Puffer Bite, BR    9/2/07
Hello,
<Kimberly>
My Figure 8 puffer has sadly lost an eye due to a bite from another puffer.
<Mmm, what re the system these are in?>
I have isolated her in a breeder tank so as not to stress her by moving her out of her current water parameters. She is currently in mid-brackish (1.010) salinity.
<Mmm, not "mid">
(I have other puffers with higher salinity requirements so I tried to find a happy medium salinity-wise)
After this incident (and if she makes it), she will be kept singly, in her own tank with 1.005 salinity) She is still alive and seems to be breathing normally. For most of the day, she was lying on her side and occasionally swimming in circles. Just tonight she started swimming normally again but is not eating. It looks extremely painful. Is there such a thing as a pain reliever for fish?
<None that I know of unfortunately>
What can I do to ease her pain, help to speed the healing process and prevent infection?
<Good maintenance... frequent, partial water changes, the use of a bit of activated carbon in the filter flow path... Addition/soaking of foods in HUFAs and vitamins mix...>
Thank you for your time,
-Kimberly
<Welcome my friend. You might find solace in chatting with fellow Puffer keepers on the Puffer Forum, http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/.
Bob Fenner>

Poorly puffer, Figure Eight    8/22/07
Hello! You helped me out earlier last week and I have another question. First of all I wanted to thank you for answering my questions.
I have two figure eight puffer fish. One is doing great, swimming actively and eating... etc.. But one is starting to sick or something because his tail is becoming discolored, as in really light and not healthy looking. He swims a lot less but still eats. Any ideas as to what it is?
<Greetings. The first thing to do is check the water quality. Besides being intolerant of ammonia and nitrite (both of which should be zero) pufferfish can also be intolerant of nitrate. Ideally, you want a nitrate level at or below 20 mg/l. This is best achieved by using regular water changes and avoiding overfeeding. Then check the water chemistry. You're looking for "hard" water around pH 7.5, and the specific gravity should be around 1.003-1.006. Then check for obvious signs of fungus or finrot; these two are very common on brackish water puffers that have been kept in freshwater aquaria for long periods. You might decide to use a puffer-friendly anti-fungus/finrot remedy proactively; I have found eSHa-2000 to be safe with pufferfish. Look for a brand that is safe for use with "sensitive" fish. Finally, on one occasion I noticed two pufferfish develop some sort of "slime disease" shortly after being settled into a new aquarium. This looked like cloudy white patches on the skin, associated with flakes of dead skin in places. This was successfully treated using a series of saltwater dips with anti-fungus/finrot medication added to the water. Pufferfish are highly tolerant of seawater, so dipping them for anything up to 20 minutes does no harm, and will kill many types of external parasite or bacteria. Cheers, Neale>

Figure eight puffer twitching  – 06/14/07
I recently purchased a Figure 8 puffer from my LFS. On the way home, I noticed he would twitch sometimes, but I resolved that he only did it when he touched the sides of the bag he was in. He seems rather jittery, or flighty, in nature as it is.
He has been doing fine these last couple of days. He spent the first two or so swimming up and down the sides of the tank, but now he has taken to swimming throughout the tank and exploring. Judging by my own instinct, he looks very happy. His belly is white and he swims around exploring and sometimes chasing some of the little fish in his tank away. He has been eating healthily, too.
Unfortunately, I have noticed him twitching again... It doesn't occur very often, but it is noticeable. His breathing seems normal, and I have not seen any sort of spots on him, other than the tiny evenly-spaced dots that are his spikes. <Well observed.>
I'm worried that he may have ich, but I am reluctant to do anything before I know for sure what is going on. What could be going on?
<Some minor skin irritations probably related to new environment, most likely not ich. Occasional twitching can be observed with many new puffers. It’s hard to scratch when you don’t have arms. As long as the belly is white, breathing is normal and he eats, I would not be concerned. See http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Brackish/T_Biocellatus/ for some general information on your species.>
If it is indeed ich, exactly what should I do to get rid of it for him? I know a Formalin purchase could be in the very near future for me, but any advice on this subject would be greatly appreciated.
<Formalin will work, but it is quite toxic. I’d prefer to increase the salinity of the tank. While Tetraodon biocellatus easily can survive at a SG of 1.01 given pristine water quality, Ichthyophthirius multifiliis cannot. Four weeks with frequent water changes should do the trick just in case. Remember any other fishes should be treated, too, and the display has to stay fallow, temperature in the display tank should be raised. Both treatment methods should be used in a hospital tank. See http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm>
Thank you so much for all your help. Kiiks.
<You are welcome. Marco.>

