Is this internal parasites?

[f8fan]

***oops I meant for the title to be IS THIS INTERNAL PARASITES****

One of my puffers has been sick for a long time (4-5 months even). I have tried Maroxy, no help. I have tried numerous melafix treatments - no improvement.

Oh and then I went and poisoned his tank with dishwashing soap residue, but that's another story

He is skinny. His belly is lumpy. His eyes and head are out of proportion with the rest of his body. He eats voraciously, his appetite is always good, he just doest bulk up any. At this point, the little trooper deserves something more therapeutic that is gonna get him better.

He is in the 55 gallon brackish tank. Salinity = 1.008, temp = 80 degrees, ammonia = 0, nitrates = 10-20 ppm. ph hovers around 7.2 ish. I have been treating the tank with a combo of melafix and pimafix but it really isn't helping him. Look at him, isn't he pathetic??

I'm always hesitant to use medications on the puffers since they are so sensitive - but I really think this is internal parasites. I didn't realize they could happen "out of the blue" cos this little guy is 2 years old (and he is my avatar, see how healthy he used to be?) and I would have thought that parasites would have occurred when I first bought him. Is it possible to get get parasites from living in a tank?

I searched at Petco for medications or medicated food and all I found was Jungle Parasite Clear fizz tabs. Ingredients are praziquantel, diflubenzuron, metronidazole and acriflavine

Has anyone ever used these on puffers? I'm going to set up my 10 gallon tank today as a hospital tank for him and start the treatments.

 

[Lotus]

Poor guy! It looks like either IP or he's just not eating.

I believe the IPs can get worse over time, if it was a light infestation at the beginning.

I had an older DP who slowly wasted away, although I don't think she had IP, and she was eating. It's my theory that this is how old puffers decline, but I could well be wrong.

I would try to treat him with the Gel-Tek Ultra Cure PX, which has been used sucessfully on some puffers. It's very gentle on them. You can soak his frozen foods in it. Some people have trained their puffers to eat from a turkey baster, so they feed the Gel-Tek that way. But, it has to be ingested to be sucessful.

I would do that kind of treatment before I did a water treatment.

 

[f8fan]

I was in the fish medication aisle for about 20 minutes reading stuff, and they had an assortment of those Gel-Tek liquids but they are all for antibacterial treatments. They ad a penicillin one, an amoxycillin one but didn't have that one, my eyes were peeled for internal parasite meds and they didn't have anything other than the fizz tabs, so I think I'm stuck with that being the only treatment available to me. However - I think I will order some online. I have been to three other LFSs and I know they don't carry that either (I just called a couple of them to reaffirm and they don't have it )

He also has an extremely ragged tail fin that isn't improving with melafix or pimafix and the back of the fizz tabs box says that is another symptom of parasites. I don't see any flukes or lice or anything, that's his only symptom of potential outer parasites.

This poor guy is wasting away and I want to do something for him ASAP. Maybe I'll dose half the recommended dosage to start out to be on the safe side - and order some of that gel-tek from Fosters & Smith.

 

[Lotus]

Good luck with the treatment. I know it can be hard finding the right meds. It seems there are only a few fish that get IPs often, and puffers are one of them.

I have heard of people using the Jungle IP fizz tabs, and I believe they're safe with puffers, but I don't remember if they were effective or not. The prazi and metro are generally thought to be good for curing the IPs that puffers get, though.

 

[MOsborne05]

If your ordering from F&S, get some of the Jungle brand medicated fish food for internal parasites. If he's eating well then you should have no problem getting him to eat it. I got mine at Petco, and I would have shipped you the remainder of what I had but I had it out the other night for someone else's puffer problems, and the cats knocked it off and spilled it all over the carpet

 

[f8fan]

I just ordered the Gel-Tek Ultra Cure PX from Big Als (along with some of their most excellent bargain water conditioner) . Should be here in three business days. In the meantime I'm gonna try out half-dosing the fizz tabs.

 

[f8fan]

This guy is still hanging in there - with no improvements and I tried just about everything.

But I think whatever has been wrong with him is finally getting worse. Now, he has a cloudy patch on his side and part of his belly is turning black . I'm don't know what to do with him. I've tried everything. He eats fine and acts normal, but his fins are frayed (never got better since when I first posted this) and now his belly is turning black. .

 

[f8fan]

Thanks, Mod!

Thanks to whatever mod corrected the title of this from "Id" this internal parasites to "IS This....." *thumbsups

 

[Lotus]

How's the guy doing?

I doubt there's much more you can do for him, unfortunately.

 

[f8fan]

Yeah, I figured as much . He actually is looking a wee bit better, the black area on his side/tummy has disappeared but there is still a cloudy patch on his side. I've been doubling up on water changes (2x week @ 40%) to keep the water nice and clean. He's still a happy little guy, eating normal and hanging out with his buddies exploring and buzzing around the tank. I guess he's just gonna be a sickly little fella. He's a tough guy! He's been through a lot of treatments so I'm just gonna leave him be and if it ever gets to the point where I don't think he is "happy" anymore then I'll do what I need to do.

 

[FreddyJ]

Any improvements to the little guy's condition?
I

 

[f8fan]

Hey, FreddyJ, thanks for asking
He is still the same. Completely normal acting but still really thin and has ragged fins. I guess he isn't going to be the typical "plump, rolly polly" puffer you'd think of as a "healthy specimen". He's happy and as diligent about getting his portion of food as all the others, so I guess I'll just have to get used to his "appearance" and keep an eye on him. For whatever reason, he is fine in all aspects except how he appears. God knows I tried everything for him, now I'm just gonna leave him alone and keep his tank in tip-top shape and hope for the best for the little guy

 

[sphed]

metronidazole is very effective in treating internal parasites. Their is a product called fish zole wich is basically metronidazole. Ive used it and for ip with various fish and have had successful results.

 

[f8fan]

Thanks, sphed. I cant honestly say it IS internal parasites because I have used every treatment for IP and he doesn't seem to respond to it. I am, however, currently still soaking their food in the Gel Tek stuff, but its isn't making any difference in his health :/. And he is eating it voraciously.

 

[FreddyJ]

glad to hear he is hanging in there....doing even better than that it sounds like... healthy appetite is a really good sign, maybe he's just going through a phase....I told my little puffer about your little guy and his issue and he said "Get Well Soon!"

 

[f8fan]

Well, whatever the poor little fella was suffering from, it's been really bad in the past week. He is really skinny and covered in white fungus-like looking stuff with a dark, dark gray background. And the other three puffers zip-zap chase him around the tank whenever he appears from wherever he hides. He's not enjoying his life So - I just caught him and he is now in the freezer being euthanized.
RIP little guy. I'm feeling really sorry I couldn't figure out what was wrong with him after everything I tried. I'm really sad for him. I wish I knew what I could have done for him!! I just didn't want him to suffer anymore and get traumatized by his tank mates continually....to the point where he would have died and gotten snacked on by his fellow fish

 

[Lotus]

That sucks Sorry to hear about the lil guy.

 

[Big Vine]

Sorry to hear that, Kelly.
Sometimes fish just fall ill and kick the bucket despite our best efforts to help save them. Sounds like you did everything you could for him.

BV

 

[Limi310]

Aw Kelly sorry to hear that.

 

[f8fan]

Thanks everyone. It's such a drag, he was one of my first F8 puffers I bought.
Here he is in his prime:

RIP