Dogface Puffer Unexplained Skin Disease/Damage

[RyanFish]

Hi everyone,

My dogface puffer has developed a skin disease. I’ve never seen something like this and puffers are typically extremely hardy. The fish is quite old. It is on both sides of his backside near his tail. No one has bit him and no one has damaged him. He is a bit slow and less energetic.
No new fish have been added. No one else is sick. None of the other puffers have skin issues.
What is this? It is definitely growing on each side. Its like his skin is melting off. His tail also seems a bit melted looking. Could this be an odd case of fin rot?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

If you can get a picture under white light it might be clearer to see. While yes, bacterial infections can just start up on their own, more commonly, they arise at a site of a previous injury. Remember, fish aggression can be over in a few seconds, and is easy to miss. What other fish are in with it? Do you have the ability to move it to a treatment tank if need be?
Jay

 

[RyanFish]

If you can get a picture under white light it might be clearer to see. While yes, bacterial infections can just start up on their own, more commonly, they arise at a site of a previous injury. Remember, fish aggression can be over in a few seconds, and is easy to miss. What other fish are in with it? Do you have the ability to move it to a treatment tank if need be?
Jay

My lights are all blueish but I’ll try to get a picture using a flashlight.
He has been alone for over a month. This started about a week ago. Maybe being alone stressed him out. No other fish can touch him.
I can move him to a separate 25 gallon tank.

 

[RyanFish]

If you can get a picture under white light it might be clearer to see. While yes, bacterial infections can just start up on their own, more commonly, they arise at a site of a previous injury. Remember, fish aggression can be over in a few seconds, and is easy to miss. What other fish are in with it? Do you have the ability to move it to a treatment tank if need be?
Jay

the white grains on the edges are just sand

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thanks, I don’t see disruption to the underlying tissue that would expect to see from the bite of another fish, so the next consideration would be that it is a spontaneous bacterial infection and to possibly treat with a broad spectrum, gram negative antibiotic in a QT.
Jay

 

[RyanFish]

Thanks, I don’t see disruption to the underlying tissue that would expect to see from the bite of another fish, so the next consideration would be that it is a spontaneous bacterial infection and to possibly treat with a broad spectrum, gram negative antibiotic in a QT.
Jay

Thank you for your quick response. I will treat him with kanaplex. Is that good? Anything I should know before treating a puffer with antibiotics?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Nothing specific about puffers and antibiotics. Picking an antibiotic is all just a guess anyway, and Kanaplex is as good a choice as most.

Good Luck!

Jay