The Puffer Forum

My sharpnose puffer began looking unusually puffed up in the abdomen region about two weeks ago. About 3 days ago he started looking like generalized edema, swollen everywhere, but as if fluid has entered the tissues, not as if it is inflated like a balloon. Help!

1) Salinity-1.03

2) 75gallons. All other fish are normal. Juvenile French Angelfish, Juvenile Blue Surgeonfish, Juvenile Parrotfish, Juvenile Rosy Blennie.

3) in the morning algae, at night shrimp. once a month water change.

4) 3 weeks ago we put in new live rock and did a thorough algae debridement.

5)More than 5 years? I don't remember.

Here are pictures of the puffer:



This is what sharpnose usually look like:

Why is the SG so high? Try reducing it to 1.025. Add epsom salt at 1 tbsp/5g. Is he pooping?

Pufferpunk wrote:Why is the SG so high? Try reducing it to 1.025. Add epsom salt at 1 tbsp/5g. Is he pooping?

I actually rounded up the salinity number didn't think it would matter. (sorry!) just measured it again the exact number is 1.027

no he is not pooping, at least haven't seen him recently

Still no reason to be that high. Even with high-end corals, I never kept it higher than 1.026 & yes, it does matter that you don't round up

Can you QT him & treat with the epsom salt? Otherwise, you'll be adding a lot to the 75g.

Pufferpunk wrote:Still no reason to be that high. Even with high-end corals, I never kept it higher than 1.026 & yes, it does matter that you don't round up

Can you QT him & treat with the epsom salt? Otherwise, you'll be adding a lot to the 75g.

oh ok! thanks

I tried quaranteening him and adding salt, but unfortunately I think I waited too long to treat it. poor little puff died yesterday night. ;_;

thank you for the help! glad this forum is here to help out all the sick pufferfish.