The Puffer Forum

125 gallon, PH 6.8, amm 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, heavily planted.
Tank mates: about 20 guppies born in the tank. 1 fahaka puffer (Annabelle)
Feed: mussels, clams, shrimp and crab from fresh seafood department. Freeze then defrost in vitamins before feeding.
Water Changes: Weekly 30-50%.
Added to the tank: seachem root tabs in substrate about every 3 months.
No new tank mates.
Treatments: Treated with prazipro for 5 days when I first got her a few months ago. Then treated her again with gel-tek about a month ago.
Change in the last few months: Moved from a 29 gallon to the 125 gallon. Changed the substrate, went throug a mini cycle a little over a week (I think). Treated with prime and did daily water changes during the mini cycle. The day I started the move I forgot to put prime in the tank and lost the original guppies that I had for about 8 months. The fry that were still in the 29 g with Annabelle were the only guppies that surived the move.

Annabelle had a cloudy eye last sunday. I treated the tank with melfix and pimafix for 6 days. On the 5th day her eye was totally clear of all cloudiness. On the 7th day (yesterday) I did a 50% water change. I have been trying to feed her and she has refused to eat. I originally thought she had a lumpy tummy because she had eaten some of the guppies. I don't believe this to be true now. The guppies are swimming right in front of her and she is totally ignoring them. Since yesterday she had been haning at the top of the tank. I got a good look at her anus last night and noticed it was wide open, not closed like normal. I put epsom salt in her tank thinking it was constipation. This morning I got up and noticed that she has ich spots and something white hanging from her anus which I believe is IP's. Her lumpy tummy is now changing shape. This also makes me think it's IP's. I have started raising her temp to 86 degress and I have added aquarium salt to her tank. Per instructions on treating fw ich in the library.

My question: Should I dip her in prazipro or can I treat the whole tank with prazipro and do the ich treatment at the same time?
The last picture shows a good shot of her gill, I don't see any sign of ich on the gill.

That belly's really weird... Are you sure she hasn't been biting at the plants? Has she eaten shinc she was moved? Haven't you had her a while now? Unusual for a FW puffer that has been treated for IPs with no new additions to the tank, to develop them again. I'm not sure that's ich either. Start raising the temp & add the correct amount of salt for that though.

There are pieces of plant floating at the top of the tank. I'm not sure if she done it. I have started to raise them temp and I put 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of aquarium salt in her tank. Would it hurt her to treat the tank for ip's while doing the temp and salt treatment for ich?
She has not eaten in at least 6 days. When I started treating her with melafix and pimafix she stopped eating. I've had her for a few months now.

Start with 1 tbsp/10g for FW fish & then double that the next day. If you've already added the salt, don't worry about it.

Filbert is always tearing into my plastic plants & there are pieces floating all over the place. Go ahead & try the Prazi in the water, it can't hurt. Have you tried live foods? Filbert went on a 3-week feeding strike when i moved him & earthworms were the 1st food he touched.

I haven't tried live foods yet. I can pick up some earthworms today and she if she will eat them. Is there anything I need to do other than rinse them off? I'm a little scared to feed live foods.

All I've ever done is rinse them. If you have a syringe, you can inject them with IP meds.

No syringe.
I added the prazipro to the tank per directions (One (1) fl. oz. per 120 gallons). Right after adding the prazipro she quickly swam to the top like she couldn't breath. I hooked up 2 bubble wands and dropped them in. Now she's on the bottom of the tank breathing heavy. I've been raising her temp since 6:30 am. It's now at 84.

Here is 1/2 a tank shot. You can see her between the logs on the bottom.

Temp is now up to 85.

And here's a funny story for you. I went to academy to get some worms. I didn't really know any place to get a sryinge other than a dope dealer on a street corner so I stopped by a pharamcy on the way home. I went in and asked the pharamist where I could buy 1 syringe. I got this really dirty look then I was asked what size. I have no clue what size they come in so I said I just need one small enough to shoot up a worm. Then I got a dirtier look. After the look I thought maybe I should explain myself. So I told her it was to shoot up a worm for a sick fish. She gave out a huff, I'm guessing she didn't believe me. But she got one for me anyway. I asked how much and told her thank you and that I know it sounds crazy but I appericate it. Then I left. I turned on my street to come home and there was cop in the middle of the street. As I passed him he did a u-turn. My first thought: How am I going to explain the syringe if I'm stopped? At least I have the worms with me maybe he will belive me! He must had gotten a call, he zoomed past me and kept going. I gave out a sign of relief and pulled into my drive. Glad to be home! I'll probally never go back to that pharmacy. Mostly because I know they will be thinking: There's that crazy lady that tried to make me believe she wanted a syringe for a sick fish!

Now I'm going to try to get Annabelle to eat a worm first. If she goes for it I'll give her another later tonight with prazipro.

No luck. Not only did she not eat it. She didn't even move.
I even stuck part of it in her mouth and she just laid there. She didn't even try
to swim away.

What is it?

Is this going to kill her?

I don't know what it was but I turned her over and pulled it out. GROSS!!!!! I used tweesers. And OMG it was long! I would say at least 7-8 inches.
I'm going to go vomit now!

Tapeworm.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/top ... h-tapeworm

If you're able to catch it before it's blacked out.

Larva picked up by shellfish/crustatians, then eaten by fish...

Oh WOW! If it really was a tapeworm, I hope you've solved by problem by pulling it out. Poor Annabelle, I hope she feels better and start eating again asap.