Starry Puffer sick for weeks

[0MNSH1ZLLC]

Hey guys my starry puffer is one of my all time favorites and it’s been lethargic for a few weeks now. Laying and panting…I’ve seen it eat twice in about a month. All other fish are fine, puffer is about a foot long I’ve had it for 2+ years and this is not normal behavior. Fins are slightly frayed, no glossy eyes, overall exterior is relatively normal.

Let me know what you think…internal parasite? Ugh would be very upset to lose this fish. @Jay Hemdal thanks!

 

[fishguy242]

#fishmedic

 

[MnFish1]

It is hard to see your movie, a YouTube video is better. Can you answer the questions in the link in my signature - which has a list of questions that if answered, help us help you. Sorry to hear you're having this problem. HOW TO ASK FOR DISEASE DIAGNOSIS HELP LINK

 

[0MNSH1ZLLC]

Here’s another with it moving a bit…any thoughts?

I’ll fill out the doc now, thank you!

It is hard to see your movie, a YouTube video is better. Can you answer the questions in the link in my signature - which has a list of questions that if answered, help us help you. Sorry to hear you're having this problem

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey guys my starry puffer is one of my all time favorites and it’s been lethargic for a few weeks now. Laying and panting…I’ve seen it eat twice in about a month. All other fish are fine, puffer is about a foot long I’ve had it for 2+ years and this is not normal behavior. Fins are slightly frayed, no glossy eyes, overall exterior is relatively normal.

Let me know what you think…internal parasite? Ugh would be very upset to lose this fish. @Jay Hemdal thanks!

When a given issue starts, in the future do not edit for things to progress this far which often becomes untreatable or too late.
Sounds like a nice fish. As long as belly isn’t concave or flat, it can go a little without feeding
What foods are you offering and any unusual skin blemishes or cloudy eyes?
I too can’t view video

 

[vetteguy53081]

Good v

Here’s another with it moving a bit…any thoughts?

I’ll fill out the doc now, thank you!

Good video I just now saw . They are susceptible to ich and flukes
Any dots on the eyes?
Dots on the skin?
I want to say Prazipro treatment but can’t confirm if flukes
How do other fish look?
Add an air stone if you haven’t in the meantime

 

[0MNSH1ZLLC]

When a given issue starts, in the future do not edit for things to progress this far which often becomes untreatable or too late.
Sounds like a nice fish. As long as belly isn’t concave or flat, it can go a little without feeding
What foods are you offering and any unusual skin blemishes or cloudy eyes?
I too can’t view video

Will do, have not edited anything.

I don't think the belly is concave or flat. I've been monitoring that, I mean it looks a bit skinnier than usual.

Offering mysis and silversides, it has only eaten the silversides in the last month or so.

No cloudy eyes, I think the fins may be frayed but I can't tell 100%.

I've uploaded the videos onto youtube above, thank you!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Will do, have not edited anything.

I don't think the belly is concave or flat. I've been monitoring that, I mean it looks a bit skinnier than usual.

Offering mysis and silversides, it has only eaten the silversides in the last month or so.

No cloudy eyes, I think the fins may be frayed but I can't tell 100%.

I've uploaded the videos onto youtube above, thank you!

Silverside is good as is krill, shrimp meat, squid and scallops

 

[0MNSH1ZLLC]

Good v

Good video I just now saw . They are susceptible to ich and flukes
Any dots on the eyes?
Dots on the skin?
I want to say Prazipro treatment but can’t confirm if flukes
How do other fish look?
Add an air stone if you haven’t in the meantime

This fish has never been sick before, never had ich, never had flukes.

Other fish have died with similar symptoms, all triggers, nothing ever external.

No dots on skin, no cloudy eyes.

Other fish look great, all eating like pigs.

Tank has had ich in the past, but it has been a while since I've seen any presence of Ich. Over a year.

I'll add an air stone now. My ORP probe stopped working a few months back...

 

[Jay Hemdal]

This fish has never been sick before, never had ich, never had flukes.

Other fish have died with similar symptoms, all triggers, nothing ever external.

No dots on skin, no cloudy eyes.

Other fish look great, all eating like pigs.

Tank has had ich in the past, but it has been a while since I've seen any presence of Ich. Over a year.

I'll add an air stone now. My ORP probe stopped working a few months back...

