ick and scretched back MBU

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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.
Post Reply
htse
Dwarf Puffer
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 9:33 pm
Location (country): Toronto - Richmond Hill

ick and scretched back MBU

Post by htse »

i recently bought a mbu puffer of someone of kijiji, he's selling him for 100$
when i arrive his house i saw ick and a scretch on his back, but overall the fish seems alright, so i still bought it home with me.
when i put him in the tank he just sits on the gravel, i think he's just not used to the environment, for the ick, i already added some salt and raise the temp. its a 3'x1'x1' tank, i use rena xp3 filter, and has been running for 1~2 month, ph is 6.9 and i checked ammonia and no2, both is 0,
what should i do with his back? i have some triple sulfa, that i've used for a scretch on my previous puffer as well(saltwater narrow lined puffer, died cuz i bought liverock in, after i dump the rock in i found out it is not cure yet... but its too late, and the store didnt tell me that too.)

Image

btw i know i need a bigger tank, he's 5 inch now, once he hits 6~7 inch, i will give him a bigger tank, i getting a job so i can buy a new tank for him, so dun worry, his tank is going to be upgrade in 1~2 month :D
User avatar
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:

Re: ick and scretched back MBU

Post by Pufferpunk »

[welcome]
No meds please!
library/hospital/fwich/

Also, please read:
viewtopic.php?f=56&t=150
library/puffers-in-focus/mbuforyou/

You're gonna need one hell of a job!
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!"
htse
Dwarf Puffer
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 9:33 pm
Location (country): Toronto - Richmond Hill

Re: ick and scretched back MBU

Post by htse »

Pufferpunk wrote:[welcome]
No meds please!
library/hospital/fwich/

Also, please read:
viewtopic.php?f=56&t=150
library/puffers-in-focus/mbuforyou/

You're gonna need one hell of a job!
thx man, i will maybe buy a 90 gallon for him in 1~2 months! hope he doesnt get big too fast... so i can have time to save money for even bigger tank..
hope he doesn't die =[......
User avatar
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:

Re: ick and scretched back MBU

Post by Pufferpunk »

Ich is easy to treat, if you follow the directions well. Do you have a python for water changes? You're going to be doing a lot of them!
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!"
htse
Dwarf Puffer
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 9:33 pm
Location (country): Toronto - Richmond Hill

Re: ick and scretched back MBU

Post by htse »

Pufferpunk wrote:[welcome]
No meds please!
library/hospital/fwich/

Also, please read:
viewtopic.php?f=56&t=150
library/puffers-in-focus/mbuforyou/

You're gonna need one hell of a job!
but u didn't mention wt i should do with the scretch... :(
thats the thing im more worrying about...
User avatar
Flutter
Former Staff Member
Posts: 2938
Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2009 5:43 pm
Location (country): Canada

Re: ick and scretched back MBU

Post by Flutter »

Just provide clean water, you don't need to treat it.
It is absurd to talk of one animal being higher than another. We consider those, when the cerebral structure/intellectual faculties most developed, as highest. A bee doubtless would when the instincts were.
Charles Darwin
htse
Dwarf Puffer
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 9:33 pm
Location (country): Toronto - Richmond Hill

Re: ick and scretched back MBU

Post by htse »

Pufferpunk wrote:Ich is easy to treat, if you follow the directions well. Do you have a python for water changes? You're going to be doing a lot of them!
ya, i added 4 spoon of salt in my tank, whats a python?? im scared that too much water change will get the ph ruin.... and the ich becteria in is the tank of the previous owner's tank? so do i still need to do that much water change? cuz my tank never had any ich problem.
User avatar
Flutter
Former Staff Member
Posts: 2938
Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2009 5:43 pm
Location (country): Canada

Re: ick and scretched back MBU

Post by Flutter »

Ich is a ciliate parasite (not bacteria) and is in your tank now.

Python is a device that makes water changes easier than just a siphon and a bucket.

What is your tank pH and your tap pH? Why do you think that there is such a large difference between the two?

You need to do many water changes to get the ich out of your tank. Plus, you have a fish that is going to get very large and you don't have anything close to an appropriate tank for it right now which also means a lot of water changes.
It is absurd to talk of one animal being higher than another. We consider those, when the cerebral structure/intellectual faculties most developed, as highest. A bee doubtless would when the instincts were.
Charles Darwin
User avatar
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:

Re: ick and scretched back MBU

Post by Pufferpunk »

Use Melafix to help with the scratch.

