Need Some Help with New Puffer...Please Hi Guys, <Leslie> I have had this Red Sea Masked Puffer for just about a week. <Rare, and expensive generally> He was slow to start eating but is eating well now.....krill, squid, calamari, crab legs, Mysis, algae sheets, assorted shrimp, and scallops, enriched with vitamins. <Sounds good> He is in a Q tank with live rock. The salinity is 1.010. He started flashing 2 days ago just occasionally. Today is flashing frequently and I just noticed tiny black dots.....Black Spot Disease??? He also has 2 very concerning good sized gray lumps.....the one on his ventral side posterior to what would be a chin if he had one, which is about an inch long by 1/2 inch wide and the other just under his dorsal fin is about an inch in diameter. <Perhaps another type of "black spot"> As far as I know he did not have these yesterday ........unless I have gone blind as well as nuts. I know ....I know yeah sure.....I love the posts that say my fish just all of a sudden got this huge thing on him .....they make me nuts. You and I know it has been there brewing. Well these were not there yesterday. The heater is in the filter and there are no pumps for him to get injured by. Anyone ever see this? Any ideas what it might be? <Perhaps just accumulation of melanin (color)... from what cause? Stress in general?> I included some photos ......Any ideas and help would be appreciated. I have never dealt with either of these problems. Lump under dorsal fin Lump on ventral surface <These are trouble... once again, am at a loss as to direct, non-direct "causes"... perhaps this fish has/had some real internal troubles that are just becoming evident. The source you got this fish from, any news from them re other specimens?> Black specks Thanks so much, Leslie P.S. Things with Kali, my sick pooch do not seem to be giving me the break I had hoped for. We go to the Veterinary Cardiologist in LA tomorrow and hopefully he will have some helpful news......like she can go back to Doggie Day Care when I am working. I work the weekend, hopefully it will be mellow and I can work on some queries during my breaks. I will try to be back for real next week. Sorry for the extended absence. <I hope your dog will be fine as well as your puffer. I have no specific remedy to recommend, but/and will post on WWM in the hope that someone will chime in with help. Bob Fenner>
The black dots look very irregular in size, which likely rules out a parasite to me. The gray patches are concerning to me on this soft tissued fish (vs. large scaled). If it looks like anything more than discolored skin/pigments (as with changes of color in angry, sleepy, sick fishes) but rather appears to be a patch with some substance (mucous, turbid, film-like? anything?) then I'd feel safe/better treating the beast with the old stand-by first course of a Nitrofurazone and Furazolidone cocktail (like Jungle Brand "Fungus Eliminator"... goofy name, fine product... use double dose for saltwater here). I'm not a huge fan of hyposalinity for scaleless fishes (rather a far cry from the Red Sea especially here)... but I'll concede he's tough and it would not hurt/may help temp for you to continue. beyond that... add no other meds and do not knee-jerk or react without cause (clear symptoms of a clear problem). bets of luck Anthony
Leslie, I just wanted to add to Anthony's response....  Be conscious of how you are measuring Salinity.  You are at the lower limit of what I would expose nearly any marine fish to.  If your measuring device is faulty, you could be a couple of points lower.  I personally consider refractometers mandatory for managing hyposalinity. I also agree that the black spots are not likely "Black spot".  In addition to the irregular sizes, typically the organism that causes this is superficial and is very susceptible to FW dips and/or hyposalinity. Given the fact that parasitic infestation is unlikely, I would err on the safe side and raise the SG a few points in addition to Anthony's excellent suggestions. Adam

Re: Need Some Help with New Puffer...Please UPDATE Hi Bob, Adam C and Anthony!! <Hello Leslie> I have a follow up to the Masked Puffer with the mysterious gray lumps/lesions......I wish it was better news but I lost the fish less just under 48 hours form the first time the original lesions were noticed. This fish had no signs of these lesions 24 hours before the first time they were noticed. He looked normal and was eating. These gray smooth lumps spread amazingly quickly. 18 hours after I noticed the original lesions they had doubled in size, despite rapid and aggressive treatment. They continued to spread at an alarming rate covering more than 50% of the fish's body by the time he died less than 48 hours from the time I noticed the original lesions. <Does sound more and more like a cancerous tumor of some sort... and I have never seen a specimen recover from such> Here is a photo of the fish 18 hours later...... Here he is shortly after he died.....about 24 hours after the above 2 photos..... Sorry for the disturbing photos but it is sort of hard to believe without actually seeing it. <Yes> I was unable to save this poor fish, but did get some good information from a local vet and after doing quite a bit of research believe I now have a few contacts should I need diagnostic cultures and sensitivities or pathology studies done on a fish in the future. Should anyone have a tissue sample or remains of a fish they would like to prepare for cultures or pathology studies ......the fish or tissue sample needs to be placed into sterile marine water which has been pre chilled to 40*F and then placed into the refrigerator. The water & container can be sterilized by microwaving or boiling. Tissue form fish breaks down quickly so this needs to be done as soon as possible with the sample delivered to whom ever is going to do the testing ASAP as well. If the process of autolysis has begun the cultures will not be able to be done. If the fish is to be preserved for longer periods of time for a necropsy without cultures and studies that require cells to grow it can be placed in formalin but once this is done cultures are no longer possible. The ratio of formalin to body mass of the fish needs to be 10:1 and the body cavity of the fish needs to be opened in order to allow the formalin to contact the internal organs. I personally would have trouble with this one and would prefer the cold water method allowing the pathologist, biologist or Vet to obtain the actual samples or do the actual cutting. <Thank you for this> Also unless one was to find a kind interested soul with the appropriate experience and equipment it could be considered cost prohibitive for some. The most information would be obtained form a fish prepared and delivered ASAP using the sterile chilled salt water method The prices I was quoted today were ..... $65.00 for each culture & sensitivity and depending on what was found more than one might be indicated. $76.00 for the gross necropsy done by the Vet then 200 to 250 for the lab to do a complete necropsy looking at each organ including pathology and histology. <A bargain... considering the time, gear, education involved> Pathology studies alone can be done can be performed on a fish placed in formalin as described above for about $180.00 plus shipping and handling but my understanding is that the information from this may be limited depending on the degree of autolysis the tissue has undergone and there would be no guarantees as to how useful that info would be in determining the etiology of the malady. I had planned on a necropsy and cultures but by the time I found the appropriate individual the fish had been dead 4 days and the general consensus seemed to be that at this point it most likely would not give us the most useful information in terms of preventing or treating this disease in the future so in light of the cost and probable inadequate information I decided to pass this time. However, the fish is preserved in formalin at the Vets if you think a necropsy at this point might prove useful, I would cringe while writing the check for $180.00, not including shipping and handling but certainly reconsider. Hopefully none of us will need such services in the future but should we, we will at least be a bit more prepared. Thanks as always for your help with this, Leslie <Bob F>

