Porcupine Puffer Fish Sick - (Skin discoloration, skull erosion, nit

[retroreef2710]

Hello,

I am postingas an update because this is now an emergency as he is really starting to look in rough Shape.

Tank Details (Updated for Today):
Nitrate - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
PH - 7.8 (A little low I know, just the water in this area but after having tanks for multiple years it has never been an issue)
Salinity - 1.024
Calcium - 476
Magnesium - 1362
dkh - 7.0

Aquarium Size is 75 Gallons with a canister filter (upgrading this boy to a refugium soon as well as the tank size to atleast 250g ), owned the tank and has been running for 15. - 2 years with little to no serious issues. Water change it consistently with top offs more frequently now that the weather is getting warmer here.

More pictures being added below of the update. He has not eaten in almost a week, and is really starting to get lethargic and resting more than normal. He has marks that look like erosion on both sides of him, and the front of his face looks like he is getting old and like wilting? It is hard to describe. He also has this weird yellow mark on the side as well.

Originally I thought it was a parasite, and treated for that, but it was suggested that it was Skin erosion / bacterial. So I treated twice with Kanaplex, but he is still looking really rough. Any suggestions?

Also, his Diet is mainly raw shrimp, but he also hunts down snails and tanks I update in the tank regularly as well as occasional muscles.

 

[retroreef2710]

Sorry for the post before details. Updating now. My phone auto submitted it before I was done.

 

[fishguy242]

#fishmedic

 

[vetteguy53081]

Looks like both parasitical and bacterial infection

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hello,

I am postingas an update because this is now an emergency as he is really starting to look in rough Shape.

Tank Details (Updated for Today):
Nitrate - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
PH - 7.8 (A little low I know, just the water in this area but after having tanks for multiple years it has never been an issue)
Salinity - 1.024
Calcium - 476
Magnesium - 1362
dkh - 7.0

Aquarium Size is 75 Gallons with a canister filter (upgrading this boy to a refugium soon as well as the tank size to atleast 250g ), owned the tank and has been running for 15. - 2 years with little to no serious issues. Water change it consistently with top offs more frequently now that the weather is getting warmer here.

More pictures being added below of the update. He has not eaten in almost a week, and is really starting to get lethargic and resting more than normal. He has marks that look like erosion on both sides of him, and the front of his face looks like he is getting old and like wilting? It is hard to describe. He also has this weird yellow mark on the side as well.

Originally I thought it was a parasite, and treated for that, but it was suggested that it was Skin erosion / bacterial. So I treated twice with Kanaplex, but he is still looking really rough. Any suggestions?

Also, his Diet is mainly raw shrimp, but he also hunts down snails and tanks I update in the tank regularly as well as occasional muscles.

Has this puffer been caught up in a net recently? Is it housed with any other fish? I'm trying to figure out what would have peeled back the skin on the spines like that.

Have you tried a FW dip yet?

Jay

 

[retroreef2710]

Looks like both parasitical and bacterial infection

I am treating both and doing more water changes… but it just seems so odd… I have a eel in there too, and he is doing awesome…. That’s it in there besides clean up crew that used to get picked off by the puffer.

many recommendations on treatment?

 

[retroreef2710]

Has this puffer been caught up in a net recently? Is it housed with any other fish? I'm trying to figure out what would have peeled back the skin on the spines like that.

Have you tried a FW dip yet?

Jay

He has not been caught up in anything. The only other fish in there is a snowflake eel, and cleanup crew.
I have not done a fresh water dip yet…. That isn’t a bad idea. I have never done one before

 

[Jay Hemdal]

He has not been caught up in anything. The only other fish in there is a snowflake eel, and cleanup crew.
I have not done a fresh water dip yet…. That isn’t a bad idea. I have never done one before

Here is some information for performing a FW dip. You do need to be very careful that the puffer doesn't ingest air during the process. ...just keep it out of the water for as little time as possible.

Osmotic differential baths
Formalin is not the only irritant that can be used to dislodge parasites during a diagnostic bath. Osmotic differential baths (exposing a marine fish to freshwater, and vice versa) are also effective at loosening parasites. However, there is a greater possibility that the shape of the organism will be disrupted by osmotic pressure to such an extent that proper identification would be difficult. “Freshwater dips” are commonly used to dislodge parasites from the skin of marine fishes. To perform these dips, the fish is captured and placed in a dimly lit container of clean freshwater the same temperature as the aquarium system it came from. Do not use reverse osmosis or deionized water, as there is no buffer capacity and the pH can drop too low. Dechlorinated tap water is suitable unless it is very acidic. The dip container should be covered with a clear material so that the fish is kept from jumping out, yet can still be observed for overt signs of stress. Hold the fish in the freshwater for five minutes to seven minutes. If acute stress is seen, the dip may need to be terminated early. The idea is to dislodge the parasites, without unduly harming the fish. Many aquarists opt to use reverse osmosis water, and adjust the pH to match the aquarium, but this is simply not necessary if the pH of the freshwater is between 7.5 and 8.5. Some advocate to not aerate the water during the dip, but this is incorrect. The water motion from air bubbles can help keep the fish active so that they can be better assessed for stress. Additionally, the air bubbles help dislodge some parasites during the dip process.

Some caveats:
1) Some fish will give extreme reactions to being dipped (hepatus tangs for example), as long as they were swimming well before the dip, it is best to ignore that behavior and continue for a full five minutes.
2) Moribund fish can be dipped, but understand that the acute stress from the dip may prove fatal. The dip water should still be checked for parasites in order to possibly help any remaining fish. Moribund would include any fish that was easy to capture or a fish with a respiration rate of 200+ BPM.
3) Choose the type of net wisely, some fish have spines that will become caught in the netting. Have a pair of scissors handy to cut the net if this happens.
4) Dropping a fish while moving it to and from the dip is common, take care. Some fish have venomous spines, so know that before trying to handle any fish.
5) Fish shaking their heads violently after capture is one cause of mechanical exophthalmos (popeye), so try to gently restrain them in the net while moving them.


Jay