In the video, the clown tang is breathing a bit fast as well. For sure add an air stone to see if that offers any relief.

Given the chronic nature of the symptoms, I think you can rule out protozoans. More likely, this is a fluke infestation. There are two options to treat this: if the tank is fish-only, no invertebrates, you can go with hyposalinity. If invertebrates are present, you can treat 2x, 8 days apart with praziquantel.

 

[0MNSH1ZLLC]

In the video, the clown tang is breathing a bit fast as well. For sure add an air stone to see if that offers any relief.

Given the chronic nature of the symptoms, I think you can rule out protozoans. More likely, this is a fluke infestation. There are two options to treat this: if the tank is fish-only, no invertebrates, you can go with hyposalinity. If invertebrates are present, you can treat 2x, 8 days apart with praziquantel.

Thanks Jay I treated with the prazi.

Did you mean the clown trigger or sohal tang?

Here’s another video…if you see anything out of the ordinary I’ll keep my eye on it, thanks again!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks Jay I treated with the prazi.

Did you mean the clown trigger or sohal tang?

Here’s another video…if you see anything out of the ordinary I’ll keep my eye on it, thanks again!

The tang which I saw breathing a little elevated also. For clarification on prazi application, dose at 85% of recommended and apply initial dosage known as an interval for 8 days, do a water change and do one more 8 day dose interval
Use airstone with prazi as it does reduce both oxygen and appetite. If running a skimmer, leave cup off first 24 hrs as skimmer will go nuts from the glycol solution in Prazi

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thanks Jay I treated with the prazi.

Did you mean the clown trigger or sohal tang?

Here’s another video…if you see anything out of the ordinary I’ll keep my eye on it, thanks again!

I meant the sohal, What is the pH of the tank in the morning before the lights turn on versus in the afternoon?

Prazi treatments often fail to clear flukes, however, I now see there is an emperor in the tank - those are more prone to showing symptoms from flukes than puffers are, so I would be surprised if the puffer had them and not the emperor.

 

[0MNSH1ZLLC]

I meant the sohal, What is the pH of the tank in the morning before the lights turn on versus in the afternoon?

Prazi treatments often fail to clear flukes, however, I now see there is an emperor in the tank - those are more prone to showing symptoms from flukes than puffers are, so I would be surprised if the puffer had them and not the emperor.

pH has been crashing recently. No signs of anything off with the emp.

Could the recent swing in pH be causing the issue? It was in the 8s a few months ago.

I’ll start working on the hypo too. Salinity is 1.021

 

[Jay Hemdal]

pH has been crashing recently. No signs of anything off with the emp.

Could the recent swing in pH be causing the issue? It was in the 8s a few months ago.

I’ll start working on the hypo too. Salinity is 1.021

Assuming your pH probe is well-calibrated, the drop over time indicates that more water changes are in order (some people do resort to using buffers) however, there seems to be a pretty distinct daily swing, that can be from a lack of aeration. During night, reverse phase photosynthesis allows for an increase in CO2, which drops the pH. Then, while the lights are on, regular photosynthesis takes place, taking in CO2 and the pH rises. Good aeration helps to even out those swings.

 

[0MNSH1ZLLC]

Assuming your pH probe is well-calibrated, the drop over time indicates that more water changes are in order (some people do resort to using buffers) however, there seems to be a pretty distinct daily swing, that can be from a lack of aeration. During night, reverse phase photosynthesis allows for an increase in CO2, which drops the pH. Then, while the lights are on, regular photosynthesis takes place, taking in CO2 and the pH rises. Good aeration helps to even out those swings.

So the puffer is showing more signs of energy and ate yesterday.

I’m going to lower the salinity slowly and change like 5-10 gallons daily.

If it was flukes, is it like ich that can lay dormant. I haven’t added a fish in a while nor had any illness.

But thank you so much! I’d honestly given up on prazi.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

So the puffer is showing more signs of energy and ate yesterday.

I’m going to lower the salinity slowly and change like 5-10 gallons daily.

If it was flukes, is it like ich that can lay dormant. I haven’t added a fish in a while nor had any illness.

But thank you so much! I’d honestly given up on prazi.

Flukes don’t really lay dormant, but it is very common for them to develop a light infection with no real symptoms, and then, something changes and the fish begin developing acute symptoms. It is also possible for just some fish to develop fluke infections, as some types are specific to certain species of fish.