The Puffer Forum

I was at a LFS yesterday just as the happened to get in a new shipment of fish from their wholesaler. Among these fish was a puffer they had labeled as 'Meakong Puffer', I have never kept a puffer before but knew enough that it should be 'Mekong' and that it was probably an arrowead puffer.

I ran off the different common names and scientific name of the arrowhead puffer put neither the shop or wholesaler had any other name but 'meakong puffer'.

Anyway, this puffer arrived in very poor health, both its eyes were clouded and all his fins were severely nipped, his left one was now only a bright red fleshy lump. When the wholesaler had gone I asked the manager of the store what they would do with the fish and he said he had already rang the wholesaler office to say it was in poor health and been advised that he would not be charged for it and for him to simply put it in the freezer which is what he was about to do.

I would this appalling and decided that if i moved some of the stock in my five tanks at home around I could house him by himself in a quarantined tank. I told the manager that I would take him and he had the cheek then to still charge me even though it cost him nothing and he was about to kill it! Regardless I did it anyway as I felt bad for the fish, he give it to me for 3 pounds after much haggling.

Since getting him home he is not eating but seems relatively active for a species I am aware does not move the majority of the time anayway.

That's my story, my questions are these:
- The fish looks a little like the arrowheads I have seen in magazines, same shape etc. but appears more marbled than those I've seen. He is a dark brown colour with light beige patterning. Is it a fluviatus (excuse the spelling) as i have assumed?

- Both its eyes are cloudy and its fin is very badly damaged. If the muscle at the base of its fin is damaged will it heal? I am treating with a bactericide and a fungicide (Melafix and Pimafix) does anyone have other suggestions?

- He does appear to bump into things when he moves, may he have gone blind from fighting or stress. I assumed at first it was eye-cloud but I cant be sure, how can I tell the difference?

I will try and post pictures soon but will not be able to for a couple of days.

Any help will be greatly appreciated

Does it have an arrow pattern on its head? If so, its an arrowhead. Colors and mottled patterns can vary, but if it has the telltale arrow pattern on its head, its an arrowhead.

Pimafix and Melafix are good. I wouldn't do anything else right now. There's no way to tell yet if he's blind until his eyes clear up. He's also probably very stressed, so give him a little while to settle in if possible.

You are on the right track with pimafix and Melafix, keep up with the medication an keep the water quality pristine to aid in his healing. Once he is a little better it may become more apparent whether he is blind or not.

I have locked this post in General Discussion, please only post in one place it gets confusing with 2 threads on the same subject.

Welcome by the way.

Try taking alook in the the pufferpedia at teh freshwater puffers. My first guess would be either a suvattii or a palembangensis.Possibly the latter.

Thats a terrible story and I'm glad that you have rescued the poor little fella. I wish you the best of luck

Bad News...The puffer was dead this morning when I went to check on him. He had large beige patches on his skin, is this a sign of something or just natural for a dead puffer?

I have been trying to work out what happened as his fins were regenerating quicker than I could believe and his eye cloud was nearly gone, I though he was getting better.

I did notice that his gills always seemed to be pulsating rapidly, the water parameters were perfect, could this have been a sign of something internal or is this normal for puffers.

I'm really disappointed but I tried my best to save him

On an arrowhead is the arrow very easily scene, I think I could see a faint arrow but I may have been imagining it, it certainly wasn't obvious.

PS. Thanks for the help though guys

Sorry to hear that he didnt make it. you tried your best though.

The clarity of the arrow depends on the colouration the puffer is exhibiting at the time.