The Puffer Forum

So my prompting for asking the question about scats in freshwater was because:
a) Two LFS around here keep them in it
and
b) my friend keeps one in a freshwater tank

I wanted to know because all I had heard was that scats are brackish/marine. So I was gonna tell him, but I didn't wanna be wrong about it. After you guys responded I went over to his house and was looking at his fish, when BANG. I noticed the scat had a fuzzy pink ball on his nose. My thoughts automatically went back to (I think it was PufferPunk who said it) fungus balls. Thats exactly what it looked like. I don't have any pictures, but imagine a pink fuzzy clown nose on a scat.

What would be the best course of action for getting rid of it. Should it be isolated, or should the whole tank be treated for it? Its a 55 gallon(tiny for poor scat, I know) with 5 or 6 cichlids in it. Been set up for quite awhile now, so its cycled as far as I know. (been set up for ~2 years)

I would isolate and treat with melafix and primafix, as both say they treat fungus (if i remember right)

Isolate and treat with the anti fungal treatment which is pimafix you could use melafix as well but this is more anti bacterial wont do any harm though as they can both be used together.

Hot Rod.

I usually treat with both just in case the fungus was secondary to something else. One thing I have found when keeping these guys is that their water quality is very important. I have had my scats for about two years, and they have never been sick or had any problems with weekly water changes and brackish water. It is also very important to tell your friend that these guys need a varied diet, not just fish flakes. Mine will eat anything I put in the tank, including shrimp, clams, cockles, blackworms, krill, bloodworms, brine shrimp, zuchinni, peas, shrimp pellets, small cichlid pellets, as well as crickets.