Sick Amazon Puffer

[AquaAggie]

I picked up this wild caught Amazon puffer 1 week ago. The tank as a whole at the store was not looking good, but I hoped that I could treat one of the better looking ones in a quarantine tank. Plus I have been looking for a while and these were only $10!

He has gone through 5 days of Maracyn and Ich-X and is only looking worse. Previously he was swimming around, now he is floating at the top mostly vertical. 😥
 

tank is an established 5g quarantine tank.

Temp 78

ammonia 0

nitrites 0

nitrate trace

pH 7.8

there are 5 otos in quarantine with him and they seem fine so don’t think it is a water issue?

I know they need to be dewormed but given the state of others in the store tank I thought bacterial/fungal treatment was maybe more important first. Am I missing something? Suggestions?

on a another note if he gets better do the teeth need to be trimmed?

[TheSwissAquarist]

@Colu

[Colu]

With what your describing I would start deworming week 1 Expel p water change prazipro week 2 Expel p water change prazipro week 3 Expel p water change prazipro week 4 Expel p water change prazipro  the combination of the two medication will treat most commonly encountered parasites I would remove the Otto's if you have another and add some aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 3 gallons keep at that level for one week after one week up the amount of aquarium salt to 1 table spoon for 2 gallons if your not seeing any improvement  just remember to only put back in what you take out so if you do a 3 gallon water change put 1 table spoon of salt back in @AquaAggie

Edited January 14, 2023 by Colu

[AquaAggie]

Thanks @Colu All I have on hand is paracleanse and aquarium salt. I will see if I can find the expel-p and prazipro. Given dosing it certainly seems the former are less work but would the paracleanse still work or is the combination other two superior?

do you see anything obvious in the pictures? My understanding is the white rings are bite marks from other puffers?

[AquaAggie]

UPDATE. Died overnight 😢

[TheSwissAquarist]

Sorry to hear that 😢 

[Colu]

On 1/14/2023 at 2:50 PM, AquaAggie said:

UPDATE. Died overnight 😢

Sorry  to hear that at least your did your best to try and turn him around 

Edited April 10, 2023 by Colu

[Menono]

I’m having same issues started with what I thought was ich  but don’t know 

[Colu]

That looks like epistylis it feed off of gram negative bacteria on the slime coat of your fish and spreads more quickly at higher temperatures the best treatment is a combination of maracyn2 in food feeding a small amount twice a day for 7 days and aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 3 gallons I wouldn't get above that level with puffers if its not eating dose the tank with maracyn2 @Menono

[Menono]

On 11/23/2023 at 5:19 PM, Colu said:

That looks like epistylis it feed off of gram negative bacteria on the slime coat of your fish and spreads more quickly at higher temperatures the best treatment is a combination of maracyn2 in food feeding a small amount twice a day for 7 days and aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 3 gallons I wouldn't get above that level with puffers if its not eating dose the tank with maracyn2 @Menono

Would you recommend dosing the whole thank 75g or getting the two puffers out and putting them in a separate small thank my tetras seem fine the spots went away on them 

[Colu]

On 11/24/2023 at 12:40 PM, Menono said:

Would you recommend dosing the whole thank 75g or getting the two puffers out and putting them in a separate small thank my tetras seem fine the spots went away on them 

If it's only the two puffers with spots then I would quarantine then and treat them on there own if any other fish start showing symptoms then I would treat the main tank 

[Menono]

On 11/23/2023 at 2:52 PM, Menono said:

I’m having same issues started with what I thought was ich  but don’t know 

I couldn’t find maracyan2 at my local store but told me api e.m. Erythromycin is the same 

[Colu]

On 11/26/2023 at 9:30 PM, Menono said:

I couldn’t find maracyan2 at my local store but told me api e.m. Erythromycin is the same 

Active ingredient in maracyn2 is minocycline that predominantly treats gram negative bacteria and some gram positive API erythromycin predominantly treats gram positive and some gram negative so it won't be as effective when treating epistylis as you have it to hand I would start treating with that and source kanaplex if you can't get maracyn2 

[Menono]

On 11/26/2023 at 1:56 PM, Colu said:

Active ingredient in maracyn2 is minocycline that predominantly treats gram negative bacteria and some gram positive API erythromycin predominantly treats gram positive and some gram negative so it won't be as effective when treating epistylis as you have it to hand I would start treating with that and source kanaplex if you can't get maracyn2 

I have kanaplax

do I dose the water 

do I need to change the water since I added the api e.m

On 11/26/2023 at 2:05 PM, Menono said:

I have kanaplax

do I dose the water 

do I need to change the water since I added the api e.m

I have maracyian2 but it’s expired don’t know if it’s ok to use

[Colu]

On 11/26/2023 at 10:05 PM, Menono said:

I have kanaplax

do I dose the water 

do I need to change the water since I added the api e.m

I have maracyian2 but it’s expired don’t know if it’s ok to use

Yes do a 50% water change and then start I dose the tank with kanaplex