Blue spotted puffer swollen stomach

[mpatterson42]

Today I noticed my blue spotted puffer has a bit of a swollen stomach, it seems to really only be on the left side.

He's eating fine (he's munching on nori in the video) and seems to be behaving normally. He's been in this tank for 7 months with no tankmate changes in 3 months.

Salinity is 35ppt, nitrate is 22, phosphate is .13.

Is there anything I should do?

 

[mpatterson42]

Here's a still picture, and the quality on this video may be better.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Today I noticed my blue spotted puffer has a bit of a swollen stomach, it seems to really only be on the left side.

He's eating fine (he's munching on nori in the video) and seems to be behaving normally. He's been in this tank for 7 months with no tankmate changes in 3 months.

Salinity is 35ppt, nitrate is 22, phosphate is .13.

Is there anything I should do?

Phos is a little elevated although no effect on fish but rather coral.
What foods other than nori are you feeding it?
This may be a result of constipation or internal fluid buildup.

 

[mpatterson42]

I alternate between TDO pellets, PE Misys flakes, LRS nano frenzy frozen (most of his tankmates are small), and baby brine shrimp.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Today I noticed my blue spotted puffer has a bit of a swollen stomach, it seems to really only be on the left side.

He's eating fine (he's munching on nori in the video) and seems to be behaving normally. He's been in this tank for 7 months with no tankmate changes in 3 months.

Salinity is 35ppt, nitrate is 22, phosphate is .13.

Is there anything I should do?

This may be Philometra, a nematode worm. Here is a thread about a recent case:

Treatment of parasitic nematodes in Hawaiian C. jactator puffer

Hey all, I was able to collect a Cathigaster jactator puffer last month on a trip Maui using legally compliant hand nets, and it looks like the one I caught is infected with the somewhat-common parasitic nematodes (genus Philometra if 40-year old literature is accurate). This fish has been in...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[mpatterson42]

This may be Philometra, a nematode worm. Here is a thread about a recent case:

Treatment of parasitic nematodes in Hawaiian C. jactator puffer

Hey all, I was able to collect a Cathigaster jactator puffer last month on a trip Maui using legally compliant hand nets, and it looks like the one I caught is infected with the somewhat-common parasitic nematodes (genus Philometra if 40-year old literature is accurate). This fish has been in...

www.reef2reef.com

Thanks for the reply, based on those comments there's not really a good treatment option if it's a nematode? Most of the medications mentioned don't seem to be effective against it, and ivermectin seems difficult to find and also administer accurately.

I was observing him yesterday and when the light caught it just right it actually looked like it might just be sand in his stomach. I do feed him a clam on the half shell every week or two, but he's pretty uninterested in them. I'll use tongs to put it in front of his face and he'll peck at it a bit then swim away. I leave it in the aquarium and eventually the meat disappears but I don't know if he's picking at it and eating it or another fish is getting it. I'm going to try a fasting day and hope it's just sand in his stomach and that it passes!