Porki-Puffer with discolored skin

[waycos]

The puffer just started getting these circles a couple days ago. I'm going through hyposalinity now, and stresscoat, but so far the circles are just getting bigger and bigger. Attached are pictures taken today, when yesterday the circles were slightly bigger then a quarter. Does anyone have any idea's? We had a cleaner shrimp and it died a few months ago, I just went out and got a new one hoping it would help. Otherwise I'm clueless as to what this guy has. I've had him for about 2 years, and his tanks mates are a yellow headed eel (3 feet long) and a rock grouper. Both guys have been around for about 7 years. The tank is well established, although the Nitrate levels have always been a bit on the highside, they have all been fine. There is nothing else in the tank, minus some snails. Any help is appreciated though at the rate this discoloratino is increasing I feel like he doesn't have much longer.
Healthy Puffer 2 years ago
Unhealthy 1
Unhealthy 2

 

[beth]

What are you using to measure salinity? Are you doing hypo in a tank with live rock? What is your pH?

 

[waycos]

I have the cheap plastic, and a refractometer, the refractometer is showing 24% and 1.019. The Puffer is in the main tank, the other fish are showing no signs of stress, discoloration, or loss of appetite. The puffer ate yesterday, is not eating today (I normally do not feed it every day). The PH is at 8.

 

[beth]

Is this fish acting normal aside from this? Discontinue the stresscoat. Also, throw away the plastic swing arm salinity meter. Its worthless.
How bad is the ich?

 

[waycos]

I see no Ich, just the 2 big discolored spots. Unless that is Ich? I'm used to seeing white spots with Ich, I see no white spots.
The puffer was acting normal up until today. Now it seems to have lost his appetite, and every once in a while it spazzes a bit. Looks like he's trying to shake off whatever is bugging him.
edit: I also have a UVFilter.

 

[beth]

So, are your treating ich at all? Why are you doing hypo? How fast are your doing changes in water to get down in to hypo. Its best to do small water changes, which you can do every hour if the fish are doing ok.

 

[waycos]

I did a water change on Sunday and on Tuesday, about 15 gallons both times. I wasn't sure what was affecting the puffer and I couldn't find anything online that matched up so I went with the hypo and stresscoat.

 

[waycos]

The discolor has gotten bigger, it's now connected, I've just placed him in a QT that I started to setup last night.

 

[beth]

Are you saying that you switched out 15 gals of water to get hypo down more? I'm trying to get a picture here of what is going on. What size tank was that fish in? 15 gals a day is a lot, if you are saying that you changed out salt water for fresh water.

 

[waycos]

It is a 120 gallon tank, connected to a 30 gallon tank, with a 30-40 gallon sump. I figured 15 gallon was less than 10%.
Before getting the puffer I read that they were notorious over eaters and they could get sick from that. Does anyone know what it looks like when they get sick that way? I have always done my best to not overfeed him but he is so much more aggresive then the eel and the grouper that he sometimes does get the fat belly.

 

[beth]

I am going to copy this over to the Aggressive Forum, to see if others who have this fish, might have experienced similar.
I have seen stress causing coloration changes, but those brown spots are pretty significant.

 

[waycos]

The puffer passed away last night.
I'm still not sure what happened, the other fish still look fine. I'm going to keep an eye on them for the next few days but I'm thinking this was a physical thing and possibly not a parasite or disease.

 

[beth]

I'm sorry to hear this. I am not that familiar with this species and couldn't be of much help. Those spots were rather odd. I wonder if he puffed up at all?

 

[waycos]

I haven't seen him puff up in months. He would from time to time just puff up to stretch or for the heck of it, it seemed. Nothing would bug him or startle him. And he's been in the tank for a while and there's no problems between the him and the other fish.

 

[waycos]

Seems like it was a bacteria after all. Which one they couldn't tell, they said, without a culture. They said, "This rapidly spreading bacterial infection is hard to treat. I have had one success using nitrofurazone baths with enrofloxacin injections when I first noted a spot the size of a pencil eraser."
Sad to hear.