How do you cure fungus on a brackish fish Green spotted puffer?

Answer 1

To be honest this is an uphill battle. I have had this happen to Treasure who died 3 months later. Now it has happened to Peanut. I have researched and researched and I still expect to lose Peanut. The problem is they have no scales and are messy eaters and they love to hunt. Usually they are, were, or going to be messing with a crab or craw fish or other fish, who just weren't have in it today. A small tear or nick in the puffers skin leaves them feeling like less of a puffer and extremely exposed. The bacteria that is already there in the cleanest of tanks takes a hold. The only cure I almost found for Treasure was this.

Solitary ten gallon for half the day. salted twice the normal amount, fungus tends to puff turn slightly dark instead of white. I took gentlest tooth brush and let her rub it first they want it off it was right by her vent or gill. puffers have different gills than usual. I'm sure it hurt so when she gave up I gave her one or two assists with brush. By then we had it down to the hide, my poor girl. I then gently let her swim into my hand where I took a Q-tip soaked in Iodine for my horses. applied gently to raw skin. Must have hurt, she was a trooper. I let her roam in the extra salt along with a cure all tablet. In evening she went back to meet Jewel and Peanut and her other tank mates. who was always happy to see her. Seemed to cheer her up so to be home again. I tried keeping her well past it seemed healed. I think she got so home sick she worked it back up again. Each fish has their own personality use your judgement it is your fish.

About a week of tiring routine her skin seemed healed. spirits were high. Kept it up for a day or two more till her spunky attitude would tolerate it no longer. Life would be great for a while month or two and it would come back in same spot. Finally I just left her with her friends till she was killed from it. We fought the good fight I just didn't have the will nor did she. She was my most aggressive and fearless. She took on my crabs all the time for fun it seemed till Big Bopper had enough and sliced her just past gill as she was trying to do her pick and retreat. My water was perfect even 0 measurable nitrate wow huh? filtration filtration filtration. she got sad when out, she got a little picked on when she went back anything that didn't go perfect seemed to set us back.

My answer is if it means that much to you take the time talk to them they seem to get encouragement that way. Unless they were housed alone most likely it will be a losing battle due to their aggressive and yet neady nature. extra salt, extra extra water changes, scraping fungus before water change and when necessary, iodine applied as close to wound to get around fungus, not iodine in water, fish must allow you to lift slightly out of water by net or hand. Lots of encouragement and hope you can get them to smile and want to live after all that. Good luck I wish you the best. Peanut will go in ten gallon have initial scraping, iodine, cure all tab, extra salt and if she is still here after two months of week on week off treatment. Then I hope we beat it. If you have any better advise I'ld love to hear it. Peanut doesn't have the heart Treasure did I expect this time around she'll give up. If I hadn't due to time I think Treasure would still be doing the routine. I just didn't have the time anymore. Three months. long time. Good luck on your journey.