Re: Need Some Help with New Puffer...Please UPDATE
Hi Bob, Adam C and Anthony!!
<Hello Leslie>
I have a follow up to the Masked Puffer with the mysterious gray lumps/lesions......I wish it was better news but I lost the fish less just under 48 hours form the first time the original lesions were noticed. This fish had no signs of these lesions 24 hours before the first time they were noticed. He looked normal and was eating. These gray smooth lumps spread amazingly quickly. 18 hours after I noticed the original lesions they had doubled in size, despite rapid and aggressive treatment. They continued to spread at an alarming rate covering more than 50% of the fish's body by the time he died less than 48 hours from the time I noticed the original lesions.
<Does sound more and more like a cancerous tumor of some sort... and I have never seen a specimen recover from such>
Here is a photo of the fish 18 hours later......
Here he is shortly after he died.....about 24 hours after the above 2 photos.....
Sorry for the disturbing photos but it is sort of hard to believe without actually seeing it.
<Yes>
I was unable to save this poor fish, but did get some good information from a local vet and after doing quite a bit of research believe I now have a few contacts should I need diagnostic cultures and sensitivities or pathology studies done on a fish in the future. Should anyone have a tissue sample or remains of a fish they would like to prepare for cultures or pathology studies ......the fish or tissue sample needs to be placed into sterile marine water which has been pre chilled to 40*F and then placed into the refrigerator. The water & container can be sterilized by microwaving or boiling. Tissue form fish breaks down quickly so this needs to be done as soon as possible with the sample delivered to whom ever is going to do the testing ASAP as well. If the process of autolysis has begun the cultures will not be able to be done. If the fish is to be preserved for longer periods of time for a necropsy without cultures and studies that require cells to grow it can be placed in formalin but once this is done cultures are no longer possible. The ratio of formalin to body mass of the fish needs to be 10:1 and the body cavity of the fish needs to be opened in order to allow the formalin to contact the internal organs. I personally would have trouble with this one and would prefer the cold water method allowing the pathologist, biologist or Vet to obtain the actual samples or do the actual cutting.
<Thank you for this>
Also unless one was to find a kind interested soul with the appropriate experience and equipment it could be considered cost prohibitive for some.
The most information would be obtained form a fish prepared and delivered ASAP using the sterile chilled salt water method
The prices I was quoted today were .....
$65.00 for each culture & sensitivity and depending on what was found more than one might be indicated.
$76.00 for the gross necropsy done by the Vet then 200 to 250 for the lab to do a complete necropsy looking at each organ including pathology and histology.
<A bargain... considering the time, gear, education involved>
Pathology studies alone can be done can be performed on a fish placed in formalin as described above for about $180.00 plus shipping and handling but my understanding is that the information from this may be limited depending on the degree of autolysis the tissue has undergone and there would be no guarantees as to how useful that info would be in determining the etiology of the malady.
I had planned on a necropsy and cultures but by the time I found the appropriate individual the fish had been dead 4 days and the general consensus seemed to be that at this point it most likely would not give us the most useful information in terms of preventing or treating this disease in the future so in light of the cost and probable inadequate information I decided to pass this time. However, the fish is preserved in formalin at the Vets if you think a necropsy at this point might prove useful, I would cringe while writing the check for $180.00, not including shipping and handling but certainly reconsider. Hopefully none of us will need such services in the future but should we, we will at least be a bit more prepared.
Thanks as always for your help with this,
Leslie
<Bob F>

Re: Need Some Help with New Puffer...Please UPDATE
Hi, Leslie
I am sincerely impressed by your diligence and resolve on the matter. Outstanding and above and beyond what I would have done, I'm sorry to say/admit :)
Thank you for sharing this info/history... I'm saving it myself for future reference.
If/assuming it was pathogenic in origin... it really underscores just how fast some topical and systemic infections can really progress (fishes and cnidarians alike... I'm reminded of wounds on anemones that spread like wildfire and take the animals life in what seems like hours - certainly less than a day or two with so little tissue/actual mass). Seems to me that scaleless and small scaled fishes suffer such afflictions more severely than most large scaled fishes.
Very sorry to hear of the death, regardless... but very good to see something's good/useful come of it.
thanks kindly for sharing :)
Anthony

