The Puffer Forum

For some of you that didn't see my thread... I got a Porky puffer on Sunday( 4 days ago ).

3 days ago my Kole Tang died. The next day (2 days ago) my trigger started to show some sort of ICH-like dots and I can see he has flukes on his eyes. My puffer also started showing signs of Velvet, I see dusting all over his body.

So I went to the LFS yesterday and got PraziPro and ICH-X since they can be used together. I dosed the right amount and everything was looking real well... I literally saw the fluke fall out of the trigger's eyes in 1hr after dosing PraziPro. I went to bed happy.

Today When I woke up in the morning my puffer has cloudy eyes... just want to know if that's because of the medication or what? I have a pic of him below. I took him out of the tank and put him in a QT tank treated with MELAFIX. Day 4 since I've had him and he still hasn't eaten.

I learned my lesson... Im gonna QT every fish that I'm getting now. This is a PITA.

Good news is that my LionFish, Snowflake Eel, and Arc Eye Hawkfish are healthy just swimming around.

It is possible that the med burned/irritated the puffer's eye. It's also possible this is a result of the parasite attacking it's eye. See the article in our Library about treating SW "Ich".

Pufferpunk wrote:It is possible that the med burned/irritated the puffer's eye. It's also possible this is a result of the parasite attacking it's eye. See the article in our Library about treating SW "Ich".

So what should I do? Should I stop dosing Ich-x and PraziPro and do a WC and only dose Melafix?

According to Puffer Queen, Melafix isn't the best thing to use for SW fish. Sorry I don't know more about them. I'd PM her a link to this thread, so she answers here for all of us to learn.

Oh dear. I did the same thing, and lost my valentini and all my clowns from introducing a new one without quarentining..

My lion survived treatment, but that was it.


It's going to be a long road back, so be prepared to be patient with it...



Do you have corals? Live rock? or inverts?

If not then hypo the whole tank for 6 weeks.....

If you do, then you'll have to pull all the fish out and set up a quarentine tank.


Good luck.

Melafix will probablly work to a certain degree, but not anywhere near as good as it does for FW, and not enough to totally help your puffer.
I think it's more like PP second idea (that the parasite attacked the fishes eye)

crazedpuffer wrote:Melafix will probablly work to a certain degree, but not anywhere near as good as it does for FW, and not enough to totally help your puffer.
I think it's more like PP second idea (that the parasite attacked the fishes eye)

In that case then, what if I increase the dose?

I'd try to find a new medicine I'm not sure how well increasing the dose will do, and you'd probablly have to add vitamins and stuff too. Pufferqueen could give you more information on that stuff.

Ok a little update:

I did a 50% WC on the QT tank.

The puffer's body seems to have less "dusting", but the eyes are getting worst.... It's almost completely white as if someone pour white out on his lense.... I know he can still see cuz when i turned on the flashlight he started swimming away from the light.

Has PQ been pm'd?

I've had similar problems, but nothing like that with my old porc. Try an antifungal med of some kind.

StormySkiez wrote:Has PQ been pm'd?

nope, not yet

PM her, you'll get the best info that way.

Sorry but my ability to get on line has been affected by a VERY sick cat that requires around the clock iv fluids, iv meds as well as force feeding very two hours.

First - Never add medications to a tank with porous materials - substrate, rock, etc.....these will absorb and leech the medications.

Fungal infections are VERY rare - almost unheard of in saltwater fish per Dr Ed Noga (Fish Diseases).

Dusting is usually velvet which is ONLY treated with copper. Hypo will not work. All fish in this tank need to be treated regardless if there are visible signs or not....the most common site of infestation/infection is the gills.

Why did the tang die - external parasites???

I would immediately start Cupramine in a bare bottom tank. Before introduction to a QT tank, I would perform a 15 - 30 minute freshwater bath with methylene blue (well aerate). I would watch the eyes and if after 48 hours in copper if no improvement or if the eye worsens, consider performing antibiotic baths.

Remove and treat all fish. Leave the display tank free from fish for at least 6 weeks. Do not add anything to the tank during this period.
Best of luck.

Poor kitty--I hope he gets better.