Puffer has spots after CP treatment and fallow

[jasonrusso]

So in April, I removed my fish from my DT into 2 separate QT tanks due to a nasty velvet outbreak. My puffer was the worst infected visually. He was covered to the point his skin was peeling. I treated my puffer and dwarf lion on one tank with CP. The puffer cleared up well. I also treated with Erythromycin for a cloudy eye at the time.

In the other tank I put my eel, kole tang and harelquin tusk. I also treated with CP. I planned on leaving the DT fallow for 72 days.

After about 6 weeks in. Everyone was doing well. I was never happy with the behavior of my tusk or tang. They always seemed stressed to from moving from a 210 gallon tank with rocks to a 55 gallon with PVC pipe. I found my tang dead one morning and the tusk hiding. I truly believe that the stress left them open to another infection of some sort. The tusk eventually died. I treated the tank again (my eel only) with CP for another 3 1/2 weeks (the eel wouldn't eat on CP). I also retreated the puffer and lion tank in case there was some cross contamination. I put carbon back in the filters and observed for a week and a half. There is no way of monitoring an eel's behavior in QT. They don't act the same, but he was eating again. The puffer and lion were just fine. Clear eyes and fins, and very hungry. BUT, they were clearly crowded and wanted out.



So after 72 days (on 7/4) I put the eel back into the DT. He ate the next day was less skittish now that he had his rocks to hide again. I put the puffer and lion back in on 7/9.

So, on the 14th, I noticed some spots on the puffers fins. They are much larger than the velvet was and I didn't have a crypt problem before. I'm putting kanaplex in his food in case it is bacterial.

Any ideas? The video is probably easier to see the spots.

 

[JaimeAdams]

Is it only on the fins? Look up lymphocystis.

 

[jasonrusso]

Is it only on the fins? Look up lymphocystis.

I only see it on his fins. His body is clear. This is how he looked before when he had velvet.

 

[JaimeAdams]

#reefsquad

 

[Brew12]

I agree that Lympho is a possibility. I would just continue to monitor.

 

[4FordFamily]

I agree that Lympho is a possibility. I would just continue to monitor.

X2. Spot is somewhat large, I'm guessing it's lymph but keep a close eye on it!

 

[jasonrusso]

I agree that Lympho is a possibility. I would just continue to monitor.

What else to do. I'm not going fallow again. It's not velvet. I'll live with crypt and feed CP a couple times a week. If it is crypt, fallow doesn't work so I'm not trying again.

Having QT tanks all around the house didn't have a good impact on my marriage or my personal stress level.

 

[JaimeAdams]

If it is lymph you do nothing.

Fallow period does work for crypt

I believe that it is lymph I too think that it is too large for crypt.

 

[jasonrusso]

It's hard to get a good picture because he's like a puppy. He starts flapping his fins whenever I walk into the room.

After all this QT and fallow BS it's the only thing that reminds me why I'm still doing this, it's supposed to be fun at some point.

After looking more, the spots are in his fins, not on them like crypt. Does that change your mind on anything? Does this viral thing behave that way?

I'm mixing the DR. G antibacterial food in with his regular food in case this is something bacterial. It has the same antibiotic as kanaplex and Metronidazole.

 

[melypr1985]

I'm mixing the DR. G antibacterial food in with his regular food in case this is something bacterial. It has the same antibiotic as kanaplex and Metronidazole.

I actually think this is a good idea. This looks more like the weird infections I see in some tangs occasionally. I usually treat in QT with antibiotics and it clears up pretty quickly, but I get you are probably burned out on QT at the moment. Feeding antibiotics should work, just much slower.

 

[Maritimer]

Lymphocystis is a virus - somewhat like a human cold sore. This looks very like it to me as well, (although I'd listen to Meredith, as she knows _way_ more than I do!) and it's not really surprising if lymph is what it is.

Cold sores often break out on our lips when our systems are stressed by something else - for your puffer, the velvet, QT and meds could very easily be that stressor. Good water, good food and a comfortable home ought to have this fellow at his finest in no time.

~Bruce

 

[jasonrusso]

I actually think this is a good idea. This looks more like the weird infections I see in some tangs occasionally. I usually treat in QT with antibiotics and it clears up pretty quickly, but I get you are probably burned out on QT at the moment. Feeding antibiotics should work, just much slower.

I can mix in whatever kind of antibiotic if you think it's better. I have Kanaplex, Metroplex, Neoplex, Erythromycin, Furan-2. I was using the Dr. G because it's food and probably more palatable.

 

[jasonrusso]

Lymphocystis is a virus - somewhat like a human cold sore. This looks very like it to me as well, (although I'd listen to Meredith, as she knows _way_ more than I do!) and it's not really surprising if lymph is what it is.

Cold sores often break out on our lips when our systems are stressed by something else - for your puffer, the velvet, QT and meds could very easily be that stressor. Good water, good food and a comfortable home ought to have this fellow at his finest in no time.

~Bruce

It could also have been the stress of moving back home. He DID put up a fight taking him out of QT. He didn't puff, but he was stressed. It was the first day since I had him that he didn't want to eat, which is saying alot.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I agree with Lymph. Looks just like my tang when he had a flare up. He arrived after shipping laying on his side and hotter than heck gasping for air. He recovered quickly from that but the lymph showed up a few days later and stayed for about a month. Like said, it's a virus, stress triggers flare ups and similar to cold sores. Keep up with the antibiotics that you're using to prevent secondary infection and ride it out. He looks healthy.

 

[melypr1985]

the spots are in his fins, not on them

This is what leads me away from lymph

I can mix in whatever kind of antibiotic if you think it's better. I have Kanaplex, Metroplex, Neoplex, Erythromycin, Furan-2. I was using the Dr. G because it's food and probably more palatable.

Just stick with the Dr. G's if you want to. If you want to feed regular food with antibiotics added, then go with the kanaplex + focus.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

the spots are in his fins, not on them

I missed that. Lymph looks like white fuzz on the fins, often described as looking like cauliflower.

 

[jasonrusso]

I missed that. Lymph looks like white fuzz on the fins, often described as looking like cauliflower.

To be honest it's hard to tell because he's moving them so fast but it looks like it is a discoloration. The spots are still translucent. They don't glow under the actinic light like crypt.

I'm going to keep feeding the Dr. G mixed with his regular food and his normal Vitachem. It should kill 2 birds with one stone.

Does extended use of Metronidazole have long term effects? If it does, I'll just mix in kanaplex instead

 

[4FordFamily]

I find that lymph frequently materializes on the fins first, partially in my angels like my regals.

 

[jasonrusso]

I missed that. Lymph looks like white fuzz on the fins, often described as looking like cauliflower.

Yesterday I noticed that some of the original spots looked better but he had a couple new spots. They all look the same and are entirely on his fins. The worst one is on his left pectoral fin. After looking at it longer it is indeed a bump, so maybe it is Lymph? Either way, I am treating his food with focus, kannaplex, and Dr. G's anti parasitic food.

I also have metroplex if that would be a better option if it may be lymph.

I got a new video, but Andy was not too pleased with me getting in his face while he was trying to sleep.

 

[jasonrusso]

So after a couple weeks of Kanaplex his fins were not improving, possibly getting worse, so I started combining the Kanaplex and Metroplex with 2 scoops of focus. It's been over a week but his fins finally look good.

So I still don't know what it was. If it was bacterial the Metroplex/Kanaplex combo did the trick. If it was viral, the time elapsed.

Either way, onwards and upwards.