The Puffer Forum

Hello, I've got a 2.5 inch hairy puffer in a 30 gallon tank that I've had for about a month. Before I got the fish I had a goldfish with 2 marimo balls and two stocks of bamboo already established. I moved the goldfish but left the plants before I got Mildred(the puffer). She's been feeding on frozen shrimp since the day I got her, although a few days ago I fed her a small fidler crab that she let sit in the tank for a few days before she finally ate it. Also about a week ago I got a box net and some feeder snails to breed in the same tank. Mildred hasn't touched the two I've put in the tank with her though.

Anyways, she's got a white mossy spot on her forehead between her eyes which I suspect to be ich. The more concerning thing is there are visible parasites on this mossy patch one larger one and two of the same kind but smaller. They're dark almost circular and you can see them move around once in a while. I tried to tweeze one off but she's not having any of it. She's still eating fine and acting normal for the most part. I also bought some mardel (maracyn-oxy) which suggests using a hospital tank, however I don't have a second tank. I was wondering if this is the right treatment and if there is anyway around using a hospital tank like soaking her food in it since she is still eating?

Oh I almost forgot
Ph 8.2
amm .15 It's been zero every other time I've measured it although that's $about twice weekly.
trites 0
trats 3.0
I also did two water changes today.
Thanks for any help and if I left out any essential information let me know, although I don't think I'll be able to check these forums tonight.

Thanks again!
Nick Andres

edit
Also I only have a cell phone camera so you cant make the parasites out really, I'll try and borrow one and get a pic up tomorrow

Oh goodness, that's no good. I'm not very experienced with external parasites, but I know the basics, and I have no idea what she might have on her! Ich doesn't move and looks like grains of salt, not like moss.. white and mossy sounds more like a fungal or bacterial infection more than anything else.

Are you absoutely sure the "parasites" on her face are not just the "hairs" that these puffers grow? Just young and short? I haven't kept this species so I'm not sure if they wiggle them around or not. It doesn't sound like a common external parasite, but goldfish carry a lot more things than your average tropical, especially flukes, so it might be some thing carried over from the goldies. Do a google search on "gill flukes" and "anchorworms" and see if either of those are something like what you are looking at.

Right now, keep her water clean to keep her immune system boosted, with the water changes like you are doing.

If you are positive the things on her face are a parasite, my guess at what to do would be a saltwater dip/bath.. you'll have to do a little reading on how to do that properly. The reasoning is parasites can not survive the changes from one water type to another, but the fish can.

Medications and puffers often do not mix very well at all (they are scaleless and absorb things quickly), so we generally try to go with more natural methods first. The medication you bought is an antifungal, and I do think you need to use it to treat the water. The reason for using a hospital tank is it may kill your biological filter, and this particular stuff tends to dye your silicone blue.

Even if you don't have a tank, it may be possible for you to just use a small rubbermaid tub or a bucket, something disposable.. I *think* you can choose to medicate either as a stronger bath for a short time or a diluted treatment for longer times.. but I'm not entirely sure this is a good medication to use with a puffer.

I would wait until someone more experienced with medicating puffers comes on though, and right now keep that water as clean as you can.

If you can get a picture, that would help a lot. Good luck!!

The white mossy patch isn't ich. Ich looks like grains of salt. This is probably a fungus. To treat, do a big water change and keep the ammonia at zero, even if it means 100% water changes daily, and add Melafix and Pimafix. If you don't have any, get some! They're very handy and quite mild.

As for the parasites, someone else will have to ID them. I imagine that SW dips will help, but don't take my word on that.

Edit - whoops, Myaj posted while I was typing!

Edit again - taking the snails out and putting them into another container would probably help get that ammonia down. Snails can be extremely messy.

I removed the snails and did another water change, I also found the hermit crab in my filter and it scared the hell out of me O.o I put him in the net for now since I guess my puffer doesn't want to eat him. I did more research into parasites and I'm thinking it might be fish lice or a similar looking parasite. Also the medication I bought says use 2.5 ml/10 gal "for not more than 5 days" =/. I don't know about this product or if someone can recommend one that's fast acting so I can do it in a temporary container. Also I'll read into the salt bath and could do that tomorrow unless someone has a better Idea as to what to do.

Thank you so much Myaj and LilGreenPuffer

any more suggestions are more than welcome.

Hermit crab? Aren't those SW? Try the Melafix/Pimafi/clean water 1st. You can also add as much as 1 tbsp salt/5g to the tank (start with 1/10g & then double that the next day, for FW fish), to help sooth/strengthen the skin. Garlic is also a good immune system booster.

Pufferpunk wrote:Hermit crab? Aren't those SW? Try the Melafix/Pimafi/clean water 1st. You can also add as much as 1 tbsp salt/5g to the tank (start with 1/10g & then double that the next day, for FW fish), to help sooth/strengthen the skin. Garlic is also a good immune system booster.

I meant fiddler crab and Mildred actually ate it today! I went out and got melafix/pimafix/salt and added them all. I was just curious as to weather I should use regular garlic crushed finely or garlic oil and how much?

Thanks for the help

Dice it up, soak in water overnight & squish it thru a coffee filter, to make garlic juice.