Re: Need Some Help with New Puffer...Please UPDATE
Hi Anthony,
Thanks for the compliment about my diligence and reserve. It is sort of a mixed blessing, most of the time friend occasionally faux......sometimes I just don't know when or refuse to throw in the proverbial towel, wave the white flag or scream Uncle.  I think it has part to do with my medical background and wanting answers. There was also a gorgeous Coral beauty in the Q tank with the Puffer. It  has no signs of any problems so far. My fingers are crossed.
Re sharing.....You are most welcome. I thoroughly enjoy learning and sharing. It is part of my passion related to this hobby. Much of what I do in this hobby revolves around sharing the pleasure as well as the disappointments. I  have learned some of the most amazing things by sharing an experience good or bad or some information I researched, resulting in a thread that snowballed into a discussion and ultimately brought to light some new idea or answer to some question.
I was at the LFS today and they had a tiny Stars and Stripes Puffer,  which I gave a really thorough once over.  The little guy was just an inch long and had a gray patch which  suspiciously looked like it might be the beginnings of this gray lump disease, which Kelly J.  the Puffer Queen calls Puffer Lump disease. Something interesting I noticed is that this little puffer had a bigger beak than most of the Puffers I have seen that have only been in captivity a very short time, usually do.  The Masked Puffer I just lost also had a bigger beak than I would have expected being in captivity for such a short time. The LFS only had him a few days before I brought him home. I cannot help but wonder if it is not somehow related. Kelly mentioned in an email to me that she saw quite a bit of this disease on several Puffers about 3 years ago.  This little Stars and Stripes came form the same wholesaler as I believe the Red Sea Masked Puffer came from. I am still waiting for a definitive answer on that one. I was very tempted and had a fleeting irrational thought that perhaps bringing this little guy home would provide some additional information .....sort of as an experiment...... being able to observe the progress of this one more time as well as performing the cultures on live tissue should it actually have the same thing or something similar. I opted for heart sparing sanity over science. I just have to stay out of the LFS for a few weeks now :).
I am more and more tempted to have the pathology study done.  I just wish I knew if some useful info would come out of it.
When it rains it pours.....my Harlequin Tuskfish is unusually secretive, laying on his side and breathing rapidly,  since last evening. He did come out to eat but only nibbled and normally is quite a good eater. It turns out the electric was off for 2 to 3 hours while I was at work yesterday.  Up until yesterday he has been fine and all the other fish are fine. I hate to rush in and treat him for who knows what but at the same time it is hard not to have a bad feeling and sit and wait for some more definitive symptom.
With warm regards,
Leslie

Tuskfish, Puffer, Photos, and contributing to the site.
Hey Anthony, Bob, Adam and Jason,
I hope all is well with you gentlemen today.
I should be back in the swing of answering queries by the end of the week. I work the next few days and then have a few off. Again sorry for the absence. Things are settling down here bar another disaster to throw me off track.
<No worries, and welcome back>
Re the Photos.....
Anthony.....I just put a package of 3 CDs with photos in the mail to you. USPS priority. You should have them in a couple of days.
I am just finishing an inventory list which I will get off to you tonight. I can forward it to anyone else interested if you would like. I included in the seahorse photos are nursery tanks, fry at different ages, courting shots, disease photos and different species and seahorse tankmates. I also included and some of my other fish ..... Puffers and companions. I hope they work for you and if not no worries hopefully you will enjoy them.
Re Contributing to the site...
I was looking thru the site for something, yesterday and stumbled upon a few places I thought I might be able to contribute. Many of my photos prior to this new digital camera are not suitable for printing but would do well on the web if you guys would like to use them anywhere you need photos. I could certainly contribute information on the species of seahorses being bred currently, by whom and also supply photos of the species. Besides the horses I have a CB Fridmani Pseudochromis, black and white Percula clowns, an assessor and a redheaded goby. I could also get together keeping parameters for the individual seahorse species if that would be useful. I have a series of pregnancy and birth shots as well as documentation of a couple of species at various ages. I have barbouri fry daily from birth thru a few days and then once a week up until about 9 weeks or so.
<You are welcome to actually post content (credited to you) if you have the time, interest, and a program to reach WWM>
I have a good friend in San Diego who is probably the most successful hobbyist breeder in the country, at least that I am aware of. She has taken the best features form several nurseries and come up with quite a nice set up, which is also very versatile. It is fairly easy to set, use and clean. It can be used on a small or large scale basis for either pelagic or benthic fry. She is working with her 5th generation of CB erectus from CB OR stock. Her horses are not only healthy and hearty they are gorgeous and beautifully marked. 20 some odd years experience breeding Corgis must have impacted her seahorse breeding techniques.
<I live in SD... am surprised your friend and I have not crossed paths>
I also have some close up shots of the one of the major reasons most hobbyists lose their fry....HYDROIDS...nasty nasty little buggers they are and wiped out more than one of my broods as well as over 170 Dwarfs. I never knew until I looked back at some macro shots and saw them in photos taken close up with a 100mm macro lens. They were not visible to my naked eye at all, as a matter of fact the 5x magnifying glass with coupled with my reading glasses didn't even prove helpful. The fry are tiny and the hydroids well a tad more than microscopic.
<Yes>
I try to document pretty much everything I see in the tanks.....I have many more disease photos but that are of the lo res web only variety. I have either been blessed with very bad luck or as I prefer to think about it the opportunity to learn about and photograph this stuff.
<These would be especially helpful. We get a lot of disease queries>
I also have collected some info on how and where to have pathology studies done on fish and how to prepare the specimens. Adam C suggested I write it up for the web site. So I am working on that.
<Great>
Re the sick fish.....My Puffer and Tusk
I spoke with a Vet today who breeds Koi and happens to do some aquatic medicine. He does mostly Koi but has a few contacts and a gentleman who used to work with him as a vet tech, he trained and who has quite a bit of experience treating sick fish. I mainly wanted someone who was able to do and send cultures out, which I have now found. He thought the Puffer most likely had some sort of Virus from my description.
The Tuskfish is just barely hanging on He is still swollen laying in his side with rapid gilling. I am amazed how quickly some fish succumb and how long others hang on. He looks at me every time I go near the tank. I can barely stand it. I am not holding much hope out for him. The vet said it sounded like kidney failure form any number of things......cyanide, bacterial infection, or possibly even the meds. He said many of the meds we use are nephrotoxic and damage the kidneys. Especially Gentamycin and Kanamycin along with many of the others we use. It is his feeling that different species may require different dosages and have different tolerances to meds. Hence the difference between Noga's dosages which are so much higher than most of those recommended by the manufacturer, which are generalized for all fish. I doubt this was the case because the fish had generalized edema prior to the meds. The fish was supposed to be from Australia I believe that rules out cyanide. He mentioned that it can actually take 3 to 4 months before the fish succumb to the effects off the cyanide. I thought it was much quicker. Like the blenny I got 2 days ago and was dead the next morning. :(. I am staying out of the LFS for a while.
The rest of my fish are still fine knock on wood, spit 3 times and toss some salt over my shoulder.
He mentioned that cultures offer the most useful information. A culture is most effective when taken from a live specimen. If the live fish has no open wounds or lesions to culture and parasites are not suspected then it would have to be sacrificed with a sterile culture obtained from the liver. Necropsies according to this gentleman do not afford the most useful information. He did mention that in terms of parasites most can be IDed by a microscopic examination which he can do at his office. Anything more involved is sent out.
Ok I have babbled on long enough .......Let me know how if there is anything else I can do to help and thanks so much for your assistance.
Fondly,
Les
<Be chatting, Bob F>

