Lump on side of Dogface Puffer

sdunn4230 · Mar 1, 2023

I have a dogface that somehow go a lump on its side and is not able to swim normal.
I was originally assuming that it is a air bubble, because when I try to turn them upright it does move. But I'm not sure how long I'm supposed to try to massage it out or if it's something else altogether. See you pictures attached.
He is originally in 150 gallon, with live rock and other tank mates.
I have a snowflake eel, flaming Angel, tailspotted wrasse, hippo Tang, Picasso trigger a few chromoses and a couple of clowns.

sdunn4230 · Mar 1, 2023

I have the puffer quarantined just in case it is not an air bubble.
Tank parameters for where he is normally kept:
Size 150 gallon
Temp 77
Salinity 1.023
PH 8.2
Ammonia 1.5
Nitrite 1.5 currently working on fixing this issue
Nitrate 0

vetteguy53081 · Mar 1, 2023

sdunn4230 said:
I have a dogface that somehow go a lump on its side and is not able to swim normal.
I was originally assuming that it is a air bubble, because when I try to turn them upright it does move. But I'm not sure how long I'm supposed to try to massage it out or if it's something else altogether. See you pictures attached.
He is originally in 150 gallon, with live rock and other tank mates.
I have a snowflake eel, flaming Angel, tailspotted wrasse, hippo Tang, Picasso trigger a few chromoses and a couple of clowns.

This could be a result of constipation or internal issue but hard to tell without seeing the swimming behavior.
Is fish eating at all?
is it breathing normal or labored?
What was it eating ?

sdunn4230 · Mar 1, 2023

Normally we feed him crayfish once a day. He also eats myssis and krill.
Breathing seems to be normal.
Right now he's on his side swimming in tight circles.
A few days ago I had a major nitrite spike and he was very stressed and hiding barely moving, and once I started getting the nitrites fixed his color came back to normal and was swimming around like his usual self.
Then this morning that's when you noticed he was on his side with a big lump and crashing into everything in the tank.

sdunn4230 · Mar 1, 2023

Here is some video of his behavior

Jay Hemdal · Mar 1, 2023

This is air/gas in the intestines. Mild cases often resolve themselves when the fish passes gas, but your fish has a pretty severe issue.
What was the ammonia level at during the nitrite spike? Nitrites are not toxic to marine fish, so I’m looking for something else that might have happened around the same time.
Did you catch the fish up to move it at all?
When you feed crayfish, did you break the claws off, or did the puffer leave them?
Jay