Help! Puffer fin looks red maybe rot?

[Hoisted]

I didn't notice this yesterday, but I came home today and somethings wrong with my puffers anal fin. I tried to get as best pics as I could but he's moving his fin a lot. Please help idk what to treat him for I've never seen something like this idk if it's fin rot or some kind of infection.

Hes in this setup right now because my new waterbox frag got delayed and this is his temporary home for the past 2 weeks. It should be here by friday and gona get him in there unless i need to treat him. I think hes also stressed from being in a 20 long for so long.

any advice or recommendations please!

 

[littlefoxx]

Is this a freshwater puffer? Not one Ive seen in saltwater before

 

[Hoisted]

Is this a freshwater puffer? Not one Ive seen in saltwater before

Yes, I got him freshwater when he was small around .5in and he's around 3in now. I've had him for 2 years. He went from fresh to brackish to 1.023 sg. He's been in almost full marine for 4 months now. He's a green spotted puffer.

 

[littlefoxx]

Yes, I got him freshwater when he was small around .5in and he's around 3in now. I've had him for 2 years. He went from fresh to brackish to 1.023 sg. He's been in almost full marine for 4 months now. He's a green spotted puffer.

Oh cool! Didnt know there was a puffer that could do that! @vetteguy53081 and @Jay Hemdal are fish medics, they most likely will be able to help!

 

[Hoisted]

Oh cool! Didnt know there was a puffer that could do that! @vetteguy53081 and @Jay Hemdal are fish medics, they most likely will be able to help!

Thanks foe the referrals! my gf loves him so much and I'm stressing over here lol. I was thinking maybe his tail could have gotten hit by the small powerhead i have in there? I can't seem to find anything online that matches his fin. He's also acting normal and eating fine. Turned off the powerhead for now but I think he misses swimming in the flow he surf the glass when there isn't flow and his mouth gets a little red from the rubbing.

 

[Nano_Man]

He maybe prefers fresh water than salt water. Have you seen any other changes as you went from fresh to salt or different behaviour. Littlefoxx is correct call a #fishmedic

 

[Hoisted]

He maybe prefers fresh water than salt water. Have you seen any other changes as you went from fresh to salt or different behaviour. Littlefoxx is correct call a #fishmedic

I followed their natural salinity ranges based on age and size, and increased the salinity by 0.001 every week when he was the appropriate size to do so. They are meant to be in saltwater not fresh. He didn't exhibit any signs of not wanting to be in saltwater.

 

[Nano_Man]

I followed their natural salinity ranges based on age and size, and increased the salinity by 0.001 every week when he was the appropriate size to do so. They are meant to be in saltwater not fresh. He didn't exhibit any signs of not wanting to be in saltwater.

Ok I wouldn’t know thats why a fish medic will help you . There the professional on fish health not me . So good luck with your fresh brackish saltwater puffer

 

[Hoisted]

Hey, no problem! I'm thankful for your concern, we are all here to learn I'm glad people are trying to bring attention to the post I really appreciate it. Lol he def was a fresh brackish salt puffer.

 

[Nano_Man]

Hey, no problem! I'm thankful for your concern, we are all here to learn I'm glad people are trying to bring attention to the post I really appreciate it. Lol he def was a fresh brackish salt puffer.

Hope you get sorted out and all is good with the puffer . I’ve never kept one but they are nice. Good luck fish medics know there stuff

 

[Nano_Man]

Bump

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I didn't notice this yesterday, but I came home today and somethings wrong with my puffers anal fin. I tried to get as best pics as I could but he's moving his fin a lot. Please help idk what to treat him for I've never seen something like this idk if it's fin rot or some kind of infection.

Hes in this setup right now because my new waterbox frag got delayed and this is his temporary home for the past 2 weeks. It should be here by friday and gona get him in there unless i need to treat him. I think hes also stressed from being in a 20 long for so long.

any advice or recommendations please!

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Yes - this species does better in seawater as they mature. However, they can be pretty nasty to some other fish, and may pick on some invertebrates.

Since you reported that this lesion showed up all at once, I would be inclined to think it is an injury. If you are not seeing any other symptoms (the lesion growing larger, rapid breathing or not eating) that I would say just observe it for now. Do you have access to a treatment tank in case in becomes infected?

Jay

 

[Hoisted]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Yes - this species does better in seawater as they mature. However, they can be pretty nasty to some other fish, and may pick on some invertebrates.

Since you reported that this lesion showed up all at once, I would be inclined to think it is an injury. If you are not seeing any other symptoms (the lesion growing larger, rapid breathing or not eating) that I would say just observe it for now. Do you have access to a treatment tank in case in becomes infected?

Jay

Ok I will monitor him, I do have a QT/Treatment tank if need be.

