The Puffer Forum

Ph -6.8ish
Ammonia and nitrite 0
Nitrate<10(and I dose with kno3 for plants)
20g long
1 pea puffer, 5 neon tetra, albino bn pleco
I've had the puffer about a year, her diet consists of mts and bladder snails, frozen blood worms, frozen brine shrimp, and mosquito larvae in the summer. I introduced the neons from my display tank into this tank and about 1 week later she started acting strange, not actively hunting. Soon she stopped eating but still seemed bloated, even for a puffer. About a week has passed and I have not seen her eat.
I have treated with furan 2 and kananyacin thinking columnaris, and levamisole thinking worms. Currently wiuth paragaurd but I hate to keep shotgunning her with meds. Any ideas.

Have you tried removing the neons? Maybe she doesn't like the company/food competition.

I have not. She has spent her entire life with company. Her original tank mates included 4 endler males. Left overs from another tank. They had all passed on and I decided to move some neons.
I guess I could try that but I don't see it solving the injury/infection/fungus/ or whatever it is that is going on. If she were just hiding and not getting food I would consider it as a solution, but since she does not hide, and often chills in the center of the tank, in wide open sight, I do not think that is the cause and or solution to the current issue.
Thank you though.

Maybe she is just not eating whilst you are watching? If there are no signs of disease I would not be too concerned

The picture shows a clear lesion, or fluffy patch near her head. I have removed her to a qt. I don't have much hope at this point. Her swim bladder is going. in her main tank the current from the filter was flipping her around too much.

Not sure how I missed the white spot in the pic, I may have been looking at the belly or who knows. It looks fungal to me.

Hmm. I have been treating with paragaurd the last few days which should take care of anything fungal. If she makes it through the night I guess I can try a different method of treatment.