Puffers Not Responding To Medication
<Hi, MikeD here>
I have a porcupine puffer and a green spotted puffer in a 125. They started out with ich and it has progressed to velvet and now they are sitting at the bottom gasping.  Water quality is good.  I have tried Maracyn, Maracyn 2, and marine aquaria no-ich which is copper free and usually works but nothing is working this time.<Usually when people think they are seeing ick turn into velvet it's actually secondary bacterial infections, but you even have those bases covered.>
You say don't use copper and try dips but never mention any thing else to try.<In worse case scenarios like this, I've had fair luck with a product called "Quick Cure", which is formalin and Methylene blue used half strength.  Sometimes when all else fails there's nothing to do but drop back and punt.>  I don't think these guys are going to make it but I sure don't want to run into this again.<It certainly doesn't sound promising, but I've had fair success with this with Burrfish, the tangs of the puffer clan, so all fingers are crossed.>
Thanks<Good luck>
Lisa

Swollen Jaw on Puffer  6/30/04
Hi, Pufferpunk here>
We have a healthy 200 gallon tank.  We have had our gold puffer for
approximately a year and we love this big guy.  Two days ago, his jaw looked
swollen. Then yesterday he would not eat and his tongue (which is usually
black) was white and covered in some sort of film.  His eyes are clear and
his overall body is perfect in appearance. He does not want to swim or eat
at this point.  Have you heard of such?  What to do?
<Although I have not ever heard of this particular ailment, it sounds like a bacterial problem.  Quarantine your puffer & try treating with Myacin, or any other anti-bacterial that looks good for this kind of infection.>
Thanks so much!!
<Good luck, I hope he gets better!  ~PP>

Dog faced Puffer OD on copper
My office has a saltwater tank professionally cleaned and cared for once a week. We have grown very attached to our fish and have recently
enjoyed the addition of an adorable dog faced puffer.
<Congrats, Dogface puffers are one of my favorite fish!>
We noticed some white spots on his fins and was treated with copper at least 3 times now.
<Big no-no!  Puffers are extremely sensitive to copper, and it should never be used on puffers (or other sensitive animals like inverts/corals etc...).  It will be best to stop treatments like that ASAP.>
I have noticed each time it is treated our dog faced puffer will
become very immobile and has some discoloration, changing to a darker
color.
<That is a typical reaction to copper.>
After checking your website I am afraid this "professional"
company has no idea what they are doing to our adorable dog faced
puffer.
<This sounds that way.  I learned back that many of the "professionals" aren't that professional.  They don't know everything, and it's best if you do your research to be sure that accidents like this don't happen.>
Please offer any advice on how to save our puffer and possibly a
new truly professional company in Salt Lake City, Utah.
<Sadly I'm not sure of any professional companies in Salt Lake, I had done a search on Aquarium Maintenance online to see if I could help, but it gave me a list.  I wasn't sure who would be good or not, so perhaps if it's best if you ask around. As for you puffer care, the simple act of giving you puffer a freshwater dip for 5-10 minutes and placing him in a tank that is copper free will be the best way to help your little dog-face.  Here are some great places to start learning about puffers.
http://www.reefnut.com/Puffer%20Article.htm
This is a handy article dealing with puffer care and info.
http://puffer.proboards2.com/index.cgi?board=faq  
A puffer board.  Totally devoted to puffer care.  A very good place to start getting info.>
Thank you for your time. -Sarah
<Good luck with your dog-face puffer!  I do hope that it gets better, these are some of the best fish I have ever had the pleasure to keep.  I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. -Magnus>

Trapped Air in Puffer?  6/20/04
Hello,
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I have a striped puffer that looks like she has trapped air/water around her eyes and forehead.  I've tried holding her at the bottom of the tank (head up) and gently massaging trying to free the trapped air/water (not sure if it's water or air at this point).  I don't think it's an organism of any kind, because she's been like this for a couple of weeks (under close observation).  There are no signs of bruising or redness, I even changed foods for her to see if it's an allergic reaction, but still no luck.  Any ideas on what it could be or what I could do for her?
<Puffers swallow air/water into their stomach.  There would be no connection for the air to get into their head from there.  I think this may be an internal bacterial problem.  I would quarantine the fish & treat for that.  Make sure the med you use is safe for scaleless fish.>
Thanks again, Chris
<If you need further assistance, put a title that doesn't include puffers, or I'll get it back in my box.  I'm not great with prescribing meds.  ~PP>

Sad Puffer....possible electrical problem (6/15/04)
Hi Phil, Leslie  here this morning. I am very sorry to hear about your troubles. Puffers are one of my favorites!!. Your scenario reminds me of something very similar that happened to a tank of mine once. My first thought is stray electrical current in the tank.  It took one nasty electric shock for me to figure out,  after a sub standard lighting upgrade done for me by a LFS.  I was quite surprised that the fish were not in worse shape. I had an out break of ich in what was a healthy and stable tank with no new critters added as well as fish acting erratically and jumping near the surface.
    If you do not have a ground probe on your tank you should consider placing one immediately, but that is just a Band-Aid and finding the source of the problem would be warranted as well. I called an electrician to come and test my tanks as well as install GFIs in all my water related electrical outlets. This could be done without an electrician if one was handy but since I am challenged in that area I got some help from a pro.
These articles on electricity and FAQs should be helpful....
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/elecmar.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/elecmarfaqs.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/elecmarfaqs2.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/gfcimarfaqs.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pumptrouble.htm
Hope this helps and best of luck with your Puffer! Leslie