Figure 8 puffer with cloudy eyes and growth 2/28/07
Dear Crew, <Hi Jason.>
I recently purchased a new figure 8 puffer about 1 week ago. He looked great initially, but over the past 3 days developed a white coloured growth over his left eye. The white coloured growth is about the size of his eye and appears to be attached to his skin.
<The most common reason for fungal and bacterial problems with brackish water puffers is bad water quality. Check your ammonia and nitrite. If you have even small readings, read all about cycling a tank and get some material from a long running filter or Biospira (live beneficial bacteria). Second common reason is too low salinity. Figure 8 puffers do best with a specific gravity of 1.005.>
Today, I noticed his left eye was clouded over. Otherwise he looks well and is eating and behaving normally.  I searched your forums but could not find any other questions/responses with a similar problem. Please help. Thanks. Sincerely, Jason.
<Check the hospital forum at http://www.thepufferforum.com for further assistance. There are a lot of posts with comparable problems. You will also find a review on the products Melafix and Pimafix there, and may want to give them a try. Good luck, Marco.>

Figure 8 Puffer Not Well 10/22/05
Hey!
<Hey yourself, it's Pufferpunk here>
I want to say that I love your site and it helped me set up my tank very well. Right now I have a single figure eight puffer, 2 clown loaches, one fan tailed goldfish and two comet goldfish. Now I know what you are going to say "Goldfish shouldn't be in there" lol They will be out soon, its only temporary I have a tank coming for them in the next day or two.
<Took the words right outta my mouth! Neither should the loaches.>
But these goldfish are actually doing amazing in this environment growing rapidly.
<I bet your poor puffer hates it in there though...>
They will be out soon though. I have a 10 gallon tank with a 25W heater (a little small I know), there is sand for substrate, a silicon anemone, medium plastic plant, plastic coral, a rock with hole in it and a small terra cotta plant pot. As well, I have a bubble wall set up under the sand. The clown loaches are acting amazing.
<Are you aware that clown loaches grow over a foot?>
The concern is about the puffer. He acts normal sometimes but I leave for school after feeding him in the morning and when I come home he is usually lying in the anemone or on the bottom just lying there. Is there anything wrong with him?
<He could be sleeping but I'd bet anything your water isn't nearly pristine enough for a puffer to live happily in there. The goldfish are huge waste/ammonia producers & that does not make for a healthy puffer.>
As well I have a filter good for 20 gals and it has BioMax in it.
<Extra filtration is necessary for puffers, as they are messy eaters & high waste producers themselves.>
I have had the tank set-up for 2 weeks, then I changed the substrate (learned about the toxic rocks from Wal-Mart), then it had been set-up for a week. So the filter media, plants and
all have not had the bacteria disturbed.
<It is best to use crushed coral or aragonite as substrate for BW fish, as this keeps the pH around a steady 8.>
Is this puffer ok? I want to know what to do. I am buying a Master Test Kit soon--sorry for the lack of water quality info, I know you like to have it. I do a 20-40% change every 4-6 days.
<That's helpful>
The tank is very clear and no bad smells. I have had the water tested at different periods by the pet store and they said it was great water. Trace amounts of ammonia, they said extreme trace amounts, and a PH of 7.2.
<There should never be any ammonia in a fish's water. PH of BW tanks should be around 8. The goldfish are causing the ammonia & lower pH.>
I use aquarium salt, 1.5 teaspoons for the tank.
<You must use marine salt in a BW tank. F8s like the specific gravity to be around 1.005 & must be measured with a hydrometer.>
As well he seems to attack the planter and the anemone, he will rub his chin on it curl his tail and flick very fast away, like an attack. Please any help would be good. Thanks for your time, keep up the good work.
<Check out this article & the forum it is in: http://www.thepufferforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=64  ~PP> 

