The Puffer Forum

hello everyone I woke up today and found my baby narrow lined puffer badly hurt! His skin has been torn off from the back of his tail up to his nostrils on the top half of his body. I mean completely riped off like where you can see his muscle tissue! It is such a horrible site to see him this way. Some how he is still alive resting on top of the heater taking deep gasps of air and occasionally coming to the surface to breathe,damn I'm so sad about this! I forgot to mention that most of my rock cave that has been standing for about 5 months now has toppled over and is scattered on the substrate. before anyone asks he is only about 2 inches long so there is no way he could have knocked it over himself. He must have been sleeping and in the middle of the night all hell came falling down on him. I wish I had pictures to show so I could get an opinion about this and the decisions I should make about the quality of life and the possible euthanasia of the poor little guy.He was doing so well

You can try using Melafix and Pimafix to help heal and ward off infections until the skin heals. If it was mine, I'd try that first. After removing all of the rocks and anything else he might re-damage himself on (sharp plants, etc.).

That is awful, poor little thing. Just a thought boxer but will Melafix burn the muscle tissue and make it sore or will an aloe extract work better? I'm only throwing up ideas thoguh so could be wrong. I really hope that this little puffer can be saved

Could this be that weird skin eating disease I remember reading about, although that was on one of Fellas irrubesco.

what are the other tank mates?

Hilly wrote:Could this be that weird skin eating disease I remember reading about, although that was on one of Fellas irrubesco.

I thinkt he fact that the rocks have collapsed is more likely but what is this disease, it sounds nasty

Well yesterday was a bad day for my little puff. I figured he was on a downward slope so I just let him finish out his time here.He past away late last night and I promptly buried him. Such a sad story I guess I just have to be more careful with the construction of my rock work.

Sorry for your loss... I tend to use aquarium silicone on anything I build that can budge, maybe try that when the cave is rebuilt?

manutius wrote:I thinkt he fact that the rocks have collapsed is more likely

Didn't see that the first time round.

I'm sorry. Personally I don't like having rock structures in with my puffer who are active swimmers precisely for that reason. Since they don't have scales, its very easy for them to scrape themselves on stuff.

Oh dear, poor little thing. Sorry to hear that.

I agree with siliconing structures as the current created by a swimming puffer is pretty strong. Mind you I've only had Clooney and he creates a wake like a jetski