Valentini Puffer Died
Hi, my name is Dawn
< Hi Dawn you have Leslie here today>
We just bought a Valentini puffer from a pet store and after only 2 days he got white spots. We put him immediately in our hospital tank and few hours later he died. Was this ich or could it have been something else. < Ich is certainly a possibility, hard to say without seeing or hearing more about it.>
He did nip at a anemone but was fine all day and night. <They are not reef safe fish and I doubt that was the problem.> We have another Valentini in another tank and he does just fine with anemones and other fish. < Believe it or not fish have different "personalities" . The Sharpnose Puffers are not considered reef safe and all have the potential to nip fins. Some of the Sharpnose Puffer species are more aggressive than others but all have the potential to nip at inverts and other fish. You may occasionally find one that does not bother either. I had a friend who kept one in her reef for years, without ever a problem but an occasional missing snail.>
What do you think could have happened?
<Hard to say exactly but most likely the fish was carrying or picked up an organism capable of causing disease under the right circumstances, either at the wholesalers or the LFS. Anyone of several stressful events could have weakened the fish enough to cause the organism to become pathogenic. In most cases quarantining all new arrivals for a period of 4 to 6 weeks is recommended.
Please read the following articles and associated FAQS for a better understanding of how this all occurs and how you can help to prevent it in the future.
Marine Disease: The Three Sets of Factors that Determine Health/Disease: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mardisease.htm 
FAQS on Marine Diseases http://www.wetwebmedia.com/disFAQsMar.htm 
Quarantining Marine Livestock: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/quaranti.htm 
and Quarantine of Marine Fish: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/QuarMarFishes.htm 
Please help thanks. Sorry about your fish. Hope this helps, Leslie 

Valentini Puffer fish with 1 white spot (6/5/04)
Hi my name is Kevin.
<Hi Kevin, Leslie here this morning>
Well my Valentini puffer fish acts normal but there's 1 white spot on his dorsal fin. I thought it was ich so I treated it for 2 weeks now, but it would not go away!!! My puffer act normally but it's just that 1 spot I have a hard time getting rid of it. So please if you no what it is, how to get rid of it, just e-mail me back.
<It sounds like Lymphocystis, which is considered environmental and viral in origin. There is no known treatment and it usually resolves on it's own. You can help the process along by maintaining excellent water quality, feeding nutritious foods and minimizing stress. Please see the following FAQs for additional information.... Lymphocystis: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/lymphfaqs.htm 
Nutrition; Foods and Feeding for Marine Aquarists: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/feeding.htm 
Puffer Feeding: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pufferfdgfaqs.htm  and http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pufferfdgfaq2.htm 
FAQs about Tobies, Sharpnose Puffers: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tobyfaqs.htm 
Thank you, Kevin <Your most welcome, Leslie>

Porcupine Puffer
I have done the freshwater dips. 
<These are extremely beneficial to puffers. I have seen many puffers cured with only this procedure, no medicines used.>
I believe once per day for five days is good. Yes? 
<You can do it more days if you feel it is helpful without any adverse reactions to the puffer.>
Also my puffer does just fine with 15 minutes in a freshwater dip. I am proud of my puffer for tolerating that wonderfully. 
<puffers are very tolerant of freshwater dips. In fact many biologist have seen puffers swim into freshwater to rid themselves of pests such as this.>
How do I know if this is working? Do the white spots just fall off?
<some people have told me they have seen them fall... I just seem to notice a lessening of the number of spots.>
I know that eventually my puffer needs a larger tank. I will worry about that when he is within three months of needing the larger tank.
<It's best to start planning now and looking around, it will save you loads of headaches when it comes closer to the time.>
How many inches can he grow to in an 80 gallon tank and still be all right? 
<It's not necessarily how big he is in the tank that you have to worry about. When puffers are cramped they will become ill quite frequently. In smaller spaces they quickly foul the water which in turn effects their health. The larger the system the easier it is on you and the puffer.>
He is about 5 inches long right now. How many months does it take for him to grow to 12 inches? 
<It depends on the feeding. But it takes a couple of years to get the full foot long puffer. They seem to shoot up to 6 inches quickly they the rate at which they grow to the 10-12 inch mark depends on the quality of water in the tank and the nutrition of the food.>
I feed him two shrimp and two small pieces of squid (about 2 cm long) once per day.
<That seems like quite a good feeding schedule, your puffer should be doing quite well I imagine.>
I want to feed him snails but I don't know where to buy these. Are they the turbo snails?
<You can talk to your local store and tell them you wish to purchase snails in bulk, most will be happy to offer you a good discount for your business. Turbos are pretty hard shelled. You might want to look at snails that are smaller and easily crunched.>
Can the puffer bite into a clam shell? 
<Larger ones can, but usually you have to crack them with a nutcracker first so the puffer can get a purchase on them and work the shell over with it's teeth.>
Won't my puffer eat the shrimp? 
<The person who had sent you that email must not have realized that it was a porcupine puffer. 99.5% of porcs in a tank will eat a cleaner shrimp within minutes of it in a tank. They are just that actively aggressive eaters. I'd skip the shrimp. They are to expensive to be a snack for your puffer.>
And will the puffer harm the gobies?
<hard to say with Puffers. with dogface puffers they usually accept them. I've seen some porcs have quite a variety of fish in there tank with little to no problem, while I have seen others that are alone because they have eaten all other tank mates. I would skip them unless you offer a large tank and plenty of rock work for the little fish to hide in from the puffer.>
Thanks, Irene
<good luck-Magnus> 

Stars & stripes puffer & Orbic batfish  rotting away
I am an assistant in a Marine Biology program. We have a 10in stars &
stripes puffer and a 10in Orbiculate batfish in a 200 gal tank. The
stars & stripes just moved into that tank on May 14, after a stars &
stripes we had had for 20 years died from old age. I did a 30% water
change, matching the salinity of the 200 gal to the salinity of the tank
the puffer was housed in previously. While moving him I noticed that
portions of his caudal fin were missing, but since he had been housed
with another fish I didn't think anything of it. Friday, May 21 we began
to notice that all of the puffer's fins were rotting away. We treated it
to a five minute freshwater dip on Friday and a ten minute dip on
Saturday. On Sunday we noticed the batfish's eyes had clouded over and
her pectoral fins had started to deteriorate. Since then we have treated
the tank with Melafix and dipped both animals for 5 minutes every day
but the puffer is getting worse do you have any suggestions?
<I do. The water change you effected was a good step... but do check you alkalinity and pH... and possibly elevate both. I suspect your root problem here is water quality. Check the mechanical filter media for clogging, excess material and clean or renew it. At the semi-last resort, if you have another system, I would move at least the most mal-affected puffer to this. I do not encourage anything other than nutritional supplementation here in the way of chemical treatment. Bob Fenner>

