The Puffer Forum

I used StressZyme to "cycle" my first puffer tank. Three GSPs died that week.

Eep. That's not good. >_<

It's been awhile since I posted, so I just wanted to let everyone know that Alex is doing great, ich has been cured successfully with aquarium salt, and his tank is fully cycled (ammonia 0ppm, nitrites 0ppm, nitrates 5ppm). Thank you everyone for your help! Now my problem is just in my original tank... my tetras have not taken well to treatment, ich is still present, and bacterial infections are developing. I've also been using aquarium salt. My once healthy community tank is now pale and dwindling away.

Keep trying with the aquarium salt and heat. In your community tank do you have any scaleless fish?

Yes, I have a Kuhli Loach.

I would not advise you to keep using aquarium salt. Medicinal salt is still Salt and you are treating non saltwater fish and are saying they are showing signs of stress. I would get out all the salt you can, over time it damages the kidneys of freshwater fish, puffers can take the salt treatment because they are salt tolerant fish. I have never had a problem with quick cure its cheap and it works, just follow the instructions. if you need more info type in http://www.fishyfarmacy.com they will have more info on this on thier home page (its actually a whole article). I know the idea of using chemicals sucks but sometimes it is a must, which sounds like your case.

I initially used Ick Clear, followed the instructions, but it did not clear the ich. It was then that I switched to aquarium salt which says it is for use with freshwater fish... though I didn't plan on using it long term, just to help kick the ich. But still it has not cleared up. Are there any good ich/bacterial treatments that you recommend?

aquarisol (copper sulfate) or quick cure (formalin and malachite green)Use as directed. Raising the temp speeds up the life cycle so that the ick is vulnurable to treatment,in a word faster.Treatment can still take some time. Did you click on the Link it will give you a good idea of whats going on with your fish now and pay attention to the point that salt is toxic to true freshwater fish.It has to be removed after being put into their environment if you are just adding salt without doing water changes you are still making it brackish without the buffering elements that marine salt has. If you add it, it will show up with a hydrometer.another note I dont really know all the fish you have but it seems to me uncommon or odd and scaleless fish seem to be more sensitive to things so if they meet this criteria research them first.

Okay, thanks. I will check my LFS for those products. I have been raising the temp to speed up the cycle. Also, I do not add more salt except to replace what was removed in a water change. There is a tablespoon per 5 gallons. I find it hard to believe that this would be sold and recommended for the health of freshwater fish when it actually harms them..? btw, I have a hydrometer (lowest reading 1.00), and it still reads it as freshwater.

1tbsp/10g is what you need to help clear the ich. I would continue. I would never use the recommended meds above for a puffer, unless it is totally infested & no other methods are working & never in a main tank.

Oh, okay. I was doing 1T/5gal because that is what it said on the box. I will do a water change to get some of it out.
The recommended meds were for my community tank, not my puffer.

Actually, for a GSP, I suggest getting a hydrometer & start making that tank brackish with marine salt. How big is the tank?

Yes, I plan to do that asap. The thing that prevented me from doing that right away was the fact that apparently my tank wasn't cycled yet... so i did massive water changes frequently, added some bacterial supplement, continued to do water changes, and now my tank is cycled. I got a master test kit. So now I'm going to gradually acclimate it to BW. I have a hydrometer. Oh and the tank is only 10 gallons right now.... I know that is small, but it's all I have the room for at the moment, and he is just an inch long. I plan to get him a 30 gallon once he's a bit bigger and I have the money and space for it. Obviously, I didn't know a lot about these little puffers before I bought him, but at least he's in a better place now than he was in Wal-mart.

Since the tank is cycled & you need to add salt anyway for the ich, go ahead & start making it BW by adding a little <1 cup of dissolved salt to that tank. That should get you a SG of ~1.002. Check with a hydrometer to be sure.

Yeah, I was actually wondering how much I should put in to equal about 1.002. Thanks for your help. I think I'll start with a half cup and see what that reads, and maybe add another half cup. Then I should wait a week before adding more, right? Oh and another question- The freshwater master test kit will still work with brackish water, right?