The Puffer Forum

Hello.

I have a 20 gallon tank and about 1 month ago the tank finished the cycle. I added 2 figure 8 puffers I had been waiting for from the store since they were in the same tank together and got along.

Everything was fine until about 2 weeks ago I noticed a parasite on one of the puffers. Than the ICH came, so both puffers had ich, and one of the puffers had a worm parasite of some sort.
(Thankfully now the ich seems to be subsiding)

Here are some of the pictures I took the of the puffer with the parasite:

Right side of puffer:




Left side of puffer:




These pictures are from a few weeks ago when I first noticed the parasite... I also noticed a few days ago that the parasite on one side of the puffers body has literally moved.. I didn't see the parasite in actual motion, but the worm like, spiral looking lump on the puffer is no longer in the same spot as it was a few days ago. The parasite seems to be making its way from the tail fin of the puffer toward the puffers mid-body.

I read a thread on a different forum about someone with a similar problem and the people responding to it said to use PraziPro which I purchased and have dosed already. Other than that, Im using Garlic Extreme with the food to strengthen the immune system of the fish

any other ideas to help the puffer recover?

Thanks so much...

Wow, great shot of a nematode! Best you can do is keep him separate from other fish & keep him happy.

nematode?

Will it go away?

Thanks

Nope, unless you want to try surgery, it will remain under it's skin. Not much else you can do. It is possible for them to live quite a few years with nematodes.

PP, what do you think about anaesthetising him to make a tiny nick & getting that thing out? I think I might be inclined to have a try. If he has one though, are there likely to be others?

I'm interested to know too as that's what I'd be inclined to do too. You'd have to make sure the water was beyond pristine after it though.

It has been done & there has been success. Puffers with open wounds heal quite well, actually. Yes, there could be more.