Help! MBU puffer sick

[kno4te]

I just frustrated. Never had this situation before. The puffer just lays on its side breathing normal. Then occasionally takes off but looks extremely drugged crashing into stuff and even twirling around. It look perfectly normal (not skinny) with great colors. If I grab it, it feels like a very healthy muscular fish and it definitely will break free.

Just sad tonight. I have a bad feeling it was my fault. I focus so hard on water quality and I am thinking m blind spot was nutritional. Grrr

Other option is move to a quarantine tank with minimal water so it has to sit on its belly and cannot spin around or move around much. Add vitachem/salt/methylene blue to that quarantine tank. Continue to monitor.

 

[puffers4puffers]

How many gallons are you changing?
And what is the water?
Is the new water up to temperature before it’s added?
I would run a 30” media reactor full of carbon
And change the carbon weekly
Water changes 30-50% every 7-10 days

Mine is currently 4.5 years old
Started at 3”
Now it’s over 24”
Good luck

 

[CrunchyLobster123]

I just frustrated. Never had this situation before. The puffer just lays on its side breathing normal. Then occasionally takes off but looks extremely drugged crashing into stuff and even twirling around. It look perfectly normal (not skinny) with great colors. If I grab it, it feels like a very healthy muscular fish and it definitely will break free.

Just sad tonight. I have a bad feeling it was my fault. I focus so hard on water quality and I am thinking m blind spot was nutritional. Grrr

100% I’d try just adding vitachem and maybe some salt to the water see if that helps or Kno4te said you could put it into a quarantine tank to make it easier to treat and monitor. I feed quite heavily mussels, shrimp, squid, etc to my eels and other predatory fish so a good vitamin supplement is always something I have on hand but I don’t believe many people actually know/think about nutrition and if their fish are actually getting everything they need. Thiaminase is one of the biggest reasons it’s not good to feed goldfish as a staple feeder because they are so high with it, so are clams, mussels, and shrimp.