Puffer Problem?
Hi there,
<Hello! Scott F. here today!>
I am new to this saltwater fish tank hobby. I just recently purchased 2 yellow box fish. The are real tiny, about the size of a dice. I have a 10 gallon set up ( I also have a 55), but the guy at the fish store said they would be fine in a 10 gallon.
<Well, for a short time, anyway. Hope that the move to larger quarters is coming sooner rather than later!>
My water is good--no problems there, I think. One of my fish has recently started to shake and to twitch and he will swim on his side just for a second. Should I be concerned. Any information you might have will be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your help. Vanessa.
<Well, Vanessa, it's hard to say what is causing the twitching that you're seeing. If it is a continuous behavior, it could be signs of some sort of trauma to the fish. On the other hand, if it just happens once in a while, it could be that the fish is responding to some sort of discomfort. Perhaps some parasitic problem? Are there any other outward signs of disease? Do observe the fish carefully. If the fish appears to be eating, and is otherwise apparently healthy, then it may be something relatively minor. I'd run a full spectrum of basic water quality tests, and then I'd keep a very close eye on the fish for signs of other problems. Sometimes, doing nothing but providing excellent environmental conditions and good food is all it takes to make everything right. If the fish begins to decline, or show other signs of illness, do write back and we'll do our best to help you. Regards, Scott F.> 

Puffer Fading (5/25/04)
Thanks Steve! <My pleasure.> Last night I went to the LFS and got some DI water so I will be using that from now on. <Smart. Do consider buying your own system. You will recoup your investment within a year or so.> My puffer seems to be doing worse however. <:(> The ich is
multiplying, his eyes are cloudy and full of ich, he refuses to eat and hangs out at the top of the tank mostly. I've asked around and someone recommended a freshwater dip (2 others said not to, that it would add to the stress). What are your thoughts on this? <Well, this sounds like a desperate situation. I fear that the stress of a dip could kill your puffer, but he may be too far gone for anything to help and does not seem likely to survive if you don't do something more, and soon. It is probably worth the risk at this point. Do be sure to match pH and temp to the tank. Adding Methylene blue (Available at many LFS) may help him tolerate the dip better by increasing the oxygen and darkening the water. I should also mention that copper can be hard on puffers. Some people oppose using it with them. Search on "copper, puffers" for info. Your puffer may also perk up if you cut the copper concentration way back and treat with hyposalinity instead. See the articles I referenced previously. I'd also add and antibiotic too, because the cloudy eyes may be due to a secondary bacterial infection. Unfortunately, this may increase your ammonia problem by killing even more biofilter than even the copper is already doing. And formalin will do the same. Frequent water changes will be needed. Desperate times call for desperate measures.>
thanks again -a <Hope this helps. If you lose him, don't be too hard on yourself, you're doing everything in your power for him.> 

Puffer Hanging In There (5/26/04)
Again, Steve thanks so much for your continued support and speedy reply. <You're welcome.>
To update, the puffer looked worse last night so I gave him the freshwater dip with Methylene blue. We caught him with a container (we didn't want to use a net for fear he would swallow air). <Excellent> Pouring off as much of the container water as we could then poured him into the dip; he didn't looked too stressed out, he
was in for 2 minutes or so. Unfortunately, none of the ich came off (maybe too short a dip, also diluted with saltwater). <Straight freshwater for 5-7 minutes is more effective. This treatment is sometimes repeated daily for a few days.> He seemed more lively, and we also then did a 50% water change. I added a poly filter to further reduce the copper. This morning most of the copper is gone, and I'm not sure whether to continue with this treatment. I bought some antibacterial medication too. Do you recommend continuing at low dosage of copper/Cupramine (0.25) or switching to something else? <Did you read the articles at www.reefkeeping.com? Here's the first one: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.htm > Someone at the LFS swears by this concoction he gave me called 'smurf juice'- a mixture of Methylene blue <hence, Smurf>, formalin and malachite green (add 1 ml/10 gallons for 3 days straight). <I cannot comment on the dosing because I have no idea of the concentrations, but formalin & malachite green are known to be effective against ich. Like all therapies, they have a downside. You can read more about them at the link provided.> He said not to administer any other anti-bacterial medications if I use this mixture. <My thought on antibacterials is if the eye clouding seems to be due to bacterial infection.> I fear I'm doing more harm than good because I keep changing medications, but I'm worried about using the copper because it seems to be making things worse (I had read conflicting wetwebmedia points of view using copper with puffers, but decided to go ahead with the treatment because I was told that it's more effective than formalin). <Yes, it is best to go with a plan and follow it through to completion. Copper is indeed controversial, but your experience of worsening suggests that it was probably doing more harm than good in your case.> I need to pick a medication and stick with it, else he's going to starve to
death:{ <Agreed. Use the info in Steven Pro's articles to make a decision. BTW, consider joining the forum at http://wetwebfotos.com/talk/ Lots of great folks there who would be happy to share experiences & offer suggestions. I hope this all helps. Steve Allen>

