New to Puffers - Advice?

[alandralee]

I acquired 2 puffers labeled as "freshwater" from the local Petco a little over a month ago. Having talked to the woman at the store (who was thankfully knowledgeable in keeping puffers), I immediately began switching their 29 gallon aquarium over to brackish. I suspect that what I have are Green Spotted Puffers, given their popularity in the fish trade. They appear happy and (relatively) healthy, eagerly eating the frozen foods I give them and always swimming over when I approach the tank.

Okay, the "relatively" healthy part. After a few weeks, I noticed a bump on the side of one of the puffers. It continued to grow, until it was impossible to ignore. I had initially thought it was a wound, but that was obviously not the case. I did some research, and I concluded it was a fish louse. Yuck! I treated with external parasite medication, but it appeared unaffected. Tonight I decided to (carefully) remove it with a pair of tweezers. I did so, and the GSP looks okay other than a small wound on its side. The nasty fish louse was still alive, but has now been disposed of.

Has anyone else ever had a problem with fish lice? Information is difficult to find on the web. I'm now concerned about reinfection by fish lice if there are any larvae swimming around my tank. I'm also concerned about infection of this wound. Has anyone used Melafix with puffers? I can't see it being a problem, but I thought I'd ask.

Now that I'm dealing with external parasites, I'm thinking I might need to hit internal parasites before they become an issue. Any medication recommendations?

Any other thoughts/ideas/suggestions? I'm having difficulty finding consistent information on the web. I had my library special order a book on brackish aquarium keeping, but it has yet to arrive. The whole brackish aquarium thing was a bit impulsive. From what I've read, I'll eventually need a larger aquarium, but for now these two have this 29 gallon aquarium to themselves. I suspect adding tankmates would be ill advised.

[LilGreenPuffer]

I can't help you on the fish lice thing - someone else will come along soon. But here's some reading for you on the puffers and brackish water:
library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19348
library/category/feeding/

[Pufferpunk]

Yes, please do use Melafix on that wound. What med did you get for the louse treatment?

[alandralee]

Parasite Clear Tank Buddies from Jungle Laboratories
http://www.junglelabs.com/pages/details.asp?item=TB635
I wasn't sold on it, but it appeared to be one of the better options at the pet store (and at least it specifically mentioned fish lice).

I was also a bit leery of anything containing formalin or malachite green.

[pufferpuggirl]

Hi, I'd just like to say that you seem very well informed and I think it's excellent that you were able to extract that louse from your puffer! It's nice to come upon someone that's actually done their homework and on the right path with their puffer. Your puff is lucky to have you. Good job!

**PS -- the Parasite Clear is what I've used on my puffers with internal parasites, and I think it's one of the better products available.

[alandralee]

Oh, good. I'm glad to hear that medication is okay. I'll continue treatment.

The puffer looks good today, and the sore spot is less visible. I would never even notice it if I wasn't looking for it.

Gosh darn these guys are cute! I've only had them a little more than a month, and I'm convinced they've already grown. Is this just my imagination?

Do GSPs typically get along with each other? I've found conflicting information on this. I bought two, because that was how many they had at the pet store when I went to buy them. They seem to do okay right now, with the occasional chasing around the tank, but their fins don't look nipped at all.

[LilGreenPuffer]

I wouldn't use Parasite Clear to treat anything external unless someone with more expertise recommends it. In general, external treatments can be quite dangerous to puffers, even fatal. When we use Parasite Clear for internal parasites, we soak their food in a concentrated solution of medicine and water.

Puffers are individuals when it comes to tankmates. As a general rule, GSPs are pretty 50-50 on this issue. Some are fine with each other; some won't tolerate each other at all. As long as they aren't hurting each other, they should be fine; however, as they get older, they may become more aggressive and territorial.

[Mrs.Puff]

I may not have much expertise (as you say lilgreenpuffer) but I, too have also used Parasite Clear before many times and I found it to be pretty good. Now, I havn't used it on puffers but I've used it on a lot of other fish that are just as sensitive as them. Obviously every medication does have to be used with caution, but when used properly, it works exceptionally well.