Gold Puffer Black Infection

[RyanFish]

Hi everyone,
This is my first time posting on this forum. I have a gold puffer that has developed a black growth on the top of his head. I can't figure out what it is or how to treat it. I've had the puffer for 6 years, he's about a foot long, and eats well, swims all the time, is happy, and is easily my favorite fish. Only the top of his head has developed the black infection and it seems to be spreading and growing (on the top only). He does sometimes scratch his top on the sand/corals. The infection cannot be scratched off. By this I mean that it is deeper than the surface layer of skin. My other fish are all healthy and have no infections. pH is around 8.2, ammonia is less than 0.05 ppm, nitrit close to 0, nitrate about 5 mg/l, alkalinity is 20. I don't think the water is a problem because all the other fish (tangs, puffers, wrasse, triggers, angelfish, groupers) are healthy and the dogface and stars and stripes puffer are both very healthy. Any ideas on what it is and how to treat it? Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you for the help.

 

[Humblefish]

Could be a slow progressing, gram positive bacterial infection: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bacterial-infections.191511/

Can you QT him? If not, your best option would be to soak his food with Oxytetracycline/Doxycycline.

API Fin & Body Cure contains Doxycycline: https://www.apifishcare.com/pdf/API_Fin__Body_Cure_-_CW5238-04.pdf

However, you'll also need to use Seachem Focus to bind the medication to food: http://www.seachem.com/focus.php

 

[RyanFish]

Thank you for the quick response HumbleFish.

The puffer is a picky eater who mostly eats algaemax wafers, formula 2, 6mm thera pellets, and omega one shrimp pellets.
I have api erythromycin, api triple sulfa, human Bactrim (Trimethoprim and Sulfamethoxazole) tablets, and human tetracycline tablets (I crush the tablets). I can get easily doxycycline tablets tomorrow or order the api fin and body cure.

Can you please tell me what dosage of one of these drugs to use and how to use the Seachem focus to mix it with pellets? Also how much pellet to give him over what time period (don't want to accidently overdose)? In all my years I've never had to give fish oral medication. With my smaller fish I put them in the QT tank and mix the antibiotic powder with the water so the fish can slowly drink it.

 

[Humblefish]

@RyanFish What I do is take a shot glass and mix the following:

1. 1 tablespoon of frozen or pellets
2. 1 scoop of Seachem Focus
3. 1 scoop of antibiotics of choice
4. A few drops of saltwater to help mix it all together
5. Stir/shake until it all looks dissolved, wait 30 minutes and then feed
6. You can freeze or refrigerate any leftovers; but refrigerated leftovers need to be used up within a day or two

 

[Purplelobst92]

did the puffer make it?