Need advice/help: Sick Ceylon puffer?

[Bosco]

Hi just joined this forum and hope someone can help me out.

I've had my ceylon puffer for awhile now. He's always been very active, eats well and had a nice bright white belly.

Over the past few weeks, I noticed that when it's dark, his belly is somewhat white but once I turn on the light, it turns grey, then black.

I asked the store I bought him from and they think hes fine. He's swimming as per normal, eating normally, etc.

However, recently I noticed he has not been excreting as much. Also when he eats his food, he tends to spit it out alot more than he used to. Just the other day, I noticed this reddish blob sliding out of the side of his head, it wasn't blood I don't think, some viscous looking liquid substance. I don't know if his breathing is considered normal or labored.

I bought a hydrometer and found the salinity too high so I'm adjusting that now. I change 1/3 of his water weekly and I clean his tank regularly, changed the filters on the pump as well. I take out whatever food he doesn't eat. I give him live shrimp and snails as a treat every once in awhile.

Can anyone think of what might be wrong and how I can make him feel better? Will appreciate any insight or advice.

[Northernguy]

Welcome to the Fabulous AC!
Can you get a pic of its head and the blob?
You could try feeding some peeled blanched peas.Just give them a bit of a squeeze as you drop it in.It will help the fish if its constipated.
When you changed the filter did you keep any of the old media in the filter?
Have you tested your other perameters?Ammonia ,nitrites ,nitrates?
Some fish colors fade at night when its resting.The colors come back as soon as light come on usually.

[robnepper]

You're going to have to get his salinity down but, if it's way high, not all at once. Is the blob comming out of the gill opening just behind the pectoral or growing on the outside? We do really need the rest of your parameters. Also, if you don't have anything to test the salinity with, how do you know when the water is right??

[Bosco]

Hi Northernguy, thanks for the welcome!

The blob isn't stuck to him, I just noticed it slithering out and then it floated away and promptly dissolved in the water.

If I assume that my puffer is constipated, do I stop feeding him for a couple of days and just feed him with the peas?

When I changed the filter, I changed all of it to a new one. It comes in disposable packs so I just take it out every 2 weeks or so and replace it with a new one.

After reading through some of the posts, I realize that I need to test for the parameters but I don't have any devices for that purpose. When I first bought my puffer, the store told me just to look out for the salinity, even then though they didn't strongly recommend I buy a hydrometer so I didn't think it was that important. Though I realise now that I should have had it from the start.

I'll go out and buy the necessary stuff tomorrow and post the measurements then.

[Bosco]

How slowly should I bring his salinity down? The blob is not stuck to him, like I posted in my reply to northernguy, it just came out and then dissolved in the water. I bought a hydrometer to test for salinity.

I'll be posting up the parameters after I buy the testing kit. Thanks for your reply.

[NanoTankGuy]

When I changed the filter, I changed all of it to a new one. It comes in disposable packs so I just take it out every 2 weeks or so and replace it with a new one.

I don't think you should do that - only change the filter if you see it disintegrating or when the sponge stops being a sponge. The only thing that you need to change is the carbon insert if you have one (and you need to take it out completely if you're adding any medication). Otherwise, DO NOT change your filter media every 2 weeks. Last time I did that was in 90s when I was young and stupid :) and it cost me a whole lotta fish.
Since you've had your puffer for a while, I don't think that's what got to him, but it definitely didn't help if you changed the whole filter without "seeding" it with old media (at least) and salinity... I'm not gonna pretend I know anything about that. lol. There are lots more SW experts here.

[kaybee]

...I bought a hydrometer and found the salinity too high so I'm adjusting that now.

How high is "too high" and what is your target salinity level?

[Bosco]

Ok I think I misunderstood what northernguy meant by media (not savvy with the terms) but what I meant to say was, yeah I change the carbon insert every 2 weeks, so I guess it's not the same as changing the filter media.

I don't think you should do that - only change the filter if you see it disintegrating or when the sponge stops being a sponge. The only thing that you need to change is the carbon insert if you have one (and you need to take it out completely if you're adding any medication). Otherwise, DO NOT change your filter media every 2 weeks. Last time I did that was in 90s when I was young and stupid :) and it cost me a whole lotta fish.
Since you've had your puffer for a while, I don't think that's what got to him, but it definitely didn't help if you changed the whole filter without "seeding" it with old media (at least) and salinity... I'm not gonna pretend I know anything about that. lol. There are lots more SW experts here.

[Bosco]

The target salinity level that the fish store recommended is somewhere b/w 6 to 11 PPT. Mine was about 20 when I first measured it.

How high is "too high" and what is your target salinity level?

[Bosco]

I bought a kit that measures all sort of parameters and here are the results:

Nitrate 50
Nitrite 0
GH 8
KH 3-6
pH 7.2
Chlorine 0

I checked and it showed that the levels were all within normal levels.

My puffer seems to be more active now and less bloated. But he still hasn't shat. It's been almost 5 days now.