Possible Ick situation...
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
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Jase
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1579
- Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 3:13 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: RIP Hootey :(
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Montana
Re: Possible Ick situation...
for a cheap one, about 15 bucks. that's what mine cost.
-Jase
edmlfc1 wrote:A house without a puffer is not a home.
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chevrolet67impala
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 1:55 am
- My Puffers: 1 Green Spotted Puffer
- Location: San Francisco, California
Re: Possible Ick situation...
My puffer looked as if he was getting better and then tonight he started to show more white spots and even some on one of his fins. I bought him this quICK cure stuff for ick and it says it's supposed to work in 2 days. It's been just about two days and he randomly got more white spots and didn't eat (He got his appetite back, his ick was clearing, and he was more active, before tonight). Does ick get worse before it's cured? Could it be something other than ick?
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chevrolet67impala
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 1:55 am
- My Puffers: 1 Green Spotted Puffer
- Location: San Francisco, California
Re: Possible Ick situation...
Thank you for all the advice, it seemed to really be helping. Unfortunately my poor puffy died this morning...
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crazedpuffer
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1755
- Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:57 pm
- My Puffers: 1x Porcupine Puffer
1xValentini - Location: Long Island, NY
Re: Possible Ick situation...
Aww I'm sorry!
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Jase
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1579
- Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 3:13 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: RIP Hootey :(
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Montana
Re: Possible Ick situation...
yeah, I know I said it in your other one, but sorry he didn't make it. 
-Jase
edmlfc1 wrote:A house without a puffer is not a home.
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Myaj
- Tech Team
- Posts: 4587
- Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 12:27 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Bubba, turgidus
Paris, lined burrfish - Location: SE Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: Possible Ick situation...
Oh I'm sorry to hear that. Are you going to try again with another puffer?
If you are, I'd consider leaving the tank empty of fish for at least 4 weeks in case there are any parasites in there (they will die off without a host to live on) and in the mean time, read all the articles in our library so you are ready for the next puffer.
These guys are very, very sensitive to chemicals, so that medication might not have been the best idea. There are more natural, safe ways to treat things like ich, but you want to be sure you know what exactly you are treating before you add anything to the water.
If you are, I'd consider leaving the tank empty of fish for at least 4 weeks in case there are any parasites in there (they will die off without a host to live on) and in the mean time, read all the articles in our library so you are ready for the next puffer.
These guys are very, very sensitive to chemicals, so that medication might not have been the best idea. There are more natural, safe ways to treat things like ich, but you want to be sure you know what exactly you are treating before you add anything to the water.
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chevrolet67impala
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 1:55 am
- My Puffers: 1 Green Spotted Puffer
- Location: San Francisco, California
Re: Possible Ick situation...
I'm sorry too...I can't help but feel responsible, maybe if someone more prepared and more familiar with gsp's would've got him he'd be alive and happy now...I feel like I've lost a very close member of my family (except my puffer probably has more personality than my family). I don't think I'm going to get anymore puffers... their the best/coolest fish I've ever had, totally my favorite kind of fish, but I can't get over how lucky I was to get a puffer with such personality and humanity. Thank you for your condolences...
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Myaj
- Tech Team
- Posts: 4587
- Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 12:27 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Bubba, turgidus
Paris, lined burrfish - Location: SE Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: Possible Ick situation...
Most puffers do have that much personality, its why we are all so addicted to them.
Well, if you decide to try again, you know where to find us!
Well, if you decide to try again, you know where to find us!
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chevrolet67impala
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 1:55 am
- My Puffers: 1 Green Spotted Puffer
- Location: San Francisco, California
Re: Possible Ick situation...
I'll still check this site often, just to try to be sure that if anyone has the same problems I did, I might be of some help...
Re: Possible Ick situation...
seacowz wrote:i got a pic of my gsp when he had ich i thought id share. you can see the spots all over his fins.
Oh crap, mine has got two of those little spots on his fins, he's had them for a while, i thought it was nothing since i didn't think ich could survive in a brackish tank, mines 1.00eight (num keys don't all work).
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chevrolet67impala
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 1:55 am
- My Puffers: 1 Green Spotted Puffer
- Location: San Francisco, California
Re: Possible Ick situation...
I would definitely post some pics if you can, when my GSP had ich he had loss of appetite, energy, and he stayed close to the bottom of his tank. If yours has any of these symptoms he might have ich...I'm not sure what medications are ideal for scaleless fish, but don't use quick cure...good luck
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seacowz
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 1:27 am
- My Puffers: Puffy, my little baby GSP! <3
Re: Possible Ick situation...
Nas, how long has your fish had the spots?
i wouldn't use meds if it turns out to be ich, there's an article in the library about raising salinity and temperature that works. i cured my gsp by using that method.
my gsp was also in brackish water when he came down with it.
i wouldn't use meds if it turns out to be ich, there's an article in the library about raising salinity and temperature that works. i cured my gsp by using that method.
my gsp was also in brackish water when he came down with it.
Re: Possible Ick situation...
chevrolet67impala wrote:I would definitely post some pics if you can, when my GSP had ich he had loss of appetite, energy, and he stayed close to the bottom of his tank. If yours has any of these symptoms he might have ich...I'm not sure what medications are ideal for scaleless fish, but don't use quick cure...good luck
Re: Possible Ick situation...
seacowz wrote:Nas, how long has your fish had the spots?
i wouldn't use meds if it turns out to be ich, there's an article in the library about raising salinity and temperature that works. i cured my gsp by using that method.
my gsp was also in brackish water when he came down with it.
He's only had two spots on his dorsal fin for months. I never thought much of it until i read that fish could get ich even in brackish water... He still acts normal. Plays around, hungry as ever and goes after his food like theres no tomorrow, so the spots may be cosmetic...