IPs

[Happy_Puffer]

I have treated for ips before and my puffer ate them but I got some new puffers and I wanted to know if I can add the meds to the tank or should I try and get them to eat it first? They are stressed because I just got them home in qt and they don't want to eat. I think the one will be fine he is a little bigger (f8) and then the gsp is smaller and thinner. They aren't going in the same tank once they are out of qt but I want to treat them both so they are together for now. I know fw fish don't "drink" the water but do brackish fish? I don't know if they have ips but I would like to treat it before its too late.

[Nick]

As long as the fish are in somewhat brackish water, they should drink some water, so adding to the water will help. Having food soaked in some is good, but IMO the tank needs to be treated as well to kill hatching worms and expelled live bits of worms. Apparently a few people have been having luck with jungle clear tank buddies anti parasite in FW. What is the ammonia and nitrite like in the quarantine? Some puffers immediately go off their food if either is high.

[Happy_Puffer]

I just had it checked and everything is at zero. Temp. 80. I just did a big water change on the qt tank. They are eating a little and swimming around, the figure 8 is up by the filter and the gsp is more active at the bottom where the snails are but there is only a few since my last puffer ate them all, but I am getting some more tomorrow. They ate a little bit of bloodworms and then I wanted to get them to eat some krill because that is what I am going to soak the food in. Will it hurt to treat them if they don't have ips?

[Nick]

Unlikely. I worm all new puffers.

[Happy_Puffer]

I think the f8 is going back tomorrow when I work. He seems really sick and I can't stand to see him die. I know hes in good hands where I work. I don't think he likes the gsp and he isn't eating and his belly goes in and then pops out a little. He was better when I got him and now he is going down hill quickly. The gsp is at least eating he eat almost the whole krill with the meds in it but the f8 wouldn't touch it. I don't know whats wrong with him but if he has something else I don't want him giving it to my other puffer. I feel bad as he is really pretty, but kinda big so I don't know if I can save him. The smaller ones seem eaiser to care for if they are sick.

[Nick]

How did you cycle the quarantine?

[Happy_Puffer]

It has been set up for a while at my boyfriends house I'm not sure how long. I haven't been there in awhile and he re-set up my 5 gallon that had been running since December. It had the same rocks and filter so it cycled quickly and he has had it set up at least a month(I know 5 gallons is a little small, but its the only tank we had and money is tight but I am getting a 75 in a few weeks). But I ended up taking the gsp home to my tank, which I finally got my levels down to zero and he is doing much better, my boyfriend is going to bring the f8 up to me at work so I can keep an eye on him. My tank only has platties in it so its cycled. I was just trying the qt thing and I am very bad at waiting. Plus when I pulled the gsp I saw the f8 had ich so I hope the gsp didn't get it, but I added some melafix because the gsp has some scars around his tail. At work we will put him in qt and see if he makes it. Our qt tank is empty right now so I can keep an eye on him and hope he gets healthy, I don't think he is going to make it. It looks like he ate a rock or something and now he is trying to pass it and it looks like he is having trouble with it. The gsp is really thin but he is eating, not as well as he should be but at least hes eating. He ate the krill and then I added some bloodworms and he ate a few and I had to take the rest out.

[Happy_Puffer]

Ok so my gsp is looking good but I am holding my beath I have had so many problems lately with puffers. I just got a 55 gallon that I will be moving him to soon so he will be really happy. He is still eating, and I took the f8 back and he looked amazing after I put him in his new home. The bad news is I got laid off because my boss is going through some hard times and now I just lost the best job ever. so I won't be able to keep an eye on him like I wanted to but he looked much happier when I got him out of my tank. I finally got marine salt and I added some to the tank and he freaked out. The SG is at about 1.007. He is very small so I don't want to raise it too quickly. He is very mad at me for now but I hope this change won't kill him. His tank is small (14 gallons) but I knew I was getting a bigger so I thought I would get him used to everything first. I am getting the tank tomorrow and I will cycle it over the weekend. If I add my filter to the new tank will it cycle faster? How long should I cycle the tank before adding him? I have never had to cycle a tank with a puffer before. I always cycle for 24 hours then add fish but my tanks have all been set up when I add puffers so I'm not sure how long to wait. I was hoping to move him soon as his tank is small. I had the SG at 1.006 using aquarium salt so I hope I didn't shock him. He seems to be fine at the moment but I want to know if I did something wrong, I just did a huge water change so I could add the marine salt so the levels are all at zero. Thanks for any advice. I am going to try and get the 55 to salt but I have never done that so I'm a little nervous about doind that.

[Nick]

I think you are confusing cycling and running. You run a tank for 24 hours before adding fish to make sure the heater and filter are working properly. Then, it takes 4-8 weeks to actually cycle the tank, developing the correct bacteria. If you add an old filter, it will prevent the tank from having to cycle(sometimes called an instant cycle), if you use a filter from about the same SG and put it on the tank at the same time as you do the fish. When you added the marine salt, did you premix it in a separate container? Many fish get burns if it's added directly to the tank. You can't cycle the tank with the puffer in it, it will almost certainly die.

[Happy_Puffer]

I mixed the salt before hand and then added it to the tank. He is doing ok now but he was upset when I first put it in there. He seems to be worse since I put the salt in there, he is at the bottom and only coming up when I walk by the tank and he is lighter then he was before I added the salt. Ok so I'm a little confused. I can instant cycle the tank with an old filter but then you said that I would kill my puffer if it wasn't cycled. If it is instantly cycled then I should be able to put him in after a few days or hours? I just don't understand, does it instantly cycle or take 4 to 8 weeks? When you say instantly then that makes me think right here and now. I am going to do sand because it will be salt water in the long run. Does it take longer the cycle with sand? I have some argonite sand that I am going to use. I want to cycle the tank so I can put him in there. I think he would be much happier by himself. I guess I will just have to wait till it cycles in 2 months.

[Nick]

A tank set up with the well used filter(meaning has been in a well cycled tank with fish for at least 2 weeks without a change of media) of a tank with the same SG within about .002 is instantly cycled, typically, unless there is a lot more bioload in the new tank. SG 1.007 is a bit high for F8, but not enough that it should cause stress.

[Happy_Puffer]

I don't have the f8 any more it is a small gsp. So if I put my filter in the 55 gallon I can put the fish in right away or not? My filter has been in the tank for about a month now.

[Nick]

If it's been in the tank a month without changing the media, and it's fully cycled, you can safely move him as long as you move the filter with him at the same time.