Figure Eight Puffer - A Follow-up? - 10/24/05
Hey again!
<Yup, Pufferpunk again>
Thanks for the great response. Right now I do not have the resources for a brackish water tank. After Christmas maybe but definitely not now. I was wondering if taking the goldfish out would make a difference to the water quality
<Absolutely!>
and I also had NO idea about the clown loaches, how long does it take them to grow that long?
<Mine are about 6" & I've had then for around 3 years.>
When they get too big I believe I will bring them back and trade for smaller ones or some different fish.
<Not to live with the puffer or goldfish, I hope.>
The puffer is seeming more active since I have added the aquarium salt though but he stays near the top playing the bubble wall.
<Puffers love to play in bubbles! I think the aq salt is really not making much of a real difference. You need a lot of marine salt to make BW. For example, to make a SG of 1.005 (which is preferred by F8s), it takes roughly around 1 cup of marine salt/5g of water.>
And I had the water tested again, I guess the tank is close to done cycling because the ammonia is gone and the nitrites are gone. I use Cycle, the beneficial bacteria solution--I think that sped the process up.
<Actually Cycle is junk & can actually slow the process of cycling down, by adding DEAD bacteria (waste) to your tank.>
I read all the articles that you have linked to below and some that the linked ones linked to but I would like to know any tips about keeping him or her in freshwater for now.
<1 puffer alone in a 10g tank, pristine water conditions (50% weekly water changes), crushed coral or aragonite substrate, to keep the water hard & the pH around a steady 8. Why couldn't you just add marine salt to that? I'm afraid if you don't remove the goldfish, your tank will never completely cycle.>
I know that they can live in freshwater very well but I guess its better in brackish water.
<If 5 years of life in FW, compared to the 18+ years they can live in BW is considered "very Well" to you...>
Thanks again, I am Doug by the way and I live in St. John's Newfoundland, Canada
<Get those GF out of your puffer tank! Good luck with your fish. ~PP (hailing from the Chicago area)>

Treating Puffers with Ich  3/24/06
<Hi Brolin , Pufferpunk here.>
I recently (over a week ago), purchased 3 figure-eight pufferfish from Wal-Mart.  
<I wouldn't purchase toilet paper from them.>
I know but I couldn't stand seeing such wonderful fish waste away.
<Just encouraging them to buy more, since they see these fish sell.>
They were already covered in ich.  
<Never buy sick fish.>
I chose three that seemed to have lots of energy.  I have cured ich in fish before and figured I could do the same with these puffers.  I have tried so many combinations of treatments and none have seemed to work.  I have been treating them with Quick Cure Ick (a formalin and malachite green solution).  I've added salt and raised the temperature and increased aeration, to prevent anoxic conditions.  I do a 50% H2O change if not once a day, every other day but the cysts on the fish have seemed to double the in the last two days.  
<Bump that up to 80% daily.  Bare-bottom tank is best.>
The fish still have a tremendous appetite, so I feel that there is still hope.
<That is a good sign.  Sometimes it looks worse, before it gets better.>
I was thinking about switching aquariums everyday until the fish are cured and thoroughly clean the previous tank but I didn't want to stress the fish out more and make them more susceptible.  
<That does sound stressful.>
I also have Clout, but it says not to use it on scaleless fish.  
<I wouldn't use it then.>
I was also wandering what kind of filtration would be good to have going?  I am currently running an undergravel filter with a power head and a power filter with just a fiber cartridge, no activated
carbon. If I switch aquariums, should I just not use any rocks or substrate?
<Bare bottom, simple filtration is best for a QT.>
Please help!  I truly appreciate it, and so do my fish!!
<Sounds like you are doing everything possible for these poor fellas.  Check here, to see if you missed anything:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9
Check out that forum too!  ~PP>
Thanks and God Bless, Brolin Evans

