# Fin Rot in Figure8 Puffer?



## gmate

This isn't the exact fish, but it looks just like this (but just a little on the tip of the big fin, not on all fins and its just beginning - happened about 2 days ago) :










The fin is turning white and looks like fin rot to me. I was told that Maracyn-two is a great medication to help clear this up, along with water changes. So today I purchased some at my LFS










There are two Figure 8 puffers in my 10 gallon tank (and that's it) they get fed all live foods or recently killed food. The water is really good (0 ammonia 0 nitrite usually 20 or less nitrate, 8.0 PH) the only issue is I haven't begun raising the salinity. They've had no issues with appetite until last night, the puffer with fin rot began to reject food. I know i've got to treat it ASAP before it becomes an issue.

Any suggestions? Anyone ever have this issue before or use this medication? Thanks. I'm definitely new to puffers, but I definitely know they prefer low-end brackish water so I will begin to slowly raise the salinity on a weekly basis starting with my next PWC.


Also, inb4 15 gallons first +10 every additional puffer, I'm already aware of their spatial needs in the aquarium.




1. Size of aquarium (# of gallons) 10
2. How long the aquarium has been set up? 4 months
3. How long and how did you cycle the tank? about a month if not less
4. What fish and how many are in the aquarium (species are important to know) 2 figure 8 puffers, about 1.5 inch each
5. What temperature is the tank water currently? 74 degrees
6. What make/model filter are you using? 10 HOB Fluval
7. Does your aquarium receive natural sunlight at any given part of the day? no
8. When did you perform your last water exchange, and how much water was changed? 25% yesterday
9. How often do you perform water changes? once or twice weekly
10. How often and what foods do you feed your fish? dried bloodworms, steamer clams, shrimp
11. What type of lighting are you using and how long is it kept on? 10 hours a day low intensity lighting
12. What specific concerns bring you here at this time? Fin Rot
13. What are your water parameters? Test your pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, salinity, GH, KH and salinity level. 8.0 PH 0/0/20 no salinity, i don't know the GH/KH i don't monitor those
14. What test kit are you using and is it liquid or test strips? API Master
15. When was the last time you bought a fish and how did they behave while in the pet store tank? These guys have been in my tank about a week now


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## Reefing Madness

Were the fish at the LFS in Brackish water? Did you just put them into a full FW tank? And yes, the medication chosen is good. I'd get thme into their natural environment water as soon as you can. If they came from brackish, then you can get your water params there right now without harming them.
"The Figure 8 Puffer should be fed crustacean foods such as brine shrimp, krill, mollusks, and earthworms" LiveAquaria.
Or every week raise your SG .05 until you reach 1.005-1.010SG
Are you sure they other Puffer is not nipping at the others fins?


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## gmate

Reefing Madness said:


> Were the fish at the LFS in Brackish water? Did you just put them into a full FW tank? And yes, the medication chosen is good. I'd get thme into their natural environment water as soon as you can. If they came from brackish, then you can get your water params there right now without harming them.
> "The Figure 8 Puffer should be fed crustacean foods such as brine shrimp, krill, mollusks, and earthworms" LiveAquaria.
> Or every week raise your SG .05 until you reach 1.005-1.010SG
> Are you sure they other Puffer is not nipping at the others fins?


They came from pure fish water community tank with baby blue kenyi cichlids that were under 1 inch. 
I'm going to start raising the SG next week just a little each water change, acclimate them over the coarse of a month. I know they don't require anything crazy, I actually heard 1.007/1.008 is best. 

Their diet consists of shrimp, clams, and worms which shouldn't be an issue. I make sure I leave the shell on the shrimp if they're getting farm raised organic (none of that treated or chemically engineered crap) food. I have MTS and will be getting cherry shrimp for my bigger tank to breed in , and then will be feeding the puffers those more often. They do love Shrimp on the shell though, they go nuts!

They are great together. They were being aggressive with the cichlids that I saw. But the two of them have been together for about a week now and they feed together and get along fine, not aggressive at all.


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## Pasfur

I see that you have only owned these fish for about 1 week, is that correct? If this is the case, then it is almost without question that you have either water quality issues or have 2 fish which are nipping at each other. Treat the symptom, yes, but also eliminate the cause.


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## dormfish

Definitely Fin Rot. I'm actually treating a platy with it right now. I recommend liquid treatments, because they work faster, and you don't have to worry about your fish nibbling on them as they dissolve. Malafix is my personal favorite, but I'm not sure if it's useable in saltwater tanks. So if you'd have to look into that. Also be sure to remove filter carbon when using medicine, otherwise the medicine will just get filtered out. Don't worry though. If you treat it properly, your fish will recover fine and fins will come back eventually.

Also, as Pasfur said, fin rot can result from being bitten on the fins. Fish tend to gang up on each other if there's an even number of one species. Depending on your space situation, I would recommend either returning one or buying another of the same puffer.


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## GwenInNM

Also, as Pasfur said, fin rot can result from being bitten on the fins. Fish tend to gang up on each other if there's an even number of one species. Depending on your space situation, I would recommend either returning one or buying another of the same puffer.
Read more: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...s/fin-rot-figure8-puffer-83151/#ixzz1aZMKhTiy

Dormfish, I think you misunderstood Pasfur. Nipping will not cause fin rot, but the fish may either have fin rot or it's a result of fin nipping. Since aggression isn't observed, sounds like fin rot. 

Since they are messy fish, I'm betting it's your water quality that is an issue. In my opinion, 20ppm of nitrates is too high, and if you let your water quality get to that, with these fish, you may continue to have issues with disease. Later, as they grow, (more hardy) when they've been in the tank a long time, and aren't stressed due to being new etc., you can play with letting your nitrates get to 20 and see how that goes, but I think you need to consider a more diligent wc schedule.

Cute fish, but lots of work because they are such messy eaters. 

Gwen 
​


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## dormfish

GwenInNM said:


> Also, as Pasfur said, fin rot can result from being bitten on the fins. Fish tend to gang up on each other if there's an even number of one species. Depending on your space situation, I would recommend either returning one or buying another of the same puffer.
> Read more: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...s/fin-rot-figure8-puffer-83151/#ixzz1aZMKhTiy
> 
> Dormfish, I think you misunderstood Pasfur. Nipping will not cause fin rot, but the fish may either have fin rot or it's a result of fin nipping. Since aggression isn't observed, sounds like fin rot.
> 
> Gwen
> ​


True, nipping doesn't _cause_ fin rot, but it definitely makes them more suseptable to it. Stress can also be a contributing factor. Either way, I would still recommend treating for finrot, because most rot medicines will treat injuries as well.


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## gmate

The two puffers don't nip each other. I think the aggression and fin damage came from the previous tank they were in at the LFS. And I do water changes after each feeding and test daily - quality is superb. The problem is almost gone, medication worked like a charm. 

Will his damaged fins regenerate ? Or is he doomed to a stubby tail fin for the rest of his life?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## GwenInNM

gmate said:


> The two puffers don't nip each other. I think the aggression and fin damage came from the previous tank they were in at the LFS. And I do water changes after each feeding and test daily - quality is superb. The problem is almost gone, medication worked like a charm.
> 
> Will his damaged fins regenerate ? Or is he doomed to a stubby tail fin for the rest of his life?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_



I believe they do regrow. 

Gwen


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