The Puffer Forum

I think my puffer has some sort of bacterial infection, there are clusters of little raised bumps on his skin which i originally thought was ich but they (the bumps) are individually smaller and have been around a while and i have not noticed any change in my puffers behaviour over the last few weeks. The bumps are about a millimetre, (maybe smaller) in diameter and there is a cluster of them on both sides of the fish. At night, when my puffer sleeps and turns dark, i have also noticed a redness in his gills. Not too red but enough that i noticed it.

The water parameters are good and i have been doing two 15% water changes every week to make sure the water is clean. I'd like to know how bacterial infections are treated and what to use because i know that puffers are sensetive to most medications used in treating regular fish.

I had thought about giving it some zithromax. Lol.

Puffer spines? Can you get a good closeup?

Pufferpunk wrote:Puffer spines? Can you get a good closeup?

No, not spines. I can't get my digital camera to work but i took a closer look and they are more widespread around his upper body than i had previously thought. There are some by his gills and towards the rear fin as well.

Are they white? Why do you say, not ich?

Pufferpunk wrote:Are they white? Why do you say, not ich?

Not ich, only the tips of the bumps are slightly whitish... I haven't observed a change in behaviour or appetite in the past few weeks. The bumps have been around for two weeks.

Hmmm... have you tried adding Melafix, for starters?

I thought it was medications like that which were not so good for gsp's because they have no scales or something...

Melafix is a totally natural mixture of tea tree oil.

too much may hurt them though (or so I hear) and some don't like the taste either (can't blame them) just follow the directions... maybe even a tad less. good luck

The bottle says you can double the dose for advanced/chronic infections, so I don't think the recommended dosage will harm your fish.

Our experience and research pn Melafix agrees with what Pufferpunk and Jase said.

Here is a link to an article by Veterinarian Doc Johnson describing the safety and efficacy of Melafix. This is a very safe and proven effective treatment, though the mechanism for its action is not as an anti-bactericidal agent. Fish occasionally find the addition of Melafix to the water very annoying, at least at first.

http://www.koivet.com/html/articles/art ... edications

As with most medications, it should be used as labeled. More isn't better. Overdose is known to burn fin tips on Koi for example.

If it contains tea tree oil, can't i just add tea tree oil directly in my tank? I have some lying around somewhere....

There's more to it than that & how could you possibly figure out the dosage?

I believe it's treated in some way to make it more water soluble, and is an exactly regulated amount.