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/p ... atid=22441
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!"
htse
Dwarf Puffer
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 9:33 pm
Location (country): Toronto - Richmond Hill

Re: ick and scretched back MBU

Post by htse »

Flutter wrote:Ich is a ciliate parasite (not bacteria) and is in your tank now.

Python is a device that makes water changes easier than just a siphon and a bucket.

What is your tank pH and your tap pH? Why do you think that there is such a large difference between the two?

You need to do many water changes to get the ich out of your tank. Plus, you have a fish that is going to get very large and you don't have anything close to an appropriate tank for it right now which also means a lot of water changes.
current ph is 6.9, tap water is 7.8 so that will obviously make a big different.
i know i have a small tank, thats y im getting a job so i have the money to buy a 90 gallon for a few month, i know 90gallon is not enough too, so i have a plan of upgrading to a large enough tank within a year or so.
since i already add salt in the water, if i see the number of white spot is decresing already when i get home today, should i still do that much water change? i know i shouldnt get the fish for now... but it is really a good price and i will give him a appropriate tank soon.
htse
Dwarf Puffer
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 9:33 pm
Location (country): Toronto - Richmond Hill

Re: ick and scretched back MBU

Post by htse »

Flutter wrote:Ich is a ciliate parasite (not bacteria) and is in your tank now.

Python is a device that makes water changes easier than just a siphon and a bucket.

What is your tank pH and your tap pH? Why do you think that there is such a large difference between the two?

You need to do many water changes to get the ich out of your tank. Plus, you have a fish that is going to get very large and you don't have anything close to an appropriate tank for it right now which also means a lot of water changes.
and i dun think i should use a python cuz the tap water have a lot of chlorine.....
User avatar
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:

Re: ick and scretched back MBU

Post by Pufferpunk »

You add the dechlorinator (Prime is suggested--directly to the tank, before filling). Start with 25% water changes 2x today & then 50% every day after that. Then your tank water will be the same as the tap water. How did you cycle this tank before getting the fish? Do you have water test kits?
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!"
User avatar
Dadof4
Tech Team
Posts: 2862
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:50 am
Gender: Male
My Puffers: 1 GSP (Microfiche) RIP, 1 Monotrete Turgidus (Leon) in a 30gal. 1 Monotrete suvattii in a 40 gal FW. 120 gallon BW with 3 juvenile Dragon Gobies (so cool). 55 gal with a 2" GSP named Hank. 180 gallon being set up for a Fahaka in the next few months!
Location (country): United States
Location: North Wisconsin

Re: ick and scretched back MBU

Post by Dadof4 »

The pH isn't really a huge factor with fish as they adapt well to nearly any pH. Wild pH swings will kill a fish in a hurry though so, use your tap water with Prime to take care of the chlorine and chloramine.

You do need to do the water changes because of the life cycle of ich. To make it easy to understand, the parasite lives on the fish for a short time, falls off and lives in the substrate waiting for another host (very simple explanation). The need for the Python is so you can throughly vacuum the substrate.
"Darwin swings...annnnnnd a miss. Boy Jim, Chuck's suffered at the plate tonight. He's 0 for 3 and I'm not sure he's recovered from that shoulder pull a few weeks ago. I'll bet the front office is re-thinking that contract."
htse
Dwarf Puffer
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 9:33 pm
Location (country): Toronto - Richmond Hill

Re: ick and scretched back MBU

Post by htse »

Dadof4 wrote:The pH isn't really a huge factor with fish as they adapt well to nearly any pH. Wild pH swings will kill a fish in a hurry though so, use your tap water with Prime to take care of the chlorine and chloramine.

You do need to do the water changes because of the life cycle of ich. To make it easy to understand, the parasite lives on the fish for a short time, falls off and lives in the substrate waiting for another host (very simple explanation). The need for the Python is so you can throughly vacuum the substrate.
i understand that... but i use sand gravel...what can i do? it will suck out all the sand... ill do the 25% water change when i get home
User avatar
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:

Re: ick and scretched back MBU

Post by Pufferpunk »

Then you must thoroughly stir all the sand by hand & siphon off the top.
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!"
Post Reply