The Puffer Forum

My puffer in QT has these discolorations (see image.) Is this some sort of disease? Has anyone seen this before? He's got a healthy appetite and I've have him in there for about 6 weeks. I'm really worried.

First, please answer the questions above the post in red.
And also, how long have you seen the white spotting? (I'm assuming this is the discoloration you are speaking of)

Sorry your puffer is having this issue, but it's good he is in quarantine.

That is velvet. Quick acting external parasite.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/gene ... pagesid=83

Wow, you think Marine Velvet? He's had this for awhile (weeks) and I'd think he'd be dead by now or on death's door.

There his stay at hotel qt tank, he's been active and not exibiting any of the velevet symptoms. I flashed a light at night indirectly at the puffer and didn't see anything abnormal on the fishe's skin surface... just the micro-bumps of the puffers skin.

Could it be a bacterial infection?

If it is definately velvet, I want to try and knock it out. Upon research, the only sure-fire was is copper of some sort, but as you know the application can be problematic with scaleless fish like puffers.

Let me know your thoughts.

I read your post re: your Burrfish and Panda Puffer and velvet. If I treat with Seachem Cupramine would I just use the normal dosage... or would i tone it down because they are scaleless?

Well, I started Seachem Cupramine treatment yesterday. He seems very healthy, but I think the cost of in-action far outweighs the cost of action. I was (still a little am) nervous about treating w/ copper; but I'm being cautious and testing (with Seachem Copper kit.)

Right now I did the initial dose of Cupramine based on the bottle's instructions. I plan on doing a 15 gallon (50 percent) water change before the next dose; any recommendations? With the 50% water change the 2nd dose will have to be more than the bottle recommends to account for the dilution... any advice on calculation?

Thanks in advance Kelly.

Barry

Bump - Anyone?

none of the questions in red listed at the top of this forum have been addressed.

I would love to be more help, but marine diseases are not my specialty, and I'm not familiar with treating puffers with a copper based product. I've always read that they cannot tolerate it.
And I know this is a quarantine tank, but the questions above the post in red are important none-the-less, if you could answer them that would be super.
Someone with more experience in this area should be able to help you soon.

Thanks All - I was able to reach Puffer Queen on the Marine Deport board. Looks to be normal puffer skin pigmentation.

That's good to hear. It's hard to tell with the golden color morph of this species since it has so many color variations, from full yellow, to yellow with some black and white spotting, to yellow with very little black with white spotting. I'm glad that has turned out to be the case.

Glad to hear. i'm on a dive vacation with very little access to internet.