New puffer not eating and seems skin is peeling

[acomps]

Hello about 4 days I got a new puffer. It is in QT and it has not seemed interested in food. I have tried krill and snails. He swims fine and seems happy otherwise. I just noticed it looks his skin is peeling?? Any ideas? It doesn't appear any ich on it.

Water is perfect. No ammonia niterites etc.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

These guys are usually feast or famine. If it isn't eating I'd be concerned. Those are some odd food choices. I'd go to the grocery store and get some seafood for it. Did you do any qt or meds?

 

[acomps]

These guys are usually feast or famine. If it isn't eating I'd be concerned. Those are some odd food choices. I'd go to the grocery store and get some seafood for it. Did you do any qt or meds?

Thanks. He is in qt. I have also tried clams. No medicine. Not sure what to use. I hear they can not eat for a while. I've had them before and they always eat

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

It sure about peeling skin. @Jay Hemdal might know something about that.
Mine didn’t eat for the first 48 hours but eventually accepted regular table shrimp.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Peeling skin is an issue, as is the lack of appetite. I can't really see the skin issue in the photo. I'm not sure about feeding it snails, but the krill should be accepted. The fish's eyes seem cloudy as well, but puffer eyes often look that way. Can you tell if the fish is breathing fast or really deeply?

At this point, since the symptoms are pretty severe, you need to consider beginning some treatment. I would suggest starting a copper treatment, coppersafe perhaps, with a good copper test kit to check the levels. Be sure to dose the tank with copper for its actual volume of water, not it "rated volume". For example, a 10 gallon tank may only hold around 8 actual gallons of water. Measure length times width times depth in inches, then divide by 231 to get gallons, If the tank has rocks in it (looks like it does) you need to reduce the treated water volume to take that into account - perhaps reduce it by 10%. Copper may be absorbed by coral rock, so you might consider removing that and using something inert, like PVC pipes.

Jay

 

[acomps]

Peeling skin is an issue, as is the lack of appetite. I can't really see the skin issue in the photo. I'm not sure about feeding it snails, but the krill should be accepted. The fish's eyes seem cloudy as well, but puffer eyes often look that way. Can you tell if the fish is breathing fast or really deeply?

At this point, since the symptoms are pretty severe, you need to consider beginning some treatment. I would suggest starting a copper treatment, coppersafe perhaps, with a good copper test kit to check the levels. Be sure to dose the tank with copper for its actual volume of water, not it "rated volume". For example, a 10 gallon tank may only hold around 8 actual gallons of water. Measure length times width times depth in inches, then divide by 231 to get gallons, If the tank has rocks in it (looks like it does) you need to reduce the treated water volume to take that into account - perhaps reduce it by 10%. Copper may be absorbed by coral rock, so you might consider removing that and using something inert, like PVC pipes.

Jay

Jay breathing seems fine. Swimming fine too.. The left eye is a bit cloudy. i circled the area where the skin is different. I'll try the copper safe but I thought that was a no no for puffers. I just got those 4 days ago where the supplier caught it from the ocean.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Porcupines are fine in coppersafe, it is copper-citric acid that they don't like - I have a one-eyed puffer that I keep in one of my quarantine systems to keep the bio filter running, it has been through many copper treatments and is just fine.

The differential diagnosis here could be any of the big three; bacterial, protozoal or metazoan (worms). I always opt for treating with copper first as of the three, protozoans kill the swiftest. You could try a freshwater diagnostic dip to try and rule out metazoans (just be careful that the fish doesn't puff up with air). It could be a bacterial issue, but that would be the third most common issue, so you should consider the other two first.

Jay

 

[acomps]

Porcupines are fine in coppersafe, it is copper-citric acid that they don't like - I have a one-eyed puffer that I keep in one of my quarantine systems to keep the bio filter running, it has been through many copper treatments and is just fine.

The differential diagnosis here could be any of the big three; bacterial, protozoal or metazoan (worms). I always opt for treating with copper first as of the three, protozoans kill the swiftest. You could try a freshwater diagnostic dip to try and rule out metazoans (just be careful that the fish doesn't puff up with air). It could be a bacterial issue, but that would be the third most common issue, so you should consider the other two first.

Jay

Thanks Jay you're the best. Again he seems fine breathing and swimming. Just not interested in food. Thanks!

 

[acomps]

 

[acomps]

Jay it appears to be getting worse. I have used copper safe. You can see from this pic that the skin is peeling. One eye is popped. Maybe bacteria Any suggestions? Thanks

 

[Jay Hemdal]

As mentioned, a freshwater dip might be in order...

The third option would be antibiotics I think. Technically you can do all three at once, but it will increase the stress level on the fish.

Jay

 

[acomps]

I did a freshwater dip. Lfs said paraguard. I'm trying Mycan too. Thanks

 

[Courtney Aldrich]

Any updates?

 

[acomps]

Any updates?

It passed away a few days ago.

 

[Courtney Aldrich]

I'm sorry to hear. Love puffers. Sound like it was a bacterial infection.