Hi All
Very new to forum (approx 1 minute) however I need some urgent advice.
Stupidly my boyfreind and I bought a puffer from our lfs that was marked as a topaz puffer, freashwater and peaceful as I had been looking for a sap for about 4 months I was overjoyed at finding an alternative.
So getting him home I found that what i have bought actually appears to be Tetraodon fluviatilis (I will post pics when I introduce myself propaerly on the forum) and he is in my freashwater community tank.... agh.... he was being kept in freashwater at the petshop and I couldn't bare to take him back because I thought he would just get sold on to another unsuspecting puffer lover. So I am now getting a tank made so I can introduce him to brackish water as this should happen before the end of the month.
Anyway he has now broken out in the worse case of white spot I have ever seen with the rest of my tank, I've read the article and I'm not sure if to use meds as it is so bad. Could anyone offer some advice regarding this horrible situation that I've got myself and my puffer into.
Itch/White Spot
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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purplespiders
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2009 12:15 pm
- Location (country): UK
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PolishPuff
- Mbu Puffer
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- My Puffers: ________
Also cared for;
Fahaka------------------- Had to give it away
Auriglobus modestus-----Traded
Auriglobus silus ---------Died during transport.
Figure Eight Puffers -----Sold and or traded
Dwarf Puffers ------------Traded
Congo Puffer ------------Traded
South American Puffers -Traded
Carinotetraodon lorteti --Died under my supervision :( - Location (country): USA-Chicago, IL
- Location: Chicago, IL
Re: Itch/White Spot
"Lost time is never found again" Benjamin Franklin
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marksrush
- Fahaka Puffer
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- My Puffers: One GSP.
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- Location: Raymore, Missouri USA
Re: Itch/White Spot
As the article that PolishPuff linked suggests, your best bet is to treat with marine salt and higher temperatures. Your fluviatilis (if that's indeed what your fish is) can take full marine conditions quite well, and if it's possible to get him drip acclimated (over 5-6 hours) to full saltwater, do that because it would pretty much fix him up as freshwater ich cannot survive even moderately brackish water. If you cannot get him into full saltwater, get him into water that is above 1.009 specific gravity, which should still work well to rid him of ich.
I'm in chat right now, if you want to join and talk about this.
I'm in chat right now, if you want to join and talk about this.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Itch/White Spot
![[welcome]](./images/smilies/welcome.gif "welcome")
What size tank are you transferring him into? I hope it is large, as that will dilute the waste in there, since the tank won't be cycled. This will stress the puffer even worse & it may not have a chance. Your best bet for placing in an uncycled tank is dilution & lots of water changes. Be prepared with lots of salt & buckets to premix it in.
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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pufferpuggirl
- Mbu Puffer
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Rainbow crab
crayfish - Location (country): Yorkshire, GB
- Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Re: Itch/White Spot
I'm sorry your first introduction has to be in regards to a problem with whitespot (ich). I hope your puffer recovers soon, as well as the rest of your fish!
"Puffer .... man's best friend?"
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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- Gender: Female
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C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Itch/White Spot
Yes, thanks for reminding me--just because your puffer is the only fish showing signs of the parasite & you remove it from the tank, doesn't mean you don't need to treat the rest of your fish for this problem. The parasite is in the water & the 1st time any of your fish stress, they will become infected.
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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purplespiders
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2009 12:15 pm
- Location (country): UK
Re: Itch/White Spot
Thank you for the replies. My other fish are showing signs! ITS EVERYWHERE! Also new tank is being made ans i'm not suggesting moving him for 2 weeks or so!
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- 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:
Re: Itch/White Spot
Then start immediately treating as recommended in the article here in our Library. It may not be too late to save them all.
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
-
purplespiders
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2009 12:15 pm
- Location (country): UK
Re: Itch/White Spot
I've started with th water changes and I have started with aquarium salt however another member informed me that marine salt is better so I'll be getting some of that when our shops open tomorrow morning.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- 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:
Re: Itch/White Spot
No, marine salt is for the BW fish. since the rest of your fish are FW, I'd go with the aquarium salt or even table salt is fine. When you get the puffer's tank ready, you can use marine salt. See the cycling articles in our Library for the new tank.
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
-
purplespiders
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2009 12:15 pm
- Location (country): UK
Re: Itch/White Spot
Also does anyone know if this is an american or uk gallonFor freshwater puffers, it is recommended to use 1 tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons of aquarium water, while gradually raising the temperature to 86 degrees F. Continue with this for a period of one month, adding back 1 tablespoon of salt for every 5 gallons of aquarium water that you remove during water changes.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- 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:
Re: Itch/White Spot
US
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"