Disease identification help

[chaseadam]

My puffer appears to have a sore above his left eye but I am not sure what the disease is, if it is even a disease. This has developed from a single dot in a few days. Behavior has not changed (yet).

Water temp was 81-82 but has been lowered to 79 since this morning.
Water levels are within my norm (a bit high):
no3:20
no2:0
nh4:0
po:<5
kh:10 drops
ph:8.2

https://picasaweb.google.com/chasenadam/Fish#5613630306614815506
https://picasaweb.google.com/chasenadam/Fish#5613630292831219266

 

[MechEng99]

Hard to tell from the pics, but it may be the start of HLLE (head and lateral line erosion.)

How long has your system been up and running? Any other tank mates? What size tank? What do you feed?

 

[chaseadam]

FOWLR tank

120G 6ft long
20G long sump
He has been in the tank for 4-5 years. Moved the tank twice, once 2.5 years ago, another time Jan 2011

mates: 3ft+ zebra moray eel, 4-5" male bird wrasse, 3-4" engineer goby

recently (over a month) lost a long time tank-mate (4-5" yellow fox face) due to diet/nutrition and stress

eats krill (rarely treated with vitachem)

 

[MechEng99]

I would try varying his diet more. You can get cheap random seafood parts (usually at Asian groceries) and chop finely (depending on his size) to feed relatively inexpensively. I would also throw into that mixture some dried seaweed (force those veggies!! LOL) Vitachem is good...and add some Selcon if you can.

Not sure if it's the start of HLLE, but look up some pictures of it...and keep an eye on it spreading.

 

[chaseadam]

MechEng99, Thanks for the advice, I will go to the Asian market on my way home from work. What type of seafood should I go for?

 

[MechEng99]

I use a blend of raw mussels, shrimp, oysters, scallops...plus some red/green/brown seaweed. You can probably use the sheets of Nori (for sushi) there as well (as long as they don't have preservatives or other ingredients). I blend everything up and freeze it in sandwich bags (or you can use cube ice trays or even eggcrate) for later servings. Asian seafood blends probably have some calamari...random fish...who knows what all.

 

[MrTuskfish]

A steady, long term diet has generated a lot of talk over the past several years; there seem to be several problems associated with it; although there's no way to tell if your puffer has been bothered by it. However, a varied diet and vitamins are the key to proper fish nutrition; IMO & IME. Most puffers will eat anything and should be given the chance to do so. BTW, how do you know your rabbit died from "diet/nutrition and stress'? just curious.

 

[MrTuskfish]

A steady, long term diet has generated a lot of talk over the past several years; there seem to be several problems associated with it; although there's no way to tell if your puffer has been bothered by it. However, a varied diet and vitamins are the key to proper fish nutrition; IMO & IME. Most puffers will eat anything and should be given the chance to do so. BTW, how do you know your rabbit died from "diet/nutrition and stress'? just curious.

To late to edit; "the steady diet" referred to was krill.