Dogface Puffer disease??

[krissyfish20]

Hi!
My dogface puffer has something on him that I'm not quite sure what it is. He has them on his head and side of the base of his tail. They look like little clusters of pimples or cysts or something, and don't seem to be spreading at all. Has anyone ever experienced this, or know what kind of treatment I can use? Even though they aren't spreading I don't want it to progress into anything more.
Thanks :):):)

[monza]

Any pics? Are you sure it is not ich?

Dave

[krissyfish20]

No it's not ich at this point because it's in little clusters. For example it looks like it comes from one strand, then has little balls on the end. Think of a whole bunch of helium ballons held together in a bunch. And it's only concentrated in a little spot on the top of his head, and on the base of his tail. I'll try and get a pic. :)

[monza]

With out a picture I'm just guessing but it could be a common ailment known as lymphocystis. It's an infection that sort of looks like cauliflower and happens with poor water quality usually on newly shipped fish. With quality water it can clear itself up so keep doing water changes. It could also be cotton mouth and you'd have to most likely treat it but I don't know much about it. Do some searches see if you can post some pics.

Good luck.

Dave

[Beverly]

With out a picture I'm just guessing but it could be a common ailment known as lymphocystis. It's an infection that sort of looks like cauliflower and happens with poor water quality usually on newly shipped fish.

Brought home a chevron butterfly several weeks ago. The fish kept getting what I thought was ich every other week on its pec fins, though none of the other fish sharing the tank with the butterfly have displyed similar symptoms. Phoned the lfs where I bought it and asked to talk to the manager. Explained to him about the "ich" problem and he thought it was lymphocystis and not ich at all.

He was kind enough to get out his fish ailments book to better describe lymphocystis and its treatment, which there are few because it's a virus. After reading about some of the more drastic treatments for severe cases, he told me to increase the heat in my tank.

Then I researched the virus on the internet to verify that increased heat will indeed cure the fish. Most sites on lymphocystis talk about wild fish stocks and one in particular said that during the heat of summer the virus often goes away. So, I increased the heat in the tank with the butterfly.

In the three weeks the temp has been 81-82 F, instead of 77-78 F, the fish has not been bothered by the lymphocystis. I would keep tank temps higher for a longer period of time, but we are getting a shipment of snails this week, I am slowly going to reduce tank temps and hope the lymphocystis does not return. If it does return, I will increase tank temps again.

The 3" butterfly is in a one year old 120g with ~140 lbs LR, no sandbed, no skimmer, no sump or refugium. 15% water changes done weekly, crud from the bottom of the tank is siphoned weekly, powerheads and foam media prefilters are thoroughly cleaned weekly. Lots of macroalge in the tank to utilize nutrients. Nitrate is 5 ppm.

HTH.

[danny zubot]

Krissy, do you have a cleaner shrimp or wrasse? They could help control external parasites like this one. BTW I agree fully with Bev on treating with higher temps. I haven't experienced ich or other parasites in my tank for two years because I can't seem to get my temp below 81 degrees.

[monza]

could help control external parasites like this one

It's a virus not a parasite so a cleaner shrimp would just be a nice dinner for the dog face.

Dave

[krissyfish20]

Thank you! I will try turning up the heat a bit and doing water changes more often! Hehe yeah the cleaner shrimp would probably just be a yummy snack for Mr. Spud (my puffers name) :cool: . Thanks again!

[krissyfish20]

And yes, it looks exactly like a little cauliflower!!! Haha I couldn't think of a good thing to describe it as, so I used the silly bunch of balloons description. A cauliflower would have been easier and more accurate! So yes, a cauliflower it is.

[Beverly]

I haven't experienced ich or other parasites in my tank for two years because I can't seem to get my temp below 81 degrees.

Having tank temps 81 F or higher will NOT prevent ich from becoming a problem in your tank. Ich must be introduced to an environment, either on a new fish or from corals/inverts/LR that have been in water where ich is going through its life cycle, before you see signs of it on fish in a home tank. I would also think higher tank temps would probably speed up the life cycle of parasites such as ich.

[Seamonkey]

:biggrin: My dogface puffer has these little pimples also, as long as they are the same color as he is I think thats normal. I've seen my puffer expand (puff up) a few times and he looks even pimplier.

[danny zubot]

OK Bev, you got me! :mrgreen: I actualy remember now that I had a purple pseudochromis that used to get ich from time to time. It only lasted a couple of days then it was gone, probly due to the high temp. I guess what I should have said is that I haven't had a fatality from ich for two years. :lol: