The Puffer Forum

A few days ago I got a South American puffer, along with a Green Spotted, that wasn't wanted by this man. I happily took them because I had 2 SAP's and thought they would enjoy having another of their kind with them. So I put him in the tank, and all has been well ... until tonight.
Earlier I was sitting there watching the puffers and I noticed that he had what looked like one or two white spots on his tail fin. Now I've had 2 cases of whitespot (ich) in the past 3 months with my SAP's, so I started looking at the other fish. I can see no evidence of whitespot on any of the other puffers. But this newest SAP swims with his tail fin clasped alot and that doesn't seem natural to me. I watched all the other puffers and they all opened their tail fin when going through the current of my filter, but not this new SAP, his tail fin remained clasped.

So my question is -- is this just an early indication of whitespot (ich), or is this possibly something else?

If it is whitespot then naturally I want to get on it as soon as possible, if it's something else, then I would still like to know what it is and if it's dangerous to my puffers?
I would appreciate any and all help. I have been keeping fish for 30+ years, but I have only had puffers for about a year now. So I admit that I don't know all that I wish I did about them, but I want to learn and am open to anything anyone has to say.

Thank you,
Suz

Can you answer the Hospital questions? (I assume you're familiar with them.) That would probably help.

Sorry, I totally forgot about posting my question in the hospital forum ....
Had alot going on tonight.

Well nitrite and ammonia are at 0
Tank has been up and running for more than 9 months
Haven't added anything other than this new puffer to the tank
It's a 120-liter tank and has Dwarf puffers, 2 other SAP's and 4 Figure 8 puffers (and yes I know that some people keep them in brackish - please let's not get into that argument, TY).

There's really nothing that has changed about the tank, other than having recently acquired that new puffer. None of my other puffers seem bothered or different. But definitely something going on with the newest SAP.

Way to over stocked.
Try Melafix and try to get a bigger tank

Well, as it happens, I am cycling a bigger tank now, but that doesn't negate the fact that my puffer has something wrong with it.

Besides, that isn't telling me what is wrong with my puffer. I don't believe it's fin-rot, the fin itself doesn't look damaged.

SAPs stress easily & are prone to getting ich when moved.

Moving to correct forum.

Thank you Pufferpunk, at least that makes sense to me.

schismy007 wrote:Figure 8 puffers (and yes I know that some people keep them in brackish - please let's not get into that argument, TY)

I saw a UK website recently selling F8 as a freshwater puffer saying that it comes from the Freshwaters of Southeast Asia
http://www.directtropicals.co.uk/index. ... cts_id=482

That's always been my argument too, but some people get rather nasty about the fact that F8's should be kept in brackish water. I have my F8's in freshwater and they seem fine, however, my GSP's do much better in brackish water. So it's not that I don't have a brackish tank, it's just that I think they do better in fresh. I just don't care to argue about it.
Thank you for pointing that out though, I agree totally with it.

As PP said it's probaly stressed. I would keep an eye on it and make sure it's not getting picked on also. When Elvis was being picked on he kept his tail clamped all the time.

Thanks edmlfc1, but when your Elvis clamped his fin, did he also have whitespot (ich) ? Or was it just being stressed?

He caught whitespot shortly after. I can't say for sure if it was from the stress or the new rock that I didn't qt before adding to the tank. More than likely a little of both.

Doesn't really matter where F8s come from, it has been proven over & over that they live longer & are healthier in low-end BW. We had a mentor here who did a decade-long study on them. Kept one for 18 years!

When my GSP had clamped tail, I did a big water change and moved all their decor around. I think it helped stop the other feeling like it had an established territory, and of course, the water change is only going to be a good thing.

Sponge bob wrote:Way to over stocked.
Try Melafix and try to get a bigger tank

I don't think that a bigger tank is the solution. I think that *multiple* tanks is the solution. These fish weren't meant to live together.

schismy007, what are your nitrates? I don't think you mentioned those. That might be affecting him.