The Puffer Forum

I woke up this morning and my male irrubesco wa acting really odd, not eating and had a big white mark round his mouth! I was so worried that i bought a nursery net cube that clips onto the side of the tank and then treated the water with myxazin (for bacterial infections) as i thought it was ich. But now his nose has turned a black colour and he has puffed up!! He managed to deflate himself but still looks like he isnt moving much and on his side?!!! Iam so worried, please help, do you think its ich?

Doesn't sound like Ich. Can you answer the Q's listed above and get a pic? I'm thinking injury or infection from what you describe.

It is too late now, he did not make it, Iam quite upset he was one of my favs. I did everything i could His mate Mimi has been looking for him aswell, such a shame.

Did Mimi maybe have a spat with him? Sorry about the loss...

I'm curious, was the white bit fuzzy at all, could it have been fungus? My Baileyi got fungus on him some weeks back.
I have to say, I have alot of irrubesco and I've never had any issues with any of them, or any of my redeye puffers for that matter.

Could he have eaten something funky?

I am very sorry for your loss, I know how it feels to lose one of your puffers, especially a favourite.

It's always a bad idea to treat your main tank with an antibiotic. You may have ruined your biological filtration. Do a large WC & add fresh carbon to the filter. Sorry for your loss...

To answer all questions
1. Mimi is the submissive one and iv never seen her go for him once so i dont think it was that?
2. It was'nt fuzzy just smooth and white then in a couple of hours it had turned black!
3. Maybe he did eat sumthing funny? but there was nothing funny in the tank?
I have now done a large water change and everyone seems fine.

Thanks for all your nice comments.