Figure 8's with Ick  2/10/06
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I just  lost a figure out to Ick a few days ago, and I got two  more that I set up in a separate tank until I completely get the other  one clean.  My two new ones now are starting to get Ick and I  tried the Ick Cure (blue stuff) on the last guy and it did  NOTHING.  I noticed the pet store I work in carries a medicine for ornamental fish that is suppose to kill all parasites and Ick, would  that be a good thing to try?...if not what should I do because I don't  want to loose another puffer, especially not within a week of buying  the 2 new ones?
<http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9  ~PP>

I can't believe I ate the whole thing!  Re: help! My figure eight puffer is sick 8/8/06
Hi WWM Crew,
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I've spent hours on your site and can't find an answer so I'm not sure where else to turn.  I have a fairly small (maybe 2 - 3") figure eight puffer.
<That's almost an adult.  They only grow to 3".>
I've had him for about a month.  All of the levels in his tank (freshwater) are normal.  I do a 25% water change weekly, adding 1 tbsp. aquarium salt per 10 gallons of water, taking into consideration evaporation and the fact that salt doesn't evaporate. The tank is planted with 4 different live plants and has a pretty large hidey-hole cave as well as a smaller cave. Puff's diet consists of frozen bloodworms, frozen brine shrimp and live snails once a week. Up until a week ago he was eating with no problems.  He never once bothered his tank mate, a male Betta fish over food or considered Betta to be food!
<That's hard to believe!  Puffers love snacking on long fins.>
A week ago on Friday he made a pig of himself and ate 12 of the little "no bigger than a pencil eraser" snails in one 24 hour period.  After that he started acting strange. He started hiding under the filter instead of coming over to the corner of the tank "flashing" his teeth at me. He completely ignored any and all blood worms and brine shrimp. Today was snail day and I put two snails into the tank.  He swims over to where they're at and hovers as if he's "guarding" them from the Betta, but he has only nudged at one of them twice, instead of hitting at it like he usually does. When he's not doing that, he's so close to the substrate that it looks like he's just lying there on the bottom of the tank.  His belly looks larger than I would expect after a week of no food, but it's not swollen or distended. His underbelly is still a nice white, but under his bottom lip it's a bit dark, almost like mottled looking lipstick.  The same discoloration is around his bottom fin.  I'm at a loss. Betta is fine, the tank readings are normal and I'm worried that my little puff is a goner!  Any help or suggestions you can offer will be greatly appreciated.  Out of all three of our tanks, puff is our favorite fish.
<It sounds to me like your puffer went on a snail binge.  It's probably constipated.  Try adding a tbsp Epsom salt/5 gal to his tank.  You fish will be a lot healthier & live much longer (up to 18+ years) if you kept it in brackish water though.  They prefer a specific gravity of 1.005.  A rough estimate of MARINE salt added to make that, would be about 1 cup/5gal.  Also, a substrate of crushed coral or aragonite, to keep a steady pH of around 8 is best.  For more info on your puffer, see: http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/puffer/f8puffer.html
check out other posts about your puffer at that forum too.  I'm sure your puffer will be feeling better soon!  ~PP>
Thanks ... Kim

Puffers teeth too long, need filing?   10/5/06
I have several puffers and have had them for about three years.
<<What species, and how are they kept?>>
One of my figure 8's teeth grow much faster than everyone else’s, faster that crustaceans can grind them down.  Do you think it would be possible to hold the fish and sand them down a little at a time with a very fine finger nail file? I couldn’t find anything else about this technique. Maybe you’ve heard of someone trying this.
<<Is common, and posted on WWM: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i1/puffer_dentistry/puffer2.htm>>
Thanks, Phillip.
<<Glad to help. Come check us out at www.pufferresources.net for more info on your puffers! Lisa.>>

Puffer with problem
Hi,
My figure-8 puffer has a large growth on his tail just before his back fin. It looks like a blister. There is no discoloration. His appetite is fine. Antibiotics have been ineffective. What is it? How can I treat it?
<Likely some sort of subcutaneous tumor... best to ignore it... chemicals won't "treat it", surgery is more dangerous, stressful than it's worth. Good water quality, feeding... will see this animal to its best health. Bob Fenner>
Thank you,
Paul

