Store rescued Puffer, needs urgent help!

[Mhamilton0911]

Did you really pick up that fish yesterday in that condition and done nothing with it for a day and then asking on forums what to do?

Either start a treatment immediately after pickup or if you dont have a plan then dont touch it.

Yes i did. Picked him up near closing of the store, traveled an hour home, prepped his tank and have been reading non stop. It's been less than 15 hours. Chill out . He'll be in copper in less than an hour. Please have something nice to say or positive or help in some way or don't say anything at all.

 

[Mhamilton0911]

I refreshed and see pics now . Follow with Jay on this

Will do thank you. All my water is made and I'm starting the process! Thank you again!!

 

[Dreminon]

to bad you don't have another reefer near you with big tank most will have lots of RODI on hand at all times

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Keep things simple. Quarantine doesn’t have to be complicated. Start copper power or copper safe therapy immediately. Don’t ramp up. Full dose. Give him a day before trying to feed. Feed very little to minimize pollution of water. Use live bacteria in a bottle to set up biological filtration. You can overdose for quicker result. Watch your ammonia and nitrite daily. If they spike do water changes but don’t let the copper level drop. Once you do these things then only time will determine if he makes it or not. Increase the temp go 80 degrees to speed up life cycle of parasites (quicker life cycles increases death rate by placing them in the susceptible stage quicker).

I know the above doesn’t sound simple. But it will with practice. Do your best for this fish but if it dies don’t feel bad because he is already in a pretty advanced stage of disease. Good for you for trying. Shame on the pet store for not.

 

[Mhamilton0911]

to bad you don't have another reefer near you with big tank most will have lots of RODI on hand at all times

Yeah I know ZERO other reefers other than the lfs owner. There might be 2 others I found on this forum but I've never met them. I'm in a really small town, an hour from the lfs that's in a small town, about 40k people. So not many resources.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Watching this, hope it works out for the puffer. Kudos to you, OP for trying to save the fish @ all. Most including probably myself wouldn't of touched it being that far gone.

 

[Mhamilton0911]

I've gotten 8 saltwater fish from here so far, and I've had zero disease appear, either they don't have anything or they're healthy enough to fend it off.

This puff was the first obvious case I've seen at this store, so I'm not directly blaming the store, however I do find it sad they didn't try to treat him at all, or even have him in a sale tank, they should have had a not for sale sign on the tank or something, but I couldn't just leave him to die. I felt the urge to help.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Did you have to pay for him?

 

[Mhamilton0911]

So he's in the tank now with copper at 2.5 and I dosed to directions fritz 9 bacteria. Temp at 79currently, but I'll be checking often since it's in the garage.

Currently marking all the gear I've already used or will use for this treatment so I'll know this is QT stuff.

Thank you all for words of encouragement and advice!

 

[MnFish1]

So he's in the tank now with copper at 2.5 and I dosed to directions fritz 9 bacteria. Temp at 79currently, but I'll be checking often since it's in the garage.

Currently marking all the gear I've already used or will use for this treatment so I'll know this is QT stuff.

Thank you all for words of encouragement and advice!

The one other post was too harsh - having said that, The message behind it i.e. a fish that sick needs immediate treatment to survive is a key message for (not just you) everyone reading. It frankly amazes me that the LFS didn't say - ok - So - you're going to need Salt water, x, y, z, and start it tonight. But - perhaps they didn't know - or thought the fish was too far gone. Good luck!!!!

 

[reef_1]

I do find it sad they didn't try to treat him at all, or even have him in a sale tank, they should have had a not for sale sign on the tank or something

How do you know they didnt treat it? Even healthy fish runs in copper.

Good it was not in a sale tank, so didnt infect other fish in that system.

What the shop said, did they say they dont treat it and just let him die?

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

How do you know they didnt treat it? Even healthy fish runs in copper.

Good it was not in a sale tank, so didnt infect other fish in that system.

What the shop said, did they say they dont treat it and just let him die?

Had they treated him, he wouldn’t be this sick. It’s obvious they had written him off. Just another fish from the sea, who cares if it suffers or dies. I’m surprised they didn’t just throw him in the trash alive. The things we do to animals.

 

[reef_1]

Had they treated him, he wouldn’t be this sick. It’s obvious they had written him off. Just another fish from the sea, who cares if it suffers or dies. I’m surprised they didn’t just throw him in the trash alive. The things we do to animals.

I could imagine they started to treat it, but then someone came in they thought can treat it and got rid of the problem.

Though I am not sure LFS normally bothers with treatments, but then it would also be quite harsh to have a "we let them all die" policy as well.

I am wondering what is a standard LFS policy for these cases, mine just throws them out I guess based on the amount of sick fish left gasping air at the bottom in the DT with other fish.

 

[Mhamilton0911]

Did you have to pay for him?

No, when I first asked if I could have him, owner reluctantly said for his cost, but then after looking at him for a while and me asking tons of questions he gave him to me.



@MnFish1. I agree that urgent treatment was needed but I had to be sure on which plan of treatment first. I felt that his difficult state that I might have only one chance at proper treatment and with my lack of knowledge I needed to talk with others who have more experience, which I why I'm posting here and reading all I can. Fish is in medicated water now, about 15ish hours from bagging at store,I feel this was the best I can do and more care than he was facing.


@reef_1 and @TastesLikeChicken I asked if they treated at all, answer was no, no meds in water no copper. Guys this is a super small pet store that also sells fish, in a town of less than 40,000.I've gotten all my other livestock here with 0 issues, I still like this store, they just don't have physical capacity to have a back room for treatment tanks. Im not blaming the store, just wanted to get this fish outta there to give him a chance. I have no experience with it, Im just willing to learn everything I can to help this fish.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Awsome uou are trying to treat. My lfs does have a back room to isloate and medicate sick fish. I usually see.1 or 2 back there one in a while. Might have a few things going on but hopefully you can at least get this fish going in the right direction.

 

[exnisstech]

I read your original post and you have my respect. I wish you well

 

[reef_1]

when I first asked if I could have him, owner reluctantly said for his cost

I asked if they treated at all, answer was no, no meds in water

Sounds like a nice place, they dont care about the fish but would happily charge for it.

 

[PlumbTuckered]

Hello, a few of you helped me make the decision to go back to my LFS and rescue an urgent case.

About 3" shortspine Porcupine Puffer, looks terrible. Fully covered in ich, cloudy eyes, and possibly other ailments. I need help to decide the best course of action. I did buy fresh coppersafe and a test kit yesterday as well, but I can go back and get something else if that's better.

The shop owner says the puff came in on August 23rd., told me he's seen him eat, but only a few times, and only silverslides or krill. He did send me home with a little of what he was eating, but I'd like to vary his diet as soon as I can.

Last night at store and in bag he was very pale, but colored up slightly in a new tank.

New tank is a 10g treatment qt, 1.026 salinity, 78f. Bare bottom and fake plastic decorations so they can be sterilized. No bio filter but I have media from established tanks I can add in, but I didn't want to yet since they will be contaminated. I have lots of salt for many waterchanges for ammonia plus I do have prime on hand.

Pictures from in bag, and last night (looking right) and this morning (looking towards his left). He is breathing heavy this morning.


what is my best course of action, if like to get him on a treatment plan as soon as possible.

Oh that poor guy! Thank you fro trying to help him.

 

[PlumbTuckered]

Did you really pick up that fish yesterday in that condition and done nothing with it for a day and then asking on forums what to do?

Either start a treatment immediately after pickup or if you dont have a plan then dont touch it.

This is helpful...

 

[PlumbTuckered]

The things we do to animals.

Please speak for yourself.