The Puffer Forum

Regular reader, but first post, so here goes...

PH- 8.1
AM - 0
Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
Cal - 520
dKh - 11
Mag 1400
Salinity - 1.025
Temp - 79 F

210 gallon 1.5 year old setup transferred from long time 90 gal bow front (Only a mini cycle 1.5 years ago after transfer)

Mix of SPS, LPS, and inverts with 5 tangs, 2 clowns, 1 black Hawaiian trigger, and porcupine puffer

I regularly feed mysis, bloodworms, nori, and kale to the omnivores and silversides, shrimp, squid, mussels, and pellets to the porky and trigger

All other inhabitants are thriving and trouble free - Please see pics below...

Porky seems to have developed this blister on the left side of his mouth last week. This was followed by the open sore you see below the right eye. The open sore and blister seemed to get larger over past 7 days, until last night when i noticed the blistered area near the mouth had torn open. He seems to be acting normal and is not bothered or bullied by any other tank mates. I was advised by a fellow reefer to try a 2 minute freshwater dip last night, which i did after matching salinity and temperature. (He followed my hand right into a tupperware container) With nothing else to go on, the wounds appear to first appear as swelling or blisters, prior to tearing open. Now, both sites appear to be sloughing off this rotting skin, for lack of a better term, and the wounds look deep. What do you guys think? Whats my next best course of action? Thanks for reading - please advise.

Links to pics -
https://www.dropbox.com/s/k851txgx26g67 ... 8.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/c3db0n4cdzkdu ... 6.jpg?dl=0

I'm sorry, I don't have the app to open a drop box on my phone. Porky puffs are often attacked by a flesh eating disease. Do a search here for Vibro.

Thanks again for the reply. Did a search and from the few pics I was able to view, it doesn't appear to look like vibrio. The freshwater dips every 24 hours or so seem to be causing inflammation to go down and dead skin to fall away. Blistered areas are now completely open, white, and the depth of a pencil tip. He hides most of the day in his cave, but seems otherwise normal. Unfortunately, he hasn't taken food in 3 days, but starvation still isn't a huge worry for this big fatty. Unless directed otherwise, I suppose I'll stay with the daily 2 minute FWD, continually offer food, and hope for recovery? Ill definitely keep you posted and upload more pics with any significant changes.

That is a burr-fish not a porcupine puffer. Not as familiar with skin diseases but the same treatment should apply

OK, back home on my computer now, so I can see the photos. Yes, a burrfish. It doesn't look the same as Vibro to me. Do you have it in QT? If you do, then you can treat more aggressively with antibiotics. I do agree to treat as you would vibro. IMO, unless it's an obvious parasitic problem, FW dips are doing nothing more than stressing the fish further.