Puffer blew up:X Anything I can do to help him?

Tigerarmy · #1 10-07-2008, 03:54 AM

My dogface puffer got sucked into a return pump. He is fairly large so i really don't know how it happened. He puffed out and when we turned out the power he came free but since, his tail has turned white and he looks to be sinking into himself. Obviously there was some damage done to him. Is there anything I can do to help him?

dsaundry · #2 10-07-2008, 03:58 AM

Can you access the other end and blow into it or gently force water from the backside to try to free him...

naesco · #3 10-07-2008, 04:22 AM

Make sure you turn the lights off and avoid approaching the tank so as not to stress her further. Put an airstone in your tank to increase the oxygen.
Feed an antibiotic that is neomycin based or provided there are no coral or inverts use neomycin tablets. Soak her favourite food with garlic.

What you want to accomplish here is to avoid further stress and avoid bacterial and fungus infection from her injuries.

midgetwaiter · #4 10-07-2008, 03:24 PM

Neomycin is not absorbed through the digestive tract, so all you will do by adding it to food is kill the bacteria in the gut. If you kill enough of it you will kill the fish. If you add it to the water it will be absorbed through the gills and will act systemically. However I'd skip the antibiotic unless you have some indication it it required. It is not something to be taken lightly.

Puffers tend to drift about sometimes when they are sleeping and this can happen, I've lost one this way. There is really nothing you can do but wait.

Tigerarmy · #5 10-08-2008, 06:10 AM

Sadly the puffer succumbed to his injuries last night

Thank you all for your suggestions.

GreenSpottedPuffer · #6 10-08-2008, 08:19 AM

So sorry for your lose. One thing I often recommend to people keeping puffers is to watch out what kinds of powerheads you are using. They are not strong swimmers and can get stuck and hurt so easily. Especially when puffed. Koralia's are great for puffers. I have seen my burrfish puff up near one and she just gets pushed back around the tank

The burrfish actually sleeps or lays ontop of the koralia quite often. They are very safe with puffers.

Sadly this happens all too often. Im not going to lie...Its happened to one of my puffers once with a maxi-jet and it also died.

Sorry again and I hope you find another dogface. They are such amazing fish!