Lymph on FW Puffer
Great site. My figure eight puffer has Lymphocystis I believe. 
<Very common>
They are large clear bumps on his underbelly. I've asked several aquatics stores what to do, but they've offered little advice. Is there something you would recommend to treat this ailment?
<If large enough, discrete... can be carefully pried off twixt thumb and a finger nail... Salt of appropriate strength/use helps, as does lacing/soaking foods with a vitamin preparation. Please read here: 
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/lymphfaqs.htm
and the links beyond. Bob Fenner>
Joe

Figure Eight Puffer Concerns
>Hello I own a figure 8 Pufferfish, shortly after I brought him home I noticed that he had a bump on his back. It has continued to grow and since move. I think he has a parasite of some sort growing under his skin and don't know what to do? The parasite has since split into two or multiplied at times it looks like there is a worm in his skin. I never see it move I just wake up and it is in a different spot. It is currently in his eye and I can see what looks like a little worm wrapped up in his eye. Please let me know what you think this might be and what to do to help the little guy out. Other wise he has a great appetite swims fine and acts normal. Thanks for your time.
>Ed Purdy

Sick puffer maybe
I have 2 figure 8 puffers and 2 spotted puffers in a 5 gallon freshwater tank. One of the spotted puffers just recently started sitting on the bottom or close to it in the corner. It looks like it has a discoloration line between the white part of the belly and the spots. It is kind of a dark area, all the way around. If you know what this could be please write me back.
Annie
<Sounds like what folks term a "stress syndrome" of these fishes (they're brackish to marine)... with nervous involvement, parts of the body do discolor... I would read and heed the materials stored on our site re these tetraodonts: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/puffers.htm
You need to add some non-iodized salt to the system, maybe some live rock (yes, as if this were a marine system) to speed (re)cycling in the different ionic environment...
Bob Fenner

Re: sick puffer.........
I am sorry to bother you again but today when I woke up my puffer whom I wrote to you about yesterday had puffy cotton like stuff on his body around his fin. Could this be something different? The per store says that its ick and I got him some "Furacyn" medicine but he looks worse today. :(
Also, do I need to add salt to my tank? I mean, I have Neons, swordtails, shrimp, and baby swords. It is just a 10 gallon tank. Will the salt hurt them at all? Sorry to bother! Thanks a bunch! >
<Not ich... did they ask if the appearance was white, discrete spots? Likely a secondary infection of some sort of fungus... and once again, nutrition and environmentally related. 
If you can understand the following, do add the salt and amend the foods as previously recommended. No amount of medicine otherwise will stop this problem... No to adding much salt with the Neon Tetras... Please either trade the puffer in (it will eventually eat the Neons) or the Neons... otherwise, the Swords will be fine with the salt...
The Puffer is a brackish to marine species and quite nippy/aggressive... with easygoing freshwater species... I would have encouraged you to leave such a fish out of your system.
Bob Fenner

Puffer
<<Hi James>>
I have 2 figure 8 puffers in a 10 gallon tank. One of them has developed two bumps on his body: on the side and the other on the top of his body. The water tests well for nitrite, Ammonia, and pH. Both fish eat well and move normally. The other figure 8 hasn't shown the same bumps. Do you know what these bumps might be? Other than the bumps, the fish seems fine. Thanx. -James Kim
<<Likely Lymphocystis, Look at pix here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/viraldislymph.htm>
and these: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwpufferfaqs.htm, http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwpuffers.htm,
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwpufffaqs2.htm,
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tetraodontpuffers.htm>
I would advise more room and good filtration. These links should help, Craig>>

Figure 8 puffer
Hello, I have a figure 8 puffer and had him in my African C. tank. He and my green spotted pufferfish did well in that tank for close to 6 months. They have gotten beat up quite a bit recently so I took them out. the Green spotted puffer I threw (adjusted the salinity for him in about 30 min before dumping him) into my salt water tank and he is doing great. 
<Yikes... this is a quick (and dangerous) transition... likely damaging to your puffer internally... these changes need to be made over a period of a few weeks to months>
I then weeks later tried the same thing to my figure 8 and he has not fared as well. His eyes got extremely cloudy and his color faded. He was only in the saltwater for a night. I then saw my poor fish in the morning and put him in my molly (brackish) breeding tank to recover.
<Good move... you likely saved its life>
I added some Melafix to the tank and his eyes are clearing up slightly. What should I do to further his recovery? I also thought the figure 8 could go to full saltwater.
<Please read over the brackish water articles posted here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/BrackishSubWebIndex.htm
The Figure Eight, Tetraodon biocellatus is actually a freshwater to brackish fish. Bob Fenner>
Thanks,
Chad

Haven't a clue (Starving brackish puffer on its last fin)
hello there. first let me say that I am a bit nervous to ask any questions...
<No need>
after reading some of your responses*l*hopefully, you won't make me look like a complete idiot who hasn't fully researched the whole situation. 
I have had fresh, brackish and marine water fish for about seven years-although, do not consider myself an 'expert'-
<Me neither>
and never have I encountered a "sick" fish quite like this. let me also say that my water qualities are up to par. now here is my situation-please, don't be brutal-
I have a figure eight puffer who is about three years old. he has no visible signs of illness no redness, no spots, no nothing). he has not eaten in several weeks. I have tried everything. at first he would eat and then seem to vomit it back up the food would be covered in mucus like stuff) he was very active and then he became very still when he started vomiting. since then he has stayed on the bottom of the tank and in the past week he has rolled over to his back. it is like a sick puppy dog, when he sees me look
in at him, his fins start moving and his eyes roll toward me, but still he doesn't move or roll over to his belly. I had asked someone else for help and they said it was more than likely old age. 
I have to agree, but he said to make things dark and calm for him he's in a tank by himself). I thought he would die rather quickly, but he has not. he is literally starving to death and it kills me to see him suffer. please, tell me if you think he is sick or just old and god forbid, if I can't do a thing to help him. thanks for your time, Hon.
sincerely,
veronica
<I would very likely try force-feeding this fish... with very small, cut up meaty foods... with the animal out on a wet towel... and possibly try "lacing" the food (maybe on the second day/try) with a vitamin prep. (and possibly Flagyl) material. Good luck, life. Bob Fenner>

Figure 8 Puffer Problems 2/29/04
<Pufferpunk here again>
Hello... The last water change I did was about 50%. I usually only do a 1/4 or so change, but I vacuumed a lot this time so it was more. I only have my Test strips here right now for testing the water. It comes back with these readings :
pH - slightly acidic
<What pH exactly?  Puffers prefer a pH of around 8.0.  Aragonite or crushed coral substrates are used to help maintain a stable alkaline pH of around 8.>
KH - moderate
GH - very hard ( try to use filtered water for the tanks, but live in FL)
Nitrite - 1.0 or so
<Should be 0 at all times!>
Nitrate - very high, at least 200
<OMG!!! Nitrates should be under 20!  You must be over feeding your fish.  Continue doing 50% water changes/gravel cleaning daily until both of those (including ammonia at 0), are what is livable to a fish.  All your levels are toxic! How much are you feeding your fish?  Do they eat all the food within 5 minutes?  How often are you doing water changes?  50% weekly is necessary for puffers.  This is definitely the problem with your fish.  Do you have salt in there?  How much?  You might want to buy some extra, because you are going to need to be replacing a lot over the next few days of water changes.>
The tank has been set up since October and has had fish in it since then with little problems. What should I do now?
thanks again
JJ
<Water changes, water changes, water changes!!! ~PP>

Figure 8 Puffer a Little Long in the Tooth?  8/12/04
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I have just gotten a figure 8 puffer.  It looks good, eats well.  And this just may be normal, put it always looks as if its mouth is just slightly open.  I know that they have to grind down their teeth and all of that but this is a baby (about 2-2.5 inches long) I think, and I would assume that the teeth have not had enough time to grow out of control.  
<Actually, these puffers only grow to 2 1/2-3", so yours is almost an adult.  Get a bright flashlight & look close at it's teeth.  Do they look like a beaver?  How is it eating?  Here is good info on trimming puffer's teeth: http://puffer.proboards2.com/index.cgi?board=hospital&action=display&num=1085932782.>  
Also, are there any strange or unusual fish or creatures I could put in the tank (20 gallon long, Brackish).  My husband wants a catfish, but the only brackish one I could find gets way to big.  I plan to get at least one bumblebee goby.  
<In a 20g cycled tank you can keep 2 F8s & a few bumblebee gobies, or 1 F8 a couple of BBGs & a couple of knight gobies (cute fish!).  
Thank you so much for your time and the website.  It is wonderful.
<Thanks a lot!  Here's a great article on your puffer: http://www.aaquaria.com/aquasource/8puffer.shtml  ~PP>
Michelle

