Puffer with Ick

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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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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Josh88
Puffer Fry
Posts: 43
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:40 pm
Location: Honokaa,Hawaii

Puffer with Ick

Post by Josh88 »

Sg 1.026
PH 8.2
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0
Ammonia 0
20 Long all glass tank with T5 light,AC50 and MJ1200
Live Stock: Zebra Blenny(not aggressive,not a harasser),various softies,hermit crabs and some surviving nerite snails
Feeding 1 X a day rotating between nerite snails,shrimp and hermit crabs.

I have never dosed anything,I just use natural SW and use carbon.

Just started the 20L,transferred all LR,LS,Water,Coral and livestock from 7 gallon to the 20 L 3 days ago.

The 7 was setup for 4 months,the puffer has been in there since he was extremely small.
Have experienced temperature swings after setting up the 20(just moved from a cool place to a hot place),
have been dealing with the temp swings,I'm actively fixing the problem(ice for now,fans are on the way)

The puffer Canthigaster jactator,got ick(3 spots on the fins) from the temp swings and the stress of being moved.
The blenny (the only fish other than the puffer I've ever had) has been in both tanks as long as the puffer.
Since I haven't added a fish ever,I'm not sure how he got the ick in the first place.

I've thought of the idea of taking the 20 to hypo SG(and move my coral to the 7)
but I'm wondering what it would do to my LR since he needs it so he doesn't get a cycle.
Or will a 1.5 inch puffer cause a 20 gallon to get all out of whack,if I do large water changes ?
(since I'll be taking all of my good LR out,I'd leave all the base)
Will hypo salinity cure the ick he has and stop the ick's life cycle?
I'd love to save my puffer and am hoping you guys can help me out. :)
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LilGreenPuffer
Former Staff Member
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Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:26 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Dwarf puffer - Thumbelina (only mine in my heart now; she lives in CT with my friend)

RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond.
Location (country): United States
Location: Kentucky

Re: Puffer with Ick

Post by LilGreenPuffer »

I know very little about ich, but I just wanted to say good luck!
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."

Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi

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Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!

I AM A DUDETTE!

NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
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blondenblue
Green Spotted Puffer
Posts: 252
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2008 5:32 am
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My Puffers: A M. leiurus Called Puffle!
A MBU Called Moob
Location: Cornwall UK
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Re: Puffer with Ick

Post by blondenblue »

I recently have just come out of hypo with my marine tank, As i see it in hypo the crypt can survive and you effectively remove all of it in your system by staying in hypo through all its stages of life. I didn't have a large enough tank to remove the puffers, so i removed all the live rock and crabs and then hypo'd the tank and did water changes every other day. Because of dropping the salinity quickly all the beneficial bacteria would have died off anyway. i would say your best bet would be to remove the rock and hypo the tank, keep doing the water changes though, as you said it will cause a cycle.
Hopefully other people will be able to add more advice soon for you.
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Josh88
Puffer Fry
Posts: 43
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:40 pm
Location: Honokaa,Hawaii

Re: Puffer with Ick

Post by Josh88 »

He still has the 3 spots,is hiding out instead of exploring but ate my garlic soaked snail like normal.
I'm keeping the temp at a steady 80F,I'll load up on 15 gallons of SW and am going to unfortunately get my 7 back up.
Kinda a backwards step since I was turning the 20 into a reef not a FOWLER or QT.
Over what period of time should I change the SG of the tank to 1.10?
I'll keep it there for 3 weeks ,that should be long enough I think but I'm not sure.
Kinda funny the only way I could have gotten ick was from the SW since I take water that is near a reef.
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blondenblue
Green Spotted Puffer
Posts: 252
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2008 5:32 am
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My Puffers: A M. leiurus Called Puffle!
A MBU Called Moob
Location: Cornwall UK
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Contact blondenblue

Re: Puffer with Ick

Post by blondenblue »

I think it is recomended to keep it in hypo for 8 weeks, i dropped the salinity down over a few days with really big water changes
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edmlfc1
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Re: Puffer with Ick

Post by edmlfc1 »

The sg needs to be at 1.009 for 8 weeks. No less than 8 weeks and no higher than 1.009 or hypo won't do you any good. Have your read the article about saltwater ich in the library? It tells you all about it.

Here's the article:
library/hospital/swich/

Make sure you check your sg everyday. You must be persistant. :D You only want to do this once. :wink:
Need to know what kind of puffer you have? Click on Puffer ID.....Puffer ID: ug.php/v/PufferPedia/
What to feed your puffer? Click on Feeding......
Feeding: library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/
Have a GSP, need more information......Click on GSP Article.....
GSP Article: library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Puffer with Ick

Post by Pufferpunk »

I'm not sure I'd go all that route with just 3 spots. Might not even be Crypt (SW ich). I've seen a few spots like that come & go on my fish sometimes.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Josh88
Puffer Fry
Posts: 43
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:40 pm
Location: Honokaa,Hawaii

Re: Puffer with Ick

Post by Josh88 »

Man I'd like to move him to a QT not my display,since this will delay my addition of coral of 3 months :( .
I have a refractrometer that will help,but I'm thinking about moving him to my 7 and do tons of water changes.
(and sacrifice some LR to lesson any sort of cycle that happens)
I'll check the SG daily,do tri-weekly water changes until I get a soft cycle over with and take care of this guy.
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Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32987
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Greenville, SC
Contact:
Contact Pufferpunk

Re: Puffer with Ick

Post by Pufferpunk »

Have you red the article on this in our Library? Step by step instructions in there.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Josh88
Puffer Fry
Posts: 43
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:40 pm
Location: Honokaa,Hawaii

Re: Puffer with Ick

Post by Josh88 »

I was working on the post and posted after you posted :)
I've read your article,almost of the articles on the forum.
I'm feeling very positive about the puffer since two of the spots disappeared,
he only had them for 3 days(although the tank is 85F,getting a fan soon)

I've started to do 3 small garlic soaked feedings a day instead of one large feeding,
and I'm thinking for the long run it's better since I home for most of the time(I'm a grad working on CLEP

I'm giving him the best food,the best water params and the best care I can give him,
and nice he is acting perfectly normal(minus the afternoon pacing)
I'm all for just waiting and hoping for the best.

This is unrelated but my LFS gave(they give them away) me a small mini book with this forum's info on puffers,
they are crediting the forum and the authors. She said people always ask about the puffers so she decided to print some of them up.
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LilGreenPuffer
Former Staff Member
Posts: 5301
Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:26 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Dwarf puffer - Thumbelina (only mine in my heart now; she lives in CT with my friend)

RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond.
Location (country): United States
Location: Kentucky

Re: Puffer with Ick

Post by LilGreenPuffer »

That's great about your fish, and about the printouts!
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."

Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi

Image

Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!

I AM A DUDETTE!

NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
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