Puffer Help

[JackiB]

I will preface with I realize I need to put parameters and pictures but I am at work and did not have a chance to get them before I left the house. I will post them as soon as I get home just wanted to see if anyone had any opinions that I could start working with. Now for the issue...

I have a 6ft 150 with a 2.5ft fimbriated eel, 7in porcupine puffer, and 7 in Naso (yes we are actually in the process of building a 550 gal plywood inwall tank). It is a fowlr.

This morning my puffer's tail was white not clear and he was not acting his normal spunky self when I walked up to the glass. We have been out of town for several days for a funeral and just got back in last night so I did not see anything until this morning. He was fine before we left and the Naso is acting perfectly normal. It is obvious there is something wrong with him. I think it may be bacterial or fungal and put in some paraguard before I left just to try something.

Has anyone heard of or seen anyything like this come up so fast? We have been out of town since this past Thursday. I will get my qt setup tonight, but would really prefer to keep him in the tank if possible because he is so big, and I really do not like removing puffers from the water.

Thanks in advance and I will post more this evening, just want to get a jump on helping him. It will break our hearts if we lose him.

 

[b0bab0ey]

Was the tail itself white or were there white cotton-like growths on his tail? A pic would really help.

 

[h2so4hurts]

Who was taking care of the fish? Overfeeding? Could there have been a power outage? Ammonia? My gut says its related to water quality.

 

[JackiB]

It is the tail itself, no fluff on it. I will get a pic and post as soon as I get home. My parents were taking care of the fish, but I fed before I left and since it was not for long they did not feed the big guys. I doubt power outage because that would have surely effected my reef (seperate tank). I will check the params definitely and post those. I will most likely do a water change anyway even if params are in check and re-dose the paraguard. I have some melafix and maracyn-2 but that has to be administered in QT. If it is bacterial or fungal, is there some medication I could soak his food in since he only eats whole seafood (chopped up squid, octopus, shrimp, and misc fish pieces)?

 

[cngreg]

Other fins are clear? Sounds bacterial but I wouldn't bet my life on it. H2SO4 is righton with water quality, usually fish are immunocompromised from crappy water conditions and get external bacterial infections from slight abrasions or tifs with otehr fish (friendly eel bite). Any new fish added recently? Other signs of disease in tank mates? Fins are not well vascularised and oral antibiotics not usually effective, especially if it's at margins. Good news is it's a puffer, they are slow and easy to catch for dips in antibiotic treated water for a few hours a day. Please post pics.