 

[Hoisted]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Yes - this species does better in seawater as they mature. However, they can be pretty nasty to some other fish, and may pick on some invertebrates.

Since you reported that this lesion showed up all at once, I would be inclined to think it is an injury. If you are not seeing any other symptoms (the lesion growing larger, rapid breathing or not eating) that I would say just observe it for now. Do you have access to a treatment tank in case in becomes infected?

Jay

Hey, following up with the issue. He's been moved into the new tank for a couple weeks now I've got better pictures. His fin has healed but has turned more opaque and these white dots still appear but don't seem to be ich or velvet. Those small spots tend to stick around for a while and then shortly dissappear and come back.

Is that his healed fin discolored? Also those spots don't seem to be bothering him idk what they could be. He's eating well and acting normal just hate seeing him look "sickly". Mahalo in advance

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hey, following up with the issue. He's been moved into the new tank for a couple weeks now I've got better pictures. His fin has healed but has turned more opaque and these white dots still appear but don't seem to be ich or velvet. Those small spots tend to stick around for a while and then shortly dissappear and come back.

Is that his healed fin discolored? Also those spots don't seem to be bothering him idk what they could be. He's eating well and acting normal just hate seeing him look "sickly". Mahalo in advance

Sorry - I can’t see much in the pics, they are pretty blue. I do see some spots that I can’t rule out as being ich. Ich can also cause cloudy fins, especially in puffers.
Jay

 

[Hoisted]

Sorry - I can’t see much in the pics, they are pretty blue. I do see some spots that I can’t rule out as being ich. Ich can also cause cloudy fins, especially in puffers.
Jay

I think these are better I put a filter on it. It probably is ich. What do you think?

I've never seen ich on the sailfin Molly, they've been together for a year. Could it have gotten my puffer and not the Molly for that long?

 

[Hoisted]

Sorry - I can’t see much in the pics, they are pretty blue. I do see some spots that I can’t rule out as being ich. Ich can also cause cloudy fins, especially in puffers.
Jay

Sorry for double posting but I forgot to mention that I got my puffer from freshwater and acclimated him to marine as well as the sailfin molly. They've been together for a year and my puffer always had these dots on his fins. It doesn't spread though. If it was ICH wouldn't I be able to see it all over their bodies by now? (especially the molly as he's full black). I've had ICH on FW fish and these spots don't look like full white nodules, they are hard to see almost blending in with his fins a little smaller than what ICH looks like normally. I could be mistaken though.

Also I thought FW ICH couldn't survive in SW and vice versa. I never purchased any SW fish before or used anything that could have given my tank ICH from another marine tank. That's why I ruled it out.

Thank you in advance. Your help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Sorry for double posting but I forgot to mention that I got my puffer from freshwater and acclimated him to marine as well as the sailfin molly. They've been together for a year and my puffer always had these dots on his fins. It doesn't spread though. If it was ICH wouldn't I be able to see it all over their bodies by now? (especially the molly as he's full black). I've had ICH on FW fish and these spots don't look like full white nodules, they are hard to see almost blending in with his fins a little smaller than what ICH looks like normally. I could be mistaken though.

Also I thought FW ICH couldn't survive in SW and vice versa. I never purchased any SW fish before or used anything that could have given my tank ICH from another marine tank. That's why I ruled it out.

Thank you in advance. Your help is greatly appreciated!

Yes, if the spots do not change location and numbers every few days, but rather, stay in the same place for a long period, then it isn't ich. There are some other protozoans, like Microsporidians, that can make white cysts on fish, but those are usually larger.

Correct, FW ich is a different species than marine ich, and neither can survive in the other type of water. If nothing has been added to this tank (anything wet from an infected tank can transport ich) in the past few months, then it most likely is not ich. However, that also leaves it as nothing really treatable ....

Jay

 

[Hoisted]

Yes, if the spots do not change location and numbers every few days, but rather, stay in the same place for a long period, then it isn't ich. There are some other protozoans, like Microsporidians, that can make white cysts on fish, but those are usually larger.

Correct, FW ich is a different species than marine ich, and neither can survive in the other type of water. If nothing has been added to this tank (anything wet from an infected tank can transport ich) in the past few months, then it most likely is not ich. However, that also leaves it as nothing really treatable ....

Jay

The only way would be to take a scrape and look at it with a microscope I assume.. I don't think I'm cut out to do that kind of stuff.

My first ever order of SW fish is coming next week from DrReef. I don't know what to do, I've never seen those dots spread but I'm worried about my new fish.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

The only way would be to take a scrape and look at it with a microscope I assume.. I don't think I'm cut out to do that kind of stuff.

My first ever order of SW fish is coming next week from DrReef. I don't know what to do, I've never seen those dots spread but I'm worried about my new fish.

I wouldn't bee too worried - the spots being stable in number over a long period means they are not highly infectious, or even infectious at all.

Jay