Please Help, Puffer looks like death!

[Dj Orion]

hey guys,
I purchased a new dogface puffer 2 days ago. The first day he was in the tank he was all good, he was eating and swimming with the other fish harmoniously. The next day he was no where to be found. I read that they were skittish when they are new in a tank, so I dismissed it and waited it out another day. Tonite I found the fish in the front of the tank. His face looked like Rocky Balboa's after a title bout. All inflated head with a drastic line of color and change, like he was wearing o hood on his head. It was breathing rapidly and its body looked like a sack of potato's all deflated. I am attatching photo's, please help me out, I wouldnt want this fish to die, or if its something I did, have it happen again. The tank has 2 other healthy puffers and 2 triggers, they seem to be uneffected at all. My specs are 75 gallon tank, fluval 404, super skimmer 125, uv, multiple power heads, lunar aqua light. thanks again.

[Otty]

When was the last time that you change the media in one side of the Fluval? You do only change out 1 side at a time right?? Those fluval I've heard can become a generator for bad water parameters if they are not cleaned regulary. I took mine out when I notice that is was getting all junked up in less then 3 weeks on a 55 gal with not much Bio load.
What are your parameter for your water? If a fish starts looking bad you should be testing your water first and then act on what you find.
Hope the little guy makes it.

[djnzlab1]

HI,
I had some adult sea horses probably WC, that were being difficult and asked the LPS I bought them from if I could let them come back for a while to start feeding, he said sure after a couple days they perked up and started feeding.
My guess is your fish was damaged goods when you bough him no way to know whats causing his healthy change so suddenly, See if your LPS will work with you, and take some water for testing see what off, he may perc up enough to save his life in his bigger system. Many experts reccomend putting fish on layaway for a week or two at the LPS that way if they are new they will get sick in his tank, its to easy for LPS to say hey its your tank that killed him, when in reality it was the shipping and they noticed he was off and pushed it out the door on you to prevent losses, many LPS lose 50 % off their recent shippments in their tanks.
It sure happend fast, is there any coral or fish that may be toxic most puffers are nippers I don't care for them in my tanks they are very aggresive towards everything and tend to eat alot .
Good Luck.
My tanks were driven me nuts till I added a reforgium and a sump with a dsb this fixed alot of problems and was cheep all I needed was a overflow skimmer and a simple return pump used a cheep show box for the alage.
water quality went up, I don't like stars in my dsb or crabs only snails and worms.

this is a bargin basement reforgum but it works. and adds water to the column the lava rock needs to be soaked for a day or two or it will stain the water and if it becomes clogged or dirty if your over feeding the same thing can happen with live rock thats why they reccomend blowing it off with a turkey baister. Everything that touches water has to be new and never seen soap so buy your own turker baister and keep it with your tank supplies you don't want to have a slow die off cause you added some cleaning products (traces of dishwashing soap) to the water column
Doug


I also rinse all filter pads, and canisters weekly they only seem to filter particles and don't add much bilogical benafits they seem collect most deitris and calcium carbonate at the end of the week they are pretty ripe they can become nitrate generators if not kept rinsed, I never toss the pads I only rinse..

[RAVEN]

I would move that fish into a QT tank immmediately and do a temp and pH adjusted FW dip for 3-5 min. Add several drops of methylene blue and aerate with an air stone for about 15 min before dipping the fish. For the dip you can do 90% FW and 10% SW. All you need for QT tank is a 10g with a 50-75w heater and a powerhead of aquaclear mini. Then do every other day 25-50% water changes and feed sparingly. If he doesnt perk up after 24hrs then try adding a general antibacterial and paracidal antibiotic.

Dont worry about the FW dip as puffers tolerate this extremely well.

By the way, are you sure the new puffer isnt being harassed by the other puffers? Its been my experience over the years that many puffers do not get along with each other.

[robe62]

hi my yellow tag get 2 white lines one and each side on the body and the face looks like is getting color change .any advise.
i bought star fish 2 days ago and last night die.
I think the problem was on the star fish ,now i don now what to do so please
i need help. thank you

[Dj Orion]

I placed the fish in a make shif QT tank and this morning he didnt make it. I am pretty sure that he wasnt being bullied by any of the other fish. I guess that he didnt handle to transfer into my tank that well. As for the Fluval, I do media changes about every other month using Chemi Pure. I do weekly water changes and keep the parameters on point. I did take a chance and purchase him at a LFS that I had never bought from before, so that may have had something to do with it. Thanks

[RAVEN]

Are the 2 white lines horizontal and extend back from just below the gill plate in the middle of the body? If so, then thats normal for Yellow Tangs. It becomes more prominent when the fish is scared, asleep, sick or not getting enough algae in its diet.? Or is it by the fishes lateral line which could be head and latereal line disease-HLLE. This is due to poor water quality and poor diet. What are your nitrates, ammonia, nitrites, pH. SG, and temp? Are you feeding any frozen algae like formula 2 or angel food diet as well as spirulina flakes or pellets to your tang?

[RAVEN]

Karma for the loss of your puffer.