The Puffer Forum

So, after a quick look at my little guy under a strong light, I've seen some parasites on him. Coupled with his flicking and flashing, and cloudy eyes, I'd like to treat it ASAP.

The tank is 20 gallons.
He is an SAP Colomesus asellus.
He has cloudy eyes (being treated with melafix currently, today was the first day of dosing) and is flicking and flashing occasionally. His cloudy eyes means he is unable to eat, and he currently cannot eat snails. He can however see foods that drop behind him, as only the front of the eye is clouded.
In the tank I recently noticed some tiny little skipping bugs like minute beetles with antennae, and some white worms that move like (but are much smaller than) bloodworms.

I feed frozen bloodworm, and he is currently also accepting high protein fish pellets.

I live in the UK, so, I'm looking to get the most appropriate medication for him. As he if a puffer, anything copper based is obviously out, so what is recommended?

Many thanks in advance. I've read the pinned topic but don't know what medication would apply over here.

Oh, I forgot to add, PH is 7.5 and the params are -

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 10ppm

Do you see white spots on him (ich)? Read the sticky on Treating Puffers w/Ich, at the top of this forum.

Pufferpunk wrote:Do you see white spots on him (ich)? Read the sticky on Treating Puffers w/Ich, at the top of this forum.

It's not Ich. The small bugs on him are barely visible to the naked eye.

What do they look like?

Are you sure that the "bugs" aren't actually his spines? Are the bugs moving around?

Pufferpunk wrote:What do they look like?

They're only visible under a strong lamp on the blackest parts of his skin. They're small and almost worm like. Like tiny tiny blood worm that crawl very slowly across.

They're difficult to make out. They're too small to be anchor worms.


While typically I wouldn't use meds, is Sterazin applicable in this situation? Would it also kill the bugs at the bottom of the tank that irritate me? I know it contains Malachite Green, is that ok?

Im beginning to see a little reddening in his pectoral fins now, only under close inspection with bright light. Anyone?

Keep up with the Melafix.

Am I not going to be better off using something a bit stronger than an anti bacterial in this case?

If you are to use anything stronger, I recommend it in a QT, as it will destroy your biological filtration. that's why I recommend the natural remedies 1st. Pimafix is an option too.

Eyes seem to be worse this morning, he's bumping into everything as though he's pretty much blind.

Im still dosing with melafix.

I would also get your water tested again at a different place than before just to be sure of your water parameters.

onebadpuffer wrote:I would also get your water tested again at a different place than before just to be sure of your water parameters.

I'm testing at home with an API master kit less than 6 months old. I test the other tanks also and it gives the readings I would expect.

He seems to have pretty much made a full recovery. Eyes are bit cloudy, but otherwise, he's back to his normal self. Thanks for all the advice given.