Puffer Getting Better (6/7/04)
  Hi there fabulous WWM crew/Steve, <Hello. Good to hear from you again.> Just a quick question and follow-up.
  The valentini puffer is doing very well and has been ich-free for almost 2 weeks! <Excellent!> The hyposalinity seems to be working. I will keep him in QT for another 2 weeks, almost he looks like he's getting bored-pacing the tank, etc. The 10
g. must be too small. <Yes, but just think how happy he'll be when he can go back into the main tank disease-free.>
  My question is, can I use a pre-seeded filter that have been in my main tank for over a month now in the QT to combat ammonia levels? <Since the tank has been fallow for a month, this should be OK.> The main tank's salinity is 1.023 and the QT's salinity is 1.012 (for now), so I'm afraid the nitrifying bacteria will be instantly killed by the difference in salinity. <Being single-celled, bacteria seem to adjust fairly well, and are able to live at a variety of salinity levels. However, acclimating over a couple of hours might help. Another option instead o the filter is a bag of Bio-Spira Marine if it is available in your area. You can add the remainder to your main as a "booster."
thanks as always. <A pleasure. Glad to hear things are going well. Stay patient and all will be well in the end. Steve Allen>
-a ps. WetWebFotos. com's message board is great! thanks for tuning me in. <Thanks for taking part.>

Treating Ich (5/29/04)
  Hi Steve, <Hello again>
  Good/Bad news about the puffer. Last night I came home and he looked a lot better, and fed him a live clam (after soaking in freshwater for 10 min or so) and he ate part of it! <Good!> The ich had also receded somewhat. <Also good> I did a 50% water
change and added the smurf juice dosage (thanks for the links, I had read through them yesterday or day before I believe)
  This morning, he looks ok with the exception of the his skin-it looks like it's flaking off near his belly. I know I should pick a treatment and follow through with it, but again I'm having second thoughts again. Sorry to be such a pest with the questions-I'm definitely learning with this fish! Thanks so much, I really appreciate it -Angela <Glad to help. I hope this works out. The peeling may be from skin damage from the ich. Keep your water free of ammonia and nitrites. Consider adding Melafix to try to prevent infection. Add a broad-spectrum antibiotic if it looks infected. Be aware that this will also kill your QT's biofilter.>

Cramping a puffer's style
Hi,
<Hi! Ananda here this morning...>
I have a very sick porcupine puffer by the name of Amy. She is in a 55 gallon aquarium that is divided in half. 
<Bingo. I bet that's the problem: the fish has nowhere near enough room. My view is that these fish should be in tanks that are at least 6' long. Are you aware that they get to football size?>
The other side of the tank belongs to an orange seahorse. This tank has been setup for years and although the water quality is not perfect it does remain constant. I test it on a daily basis. SPG-1.023, pH.-7.8 (which I know is low),
<Too low. Use a buffer.>
AMMONIA-0, NITRITE-0, NITRATE-160 (which I also know is high). 
<Way too high. Do you have a protein skimmer???>
I do have live rock in this tank. The seahorse shows no sign of stress and they have both been exposed to this water quality for at least a year possibly two. 
<Not all symptoms of stress are visible.>
Amy's diet has only been frozen krill that is what I was told to feed her, but I noticed that she won't eat them any longer. 
<Puffs do get tired of their food unless you feed them a variety of foods. Do read the Puffer Feeding FAQs: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pufferfdgfaqs.htm and http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pufferfdgfaq2.htm ...>
Right now she looks terrible. Still has sparkles in her eyes but she lingers near the top of the aquarium and swims all humped up. 
<That is a definite sign that the tank is too small for the fish.>
She's still active when she sees me, comes up to greet me, but she just looks bony with labored breathing and I'm not positive but it looks like there is missing skin on the top of her back in two places (small areas), also I noticed uneven edges of her right pectoral fin (if she is facing you). I can quarantine her and treat her if need be but I'm not sure with what. 
<This fish needs a much bigger tank in the short term, and a major water change as soon as possible -- 70% is not out of line for nitrate levels that are this high. Do let the water mix for at least 4 hours before you use it.>
I have resorted to force feeding her since that is the only way I can get her to eat.
<Try other foods.>
I feed her twice daily 3cc liquefied krill (this is the only thing that I have to feed her right now). Amy is a beloved family pet and I would hate to lose her especially if there is something I can do about it. Any suggestions?
<Yep, sprinkled through the text above. --Ananda>
Thanks,
Janel 

White worm in puffers' eyes 5/20/04
I'm battling an outbreak of skinny, white worms affecting at least two of my puffer fish (a Valentini puffer and a striped Burrfish). The worms seem to gravitate to the fishes' eyes but also have appeared on fins and poking out of flesh. I haven't find any info online, so any advice much appreciated...Thanks, Jenn P.
<for success with fishkeeping long t term, you will want to have a good diagnostic fish disease book on hand. For a cheap, reliable book look for Untergasser's old but accurate "Handbook of Fish Diseases) (TFH press). The best modern work to date is that of Noga's. To address your problem now though is fairly easy. Any parasitic worms that large to see can easily be dropped off with a proper freshwater dip and/or use of Formalin. Please do a keyword search of our site for these terms and protocols if unfamiliar. Best regards, Anthony>

Porcupine puffer with spots
Hey again!
<Hi! Ananda here today...>
Thanks for the advice on the boxfish, it seems that his dark markings are quite normal! phew! That little guy is really a sweety!
Now I have another problem that requires your expertise: I have had a porcupine puffer for about 5 months now and he seem to have white spots in his fins. The fins are a little whitish (not totally clear) and I see these 1/16th inch spots.
<They are raised spots, I take it...>
I've quarantined him for 2 weeks with a weak solution of CopperSafe and it disappeared. But now after 2 weeks in the main tank it seems to have come back.
<Yep, ich does that. Marine ich has a month-long life cycle: it is on the fish for a bit, then drops off into the substrate, then heads back for the fish (to simplify matters greatly!). That's why you need to keep the fish and system ich-free for at least a month before adding fish back to a previously-infected system.>
In the main tank no one else has it.
<Not surprising. Porcs can be ich magnets. Also, the other fish may have it, but not to the point of it being visible.>
This is the second time I quarantine him to try to fix this problem and I have been treating the main tank on and off with RX-P for over 2 months to make sure it didn't have any left.
<I'm not familiar with that particular product, but evidently it didn't work as advertised.>
Other than this, he eats fine, swims is curious and he even likes to "anchors" himself under rocks and just stays there looking around. He sure doesn't act sick. He doesn't have the salty type dots on his skin nor on his fins.
<Wait... your second paragraph said he has white spots on his fins...? I am now confused.>
Numbers are good, tested just this morning and did a 25% WC every 2 weeks for the last 2 months.
Specific Gravity - 1.019
Ammonia - 0 ppm
Nitrite - 0 ppm
Nitrate - < 05 ppm (inverted it last time!)
pH - 8.2
temperature - 78-80F
and the setup is:
1 hang on filter 125gph
1 Prizm skimmer
20 lb of live rock
<Likely dead rock, now, thanks to the anti-ich medication.>
crushed coral sub
What could those spots be? and how do I go about curing him?
<I would move both fish into quarantine for a full month, and go with a full-out hyposalinity treatment. Much more info is available on the WetWebMedia site.>
Thanks so much for your advice, it is much appreciated!
José
<You're quiet welcome. --Ananda>

