The Puffer Forum

Say, does anyone know what this poor GSP has other than ich? He has ich like white dots, which I'm sure will not reapear after they fall off - he was in fresh water at petco, but was acclimated over 6 hours to SG 1.014, allowing me to place a fully cycled aquaclear 50 on his 5.5 gallon quarentine. I'm sure the ich is doomed at sg 1.014, and will clear up as quicly as the existing spots finish their life cycle and fall off, I'm just not sure what to do about his other skin problem, or even what it's called. His skin has a mucuslike, inconsistent cloudy coating. It was way worse before acclimating him to his current brackish condition. He's getting melafix right now, in case the problem is bacterial, but it's only been 2 days, so I'm not sure how much I could expect in that time. What does this look like to you guys?





PS - he has a healthy appetite and is not afraid of me at all, but spends most of his time sitting near the plastic plant, squeezed between the filter downpipe and wall, or squeezed under the heater.(Which is a fish burn safe type)

I'm not sure but sounds like damaged slime coat, likely from the ich as well as handling. Its my unprofessional opinion that it will likely clear up as he settles in, gets rid of the ich, and is able to replace his natural slime coating (and de-stresses, of course). Poor thing looks like he's been through a lot. How can idiots let them get that bad in the store? There's no excuse IMO for ich to ever get that bad.

The petco system is definately at fault hear... I first saw him when he came in over a week ago, in slightly WORSE condition than this. He was in a bag of 12 "leopard puffers, $2.99" about to be released into a FW tank, and it was a TINY bag, there was nearly more fish than water. They know I love puffers so they didnt' mind me hanging out till they set them loose(without netting them, I learned them that one), at which point I realized it was about 6 full grown F8's, a couple younger F8's, and a few 2" gsp's. All but one or two had terrible skin simular to his, gray, mucused over, and heavily nipped fins. He was in the worst shape of the lot by far, sitting on the bottom, barely moving, but suprisingly eating really well. They all develped terrible ich the next day, and he looked much like he does now... it was so sad I didn't go back until last weekend. The whole tank bay was nearly cleared out, everything other than him and 3 other odd fish in other tanks had died from either the diseases or treatments. They had jungle labs ich cure tablets in there, and coppersafe. The coppersafe probably killed more of the fish than the disesase did. He's a real fighter to still be alive, so I bought him, with the premise of either getting him healthy, or making sure he got to live the last of his life without the copper burning his gils and the ich chemicals chaifing his already damaged skin. To me, the cloudyness looks like a clouded eye, only ligher in some places and denser in others, and in some places really dense, almost white, some of the spots that look like they might be ich definately aren't in person, they are irrgularly shaped and hang out off the slime coat.

Ich with excessive sliming (response to the parasite). Treat for external parasites.

Well... you should tell the manager to stop ordering puffers if there is no one working there who has any knowledge of them, and I know they do not have the means to keep them in brackish conditions... Just try to get them to stop. They do not just "get them in automatically" like some of the fish (iridescent sharks!) they are special order. As for the condition of the puffers, that is solely the fault of the supplier. My manager does not order in any puffers, not even freshwater because I am just about the only one who works there that could make sure they got a proper home. Good luck with your little guy, I hope you can get him better and make a difference for him.

Is the transition to SG 1.014 with marine salt sufficient to deal with that? I have been under the assumption that such increase will destroy the ich as it leave the cyst stage to freeswimming, and he will be in quarentine at least a month, should that be sufficient that he be able to go to the 30, then be later upgraded to a 65 within 6 months to provide room for him and Shakespeare to reach full size and health.

It should get rid of the parasite but I'd add Melafix to heal the woulds caused by the parasite & add an airstone for extra O2.

The poor little fella, I do hope that the ich clears as I'm sure it will with the salt levels. I think that the other problems are a a result of poor immunity and now he's in the right condition with a loving home he will pull through. Aside from the ICH he has very nice markings

Be sure to soak all his foods in good vitamins, Zoe, Selcon...

He looks a little less ich-spotted today, keeping up the melafix, and hoping the slime coat improves as the ich does.

Good to hear. Keep us posted.

Kiwi is feeling much better today! The excessive sliming and cloudy slime coat have gone completely, leaving only a scattering of ich(about 1/4th what he had when he came home), and now he swims about nearly all the time, hardly ever resting on the bottom. Here's some photos of his improved condition:


I think the worst is over now, and he will steadily improve from here. After he shakes the rest of that ich and a looses or grows his weight, I think he'll have a future as a perfectly healthy puffer.

Kudos! Great recovery!

Excellent news! He looks much improved. He's found a great home. Keep up the good work.

Yippeee!! he looks so much better, well done