Puffer Problems 2/29/04
<Hi Jeff, it's Pufferpunk here again>
Hello again. I am still having a problem with our figure 8 puffer. He goes in these spurts of acting normal or turning really black on the bottom and faded on the top and sitting on the bottom of the tank. Our other puffers are fine and eat well and all, but I'm not sure if he is even eating.
<If you don't see him eating, he probably isn't.>
I did a good size water change the other day, and the tank is still a little cloudy from it. Could this have something to do with it?
<What's considered a good size?  I do 50% weekly water changes on all my tanks.  If this is done on a regular basis it's fine, but if your fish are not used to big water changes, then you are changing the water parameters too quickly & could stress out or shock your fish.  The fact that your tank is cloudy makes me concerned that your tank still isn't cycled.  Test the water again.  What is the SG of the water?>
Id appreciate any info. Thanks for all your help!
JJ
<Hope this helps--PP>

Figure 8 Puffer Troubles
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
Hi...I can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone I ask or from my searches online...and I'm really worried about my poor fish!  I have a figure 8 puffer...had him for about 2 months now.  A little over 2 weeks ago, I noticed a small bump on his side, towards his tail...still the color of his skin.  After a day or so, it disappeared, but another bump appeared on his other side.  These bumps came and went...sometimes he'd have just one, sometimes several.  Now I think the bumps are small worms under his skin that are coiled up.  Yesterday, I noticed what looked like a reddish worm over his eye...I guess what would be his eyebrow.  It was no longer coiled up...now elongated...like a regular worm.  Today, the same thing is over his lip (no longer over his eye)...and he still has a coiled up bump near his tail.  Are these worms?  How can I get rid of them or treat  him? 
<Yes, it sounds like nematode worms.  I'm sorry to say there isn't much you can do about it.  This is common w/wild-caught fish.  I've heard of it often especially w/F8s for some reason.  Killing the worms will leave the dead bodies inside the fish, to rot & eventually kill the fish.  Keep it under observation in a quarantine tank, if possible.  When the fish starts to suffer you need to euthanize it.  Either place it in a baggie of tank water into the freezer, or overdose it w/clove oil.>  
I've tried adding salt to the tank (1 tablespoon of aquarium salt for a 10-gallon tank)... I did a 25% water change...I'm slowly raising the temperature today to see if that works.  Should I take him out and give him a salt bath?  Or try formalin?  I also have a spotted Pimelodus catfish, dwarf Gourami, and 3 Danios in the tank.  I was also wondering if he may have gotten this through eating frozen bloodworms.. because the elongated worm under his skin looks like a bloodworm.
<No, this comes from it's natural habitat.>
Sorry if I'm all over the place with this.  Please help!  THANK YOU!!!!
<I'm sorry for the bad news ={ Pufferpunk>

Bloated Figure 8 Puffer
Good Morning,
<Hi Margaret, Pufferpunk here>
In reviewing other Q&A on your web site, we are still confused about one of our Figure 8 puffer fish. There are 2 puffers in a brackish water 5 gal tank. They have been eating well since arrival (about 3 months) and appear healthy. Fish were purchased after a 1 week period of quarantine by the fish store. However, about 1 week ago one of the fish continued to have a swollen belly beyond the normal post eating period. Other changes: swimming with head down, rear up, white string with balls trailing from the posterior opening (which always seems dilated) and then today, a red ting (like blood?) from the dilated opening or back fin -difficult to sort out. Might this be worms or babies? No changes in coloration or other signs of stress. The second fish has no signs of stress or other concerns. Thank you in advance for your guidance.
<Usually stringy poo can be a sign of internal parasites but also the fish would become emaciated. It could also be possible that your fish is constipated but then it would not be able to defecate. The 1st problem I see with your fish is their tank size. F8s require 10g/fish. Was the tank cycled? What are the water parameters (ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte, pH, specific gravity)? Are you using marine salt? The fact that it is floating tail up, also makes me believe that it could have swallowed some air. Is that possible? Try to answer my questions & I'll see if I can help. ~PP> 