Sick porcupine puffer: won't eat
<Hi! Ananda here tonight...>
I have a porcupine puffer that has gotten sick. He has developed an arch in his back and refuses to eat. He has trouble swimming, acting erratic an unable to keep himself straight.
<Could be a couple of things... swim bladder problems or water quality issues come to mind first, though there are other possible causes. How big a tank is he in?>
He sits on the bottom of the tank most of the time. He seems to want to eat, but gives up because he can't swim right. We tried skewering food krill and put it in his mouth, but he spits it out. I've given him a Melaleuca extract to defend against possible bacterial infections. There don't seem to be any external parasites. This has been ongoing for about a week. The water conditions are as follows - Ph 8.2, no ammonia or nitrites, very slight nitrates and phosphates and temp around 78 F. 
<Could you bring a tank water sample to the LFS to confirm the ammonia and nitrite readings?>
The salinity stays stable around 1.019. I've had him for about 6 months. He eats vitamin fortified Freeze dried krill and frozen clam, but doesn't like anything else. I don't like to resort to live food, but if that's what requires, I have access to ghost shrimp, brine shrimp, live clams, snails, brine and feeder fish of all sizes.
<Of those, my preferences are ghost shrimp and snails. Ghost shrimp are cheap, and you can gut-load them, so I'd try that first. You might try feeding them some highly-nutritious food and then giving them to the puffer. If the shrimp move too fast for him to get them, then I'd suggest snails. If neither work, you might try some brine shrimp as an appetizer first, then something else.>
Would a broad spectrum antibiotic help? He also had a red mark in front of his right pectoral fin, directly in back of his gill. That seems to be clearing up with the Melaleuca.
<It just might, especially if you've got signs of something that's clearing up with the Melaleuca.>
He also inflates for no apparent reason and deflates quickly. He also seems to be breathing quicker than normal. 
<Both are definite stress signs.>
There is a red general starfish and a coral catfish as tankmates, both seem fine. Anything you can suggest would be extremely helpful since he's like part of the family. Thank you in advance.
<If you decide to medicate, that's best done in a hospital tank. I would also consider dosing the tank with a reef iodine supplement; that has helped other puffers that have had difficulty eating due to jaw or thyroid problems. Hope this helps! --Ananda> 

Puffer pimple?
Hi,
<Hi! Ananda here this afternoon...>
Got a mini reef at home which is a home for my 1 inch Valentini puffer (His name is Tamblot).
<Oooh, I bet he's cute at that size.>
Just last weekend, I introduced a pair of clowns to the tank.  They all are doing good until just a few days ago, I noticed that the left check of my puffer is bulging.  Similar to a mosquito bite or pimple and it is pink in color.  I could sometimes see him scratching it on the surface of the rock.  It's itchy maybe.  
<Sounds like it.>
Right now, he is having problem closing his mouth and he looks like he is having a candy ball on his mouth.  He still hasn't lose its appetite though.  Is this an itch?
<It actually sounds like it might be Lymphocystis. That's caused by a virus, and can be triggered by high nitrate levels in your tank. I would double-check your water quality; if your nitrates get to about 10 or so, do a water change. My guess is that the introduction of the two clowns at once introduced more bio-load than the tank was prepared to deal with. The nitrates may have spiked, causing the puffer's problem.>
I would greatly appreciate your suggestion to remedy this problem.
<I would isolate the puffer in a separate tank and do frequent water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrites at zero and the nitrates at 5 or less. If you have some bio-filtration you can use on the hospital tank, that will probably help. Also, do more frequent water testing and water changes on the main tank. If what the puffer has is indeed Lymphocystis, it will eventually go away by itself -- IF you keep the puffer's water quality pristine. If you have problems keeping the nitrates down in the main tank, do consider getting a better skimmer -- that will pull gunk out of the water before the nitrifying bacteria have to deal with it, thus preventing nitrates from being formed.>
Regards,
Joebel
<Do also check out the WetWebMedia site for Lymphocystis. --Ananda>

Porcupine Puffer in Distress 5/9/04
Hi and good evening:
<Hi Deborah, Pufferpunk here>
We have a porcupine puffer fish that has suddenly become lethargic and is laying on the bottom of the tank, breathing hard.  His belly has a sunken-in appearance as if he is emaciated, which he is not.
<If his belly is sunken in, then why would you think he wasn't emaciated?  A puffer can eat & eat & if it has internal parasites, will show signs of emaciation.>
Until today he has eaten heartily.  However, he did have an episode during a recent feeding in which he appeared to 'choke' on a piece of shrimp and began to inflate. When he was semi-inflated he began to cough for lack of a better descriptor (not his usual deflation action).  He appeared to return to normal.  I would appreciate any thoughts or advice.  We have had him for several years and are concerned to see him in such distress.
<You might want to look thru the FAQs, I remember a similar Q to this within the past month or 2.  Have you added any other fish recently?  One thing I can think of, would be internal parasites brought in by another fish, that could have been passed on to your puffer.  A friend of mine's puffer choked on a piece of gravel it had swallowed, while going after some food.  She did an autopsy & found the gravel lodged in it's throat.  Make sure you check the water parameters.  Breathing hard can be a sign of ammonia or nitrites.>
Thank you,
Debbie Gilliss
<I hope your puffer will get through this.  ~PP>