Hi everyone,
I have had my Dog Face Puffer for nearly five months now and it has been a VERY bumpy road. First, the entire tank developed a strain of ick, which killed every fish in the tank (minus the puffer) in less than 48 hours; in nearly two years, I have never seen anything like it! Through countless water changes and medication treatments in quarantine (for 4 weeks), I was able to bring the puffer back to health and get him to eat over the course of about a month. Prior to re-introducing him to the display, I changed out 100% of the substrate and added an additional 50 pounds of live rock. For the past three months since that incident, I have noticed the puffer continues to get ick on his eyes (they also cloud severely at times) and flare-ups on his dorsal fins. I have gotten to the point that I am doing 25-30% water changes every week (sometimes twice a week) and still continue to have problems. Some days he seems fine and his eyes are crystal clear and other times, he looks as bad as he did when the strain initially broke out. The only good news is that he continues to eat well. I don't know what else to do. I also have a saddle back clown in the same tank (1.5 months now) and he has not developed any adverse symptoms...I am listing my tank info and recent test results below:
75 gallon (I have a 90 waiting for him but not until he is well; he is 3" now)
15 gallon sump / refuge. (bioballs, filter media, and live rock/sand)
100+ pounds live rock
2" sand-bed in display
220 watt HO T-5 (2 actinic, 2 white)
5ppm nitrate (time for another water change)
0 ammonia
.5 phosphates
0 nitrites
490 ppm calcium
1.024 Spec. Grav (was at 1.018 for 3 weeks)
78-80 temp
Feed - 2-3 times / day (Krill, Squid, table shrimp, muscles <when he'll eat them>)
ANY advice would be much appreciated! I really have grown quite attached to this fish...
THANK YOU!!!
I have had my Dog Face Puffer for nearly five months now and it has been a VERY bumpy road. First, the entire tank developed a strain of ick, which killed every fish in the tank (minus the puffer) in less than 48 hours; in nearly two years, I have never seen anything like it! Through countless water changes and medication treatments in quarantine (for 4 weeks), I was able to bring the puffer back to health and get him to eat over the course of about a month. Prior to re-introducing him to the display, I changed out 100% of the substrate and added an additional 50 pounds of live rock. For the past three months since that incident, I have noticed the puffer continues to get ick on his eyes (they also cloud severely at times) and flare-ups on his dorsal fins. I have gotten to the point that I am doing 25-30% water changes every week (sometimes twice a week) and still continue to have problems. Some days he seems fine and his eyes are crystal clear and other times, he looks as bad as he did when the strain initially broke out. The only good news is that he continues to eat well. I don't know what else to do. I also have a saddle back clown in the same tank (1.5 months now) and he has not developed any adverse symptoms...I am listing my tank info and recent test results below:
75 gallon (I have a 90 waiting for him but not until he is well; he is 3" now)
15 gallon sump / refuge. (bioballs, filter media, and live rock/sand)
100+ pounds live rock
2" sand-bed in display
220 watt HO T-5 (2 actinic, 2 white)
5ppm nitrate (time for another water change)
0 ammonia
.5 phosphates
0 nitrites
490 ppm calcium
1.024 Spec. Grav (was at 1.018 for 3 weeks)
78-80 temp
Feed - 2-3 times / day (Krill, Squid, table shrimp, muscles <when he'll eat them>)
ANY advice would be much appreciated! I really have grown quite attached to this fish...
THANK YOU!!!