Bloated Figure 8 Puffer 5/9/05
<Pufferpunk again>
Thank you for your quick reply. I will try to answer some of your other questions in hopes of giving you more info. The water condition is closely monitored. The water is at a ph 7, the chlorine, ammonia other chemicals have been neutralized, the temperature is approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit and the salinity is 1 1/2 tablespoons of marine salt per gallon.
<Ammonia cannot be neutralized. It can only be removed by water changes or a good biological bed.>
The tank has a Bio-wheel to eliminate nitrites and nitrate.
<Again, water changes (50% weekly, on a properly stocked puffer tank, which means 1/10g) is the only way to remove nitrAtes. NitrItes are removed with biological filtration. Ammonia & nitrItes should be 0 at all times, nitrAtes <20 & pH should be kept at a steady 8. Specific gravity (measured with a hydrometer) should be around 1.005. It takes roughly around a cup of salt/5g to make that. You should only raise the SG .002/week though, so as not to disturb the biological filtration.>
The puffers are fairly small and seem to be doing generally well in the 5 gallon tank.
<How small are they?>
Their diet is mainly frozen shrimp with the occasional meal of ghost shrimp to control break growth.
<Frozen brine shrimp is fairly non-nutritious & should be rinsed to remove the "juice" from the mixture, as to not add more unnecessary pollutants to the water. Freeze dried plankton & black/bloodworms are a better choice. The ghost shrimp should be gut-loaded with something nutritious, as they also are mostly water (I use algae wafers, so my puffers can get their veggies).> 
Some bubbles are produced in the area where the Bio-wheel dumps water back into the tank. Could the fish have swallowed a
bubble of air? If the fish has a parasite, what treatment do you suggest? Is the other puffer at risk of also getting the parasite?
<Is there any time the puffer has been out of water? It could have gotten air that way. For IPs I prefer Discomed, by Aquatronics, but that company has been out of business for a while. You'll have to do a search to find some. Otherwise, look here for alternatives: 
http://puffer.proboards2.com/index.cgi?board=hospital&action=display&num=1093270673  
It wouldn't hurt to treat both of them, but I'd get everything else straightened out 1st. Read this article on F8s. >
Your help is appreciated.
<I'd definitely consider upgrading soon. ~PP> 

Sick F8 Puffer 4/26/05
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I just bought 2 figure 8 puffers the other day and one of them is in bad shape. I came home tonight and he was lying on the bottom of the tank. His fins are still moving, he's still breathing, but as I'm writing this he's lying on his side and taking what seem to be heavy breaths. I did put a wooden spoon in the tank near him (to see if he was alive and also to see if he could move) and when I did he swam away like a bat out of hell, swimming fine with no
problems. But then again shortly after he went back to lying on his side. The other puffer is fine, swimming and acting normal. I have no idea what could be wrong here. When I left they were both fine, was gone for about 4 hours, came home and now this. One thing to mention, he seems to be losing his color. It looks as if his spots and his over all color is 'cloudy'. I don't understand what I'm
doing wrong. From what I've read, my tank conditions are good - pH and all. If you could give me any advice I'd greatly appreciate it.
<How long has the tank been set up?  Was the tank cycled before adding the puffers?  What are your exact water parameters?  Ammonia & nitrItes should be 0, nitrAtes <20 & pH around 8.  Does it look like there is a covering of whitish "dust" on your puffer?  Are they in brackish water?  He might feel better if you got the SG (specific gravity, a measurement of marine salt by a hydrometer) up a bit.  Read this: http://www.aquasource.org/CMS/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=103&page=1  ~PP>
Thank you, Justin D.