no one had them, they had Jungle Anti-parasite food - it looks like little pellets. Should I try this???

Please let me know! Thanks

Sounds like heavy infestation/stress - at this point freshwater bath with methylene blue may be your only hope in immediate improvement of oxygenation.

Increase aeration as much as possible and keep the tank dark.

That food is for internal parasites like tapeworms...

Formulin available in a medicine you see everywhere called "quick cure." Coppersafe is a copper med available very widely.

Okay, I can do a fresh water bath - how long?

30 min.

Ideal is 30 minutes - well aerated but if they get worse (loss ability to right self, increased stress, thrashing/jumping, etc....) stop bath.

Methylene blue will help with oxygenation and can remove some parasites.

This is kind of off subject, but if the fish doesn't eat food soaking medicine, and dosing the tank isn't very effective, is it possible to use a small pipette and put it in their mouth or would that be far too concentrated?

okay, starting water bath - keeping water temp at 78 so it is the same as his tank - I also bought a small tank that I can start up so I can medicate him better. Do you recommend this? Right now he is in a 120 by him self.

I have no problem doing what ever it takes to make him better. Just let me know.

Thanks!

Are you using RO water? If you do use a QT, you'll have to do huge daily WC, to keep the toxins down. Then you can treat w/copper, after getting instructions from PQ on that. Sorry about the wrasse. Wasn't there another fish in there too?

You should leave the main tank fallow then, so the parasite will die in there.

Yes, we use RODI water. So I know it is not the water quality.

I know he is sick, Mike and I are just hoping for the best here.

The purple fish died - Yes I know it sounds bad but I am so glad that the little hamster did, he was very mean.

The tank I have is a 10 gal. I can do daily changes that not a problem. 50% or less or more let me know.

You'll have to test the water for ammonia/nitrites & do water changes accordingly. May be necessary to do up to 90% 2x/day in a tank that size. too bad it isn't a 20 or 30g. At least you have plenty of SW around there!