The Puffer Forum

Hello everyone I’m hoping someone will be able to help me on how to treat the sore eye on puffer, hopefully you can see the problem through the algae line:
51247A1D-1050-48FA-AA6F-B11F783248A8 by Sack Back & Crack, on Flickr

Parameters:
Sg1.002 at 25 degC
PH 7.8
Am 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 40

200 litre tank with 1 F8 and 4 Bumblebee Gobies

No changes since the BBG’s were added last year

He/she’s been acting a little strange for a couple of weeks now and i’d put it down to age - 11 years old - but he spends a lot of time on the base of the tank until food goes in and then he’s really excited and careers around the tank and careering is the right word because he only notices a fraction of what’s put in and mostly he crashes into the glass, plants and wood. It is possible that he’s had the injury for the whole couple of weeks but I would have thought that I’d have noticed it sooner because I check on him daily.

40 nitrate is too high. What is your WC schedule? Are you stirring the substrate? SG should be closer to 1.005. All of this will put stress on his older immune system but they can live close to 20 years.

Nitrate can be up to 50 out of the tap. Water changes are around 50% a fortnight usually, weekly sometimes.

I don’t physically stir the substrate because it’s planted but i wave over it to stir detritus into the water column, the MTS will be turning the substrate over sufficiently to avoid hydrogen sulphide.

Definitely 50% WC weekly.

I do it as often as time allows, the tank holds 3x more volume than the minimum recommended for the puffer and the plants help so I don’t feel too guilty.

I just wondered if anyone could advise any treatment to aid healing.