What’s Wrong with my Fiji Puffer?

[ryanmcloughry]

Just got a Fiji Puffer today and put him in to my tank while I went to work. He sat in a breeding box with a net that I use to reduce aggression and let the fish check out the new fish before adding (all day). I came home, let him out and he swam into a cave but I noticed some sort of sore with discoloration on his side. He’s acting fine other than trying to get comfortable in his new tank what could it be?
Water Parameters
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 40

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hi, I had just responded to your other thread. Since this one has more pictures and video, I'm moving my reply here and then closing out that other thread:

That large oblong mark below its side fin? Too dark to really see it well, but knowing if the fish had it before you put it in the acclimation tank or if it developed there is important: if it had it before, or if the spot is growing larger, it is more likely a bacterial infection. If it just showed up in the acclimation box, it is likely due to a rub injury.

If it is bacterial, it may bet better on its own, but to treat it, you would need to move the puffer to a treatment tank and dose with an antibiotic such as kanaplex or neoplex.

Jay

 

[ryanmcloughry]

Hi, I had just responded to your other thread. Since this one has more pictures and video, I'm moving my reply here and then closing out that other thread:

That large oblong mark below its side fin? Too dark to really see it well, but knowing if the fish had it before you put it in the acclimation tank or if it developed there is important: if it had it before, or if the spot is growing larger, it is more likely a bacterial infection. If it just showed up in the acclimation box, it is likely due to a rub injury.

If it is bacterial, it may bet better on its own, but to treat it, you would need to move the puffer to a treatment tank and dose with an antibiotic such as kanaplex or neoplex.

Jay

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Yes - that's the lesion that I saw in the first pictures. I think you need to consider that it's a gram negative bacterial infection, and the best treatment for that would be an antibiotic in a treatment tank....especially if it grew over time and didn't just show up all at once (which would possibly indicate an injury/bruise).

Jay

 

[ryanmcloughry]

Yes - that's the lesion that I saw in the first pictures. I think you need to consider that it's a gram negative bacterial infection, and the best treatment for that would be an antibiotic in a treatment tank....especially if it grew over time and didn't just show up all at once (which would possibly indicate an injury/bruise).

Jay

Thanks jay I don’t have a treatment tank(no space) but I put him in a 5 gallon bucket with a bubbler and heater with bacterial infection medicine. Will keep him in there for 3-5 days until I see improvement.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Thanks jay I don’t have a treatment tank(no space) but I put him in a 5 gallon bucket with a bubbler and heater with bacterial infection medicine. Will keep him in there for 3-5 days until I see improvement.

Managing the ammonia in the bucket is going to be a huge challenge! You need to test every day, and if the ammonia goes above 0.50 ppm, you either will need to do water changes to reduce that, with subsequent re-dosing of the antibiotic, or add ammonia removing chemicals like Amquel.,

Jay

 

[ryanmcloughry]

Managing the ammonia in the bucket is going to be a huge challenge! You need to test every day, and if the ammonia goes above 0.50 ppm, you either will need to do water changes to reduce that, with subsequent re-dosing of the antibiotic, or add ammonia removing chemicals like Amquel.

 

[ryanmcloughry]

Should I do % water changes or all at once from one bucket to another maybe