Green Spotted Puffer Fish in Trouble Need HELP!!!

[Pufferowner]

Ok I have one pufferfish that is now suddenly refusing to eat. This is not the first time I have kept puffers, and they die under mysterious circumstances. It is kept in a 25 gallon brackish tank about 1.012 salinity. There are also 2 little mono sebaes with it. My Ph is about 7.6, the temperature is 80 F, there is no ammonia or nitrites. I change the water by 50% weekly as many websites have said. I feed the puffer bloodworms, plankton, brine shrimp and snails so his teeth don't over grow. His tank has a lot of hiding places. Right now he spends his time swimming up and down the side of the tank. is there anything big I'm missing. He's about 2 inches and his name is Razzle Dazzle. Btw he has absolutely no grey belly so that's a good sign. What is wrong with it?

 

[tanker]

How long have you had it? Puffers are known to have parasites, so that may be it. Does it have, or had good feces?

 

[Pufferowner]

I had it for about 1 1/2 months. It had good poop before, nothing strange. But 3 days ago it just refused to eat anything. It's all skinny now

 

[Pufferowner]

what kind of internal parasites would there be and how do I treat it?

 

[Tifftastic]

Praziquantel is a good antiparasite med, it is broad enough that it gets most things. I unfortunately do not know if it is safe for puffers. But I believe I was only told that catfish can be sensitive to it.

 

[Pufferowner]

Sadly I can't test that now, my puffer just died. It was all skinny when I found it

 

[tanker]

Sorry for the lose.....

 

[PufferCorps]

So sorry for your loss!
Just in case you get another its a good idea to treat for parasites as regular routine maintenance. I dont like to take chances with adoptions, so the shelter is on a rotation of prazipro, metro, or general cure every 6 to 8 weeks. Although a solitary Puff probably isnt going to get the kind of possible exposure to reinfection as 53 do.