If they look like salt crystals, it does sound like ich - especially if they're on the fins, too.
If the spots are evenly spaced, though, it could well be the spines.
Lots of vacuuming (daily), up the temp another degree or two if you can (might want to drop in a bubbler to increase surface agitation and increase oxygenation).
A freshwater dip is a treatment for saltwater ich. Your SG is rather high to have any surviving FW ich.
How long have you had the figure 8? If he's pretty new to your tank, it could just be early in the ich cycle and the temp and salt will take care of things.
Eric
F8 with ich
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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Phaedrus
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A freshwater dip is when you take your fishy and put them in freshwater for a little bit. The change in salinity should kill off the salt water ich.
How lond have you had him? I agree with jayhawk that it sounds like it's still early in the ich cycle.
just keep doing what you are doing and watch for changes.
How lond have you had him? I agree with jayhawk that it sounds like it's still early in the ich cycle.
just keep doing what you are doing and watch for changes.
I'd slowly lower the temperature, decrease the SG at the next water change back to your 1.008, and just keep an eye on him.
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Phaedrus
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no no, you're not an idiot. you tried to solve a situation, and sought out more information. that's good fishkeeping.
i should really keep those pictures handy and quiz anyone who posts about ich to make sure they are really dealing with ich. :p
BTW, did you say that your puff looks like the second picture?
i should really keep those pictures handy and quiz anyone who posts about ich to make sure they are really dealing with ich. :p
BTW, did you say that your puff looks like the second picture?
the white spots look like his white spots, not his SPOTS SPOTS. i have an f8 for sure. ha!!
i have one more question then, if you sdont mind cause once i get started, im unstoppable.... hes about that size, 2" and hes in a 10 gallon -- but my 30 gallon that you helped me cycle a couple weeks ago is ready.. so, can i move him in with the same size GSP and hope they get along, or just leave him alone. im getting harrassed by friends that i should get him a friend... i keep telling them ALONE.. BUT NOT LONELY and they dont listen.. so now im feeling guilty, or something.
i have one more question then, if you sdont mind cause once i get started, im unstoppable.... hes about that size, 2" and hes in a 10 gallon -- but my 30 gallon that you helped me cycle a couple weeks ago is ready.. so, can i move him in with the same size GSP and hope they get along, or just leave him alone. im getting harrassed by friends that i should get him a friend... i keep telling them ALONE.. BUT NOT LONELY and they dont listen.. so now im feeling guilty, or something.
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Phaedrus
- Former Staff Member
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- Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:34 pm
- Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Contact:
Don't cave to pressure!! Putting him into a bigger tank with another puffer may sound like a good idea, but think about it a little more...
1 GSP will need 30 gallons to themselves. They will also need marine conditions when they are grown.
1 F8 will need about 15 gallons to themselves. They prefer low end brackish conditions.
So you see, not really compatible in the long run.
1 GSP will need 30 gallons to themselves. They will also need marine conditions when they are grown.
1 F8 will need about 15 gallons to themselves. They prefer low end brackish conditions.
So you see, not really compatible in the long run.
ok one more.... sorry - if you remember i had cycled charlies tank with charlie in it, bad i know... but im bringing all the levels down... now im at:
ammo 0
ph 7.4 (whats bring this up?)
alk 80 (is this too low?)
nitrite 3.0 (adding prime and i added that bio spira last week, but still not at 0, constant water changes.. almost there!)
nitrate 20
ammo 0
ph 7.4 (whats bring this up?)
alk 80 (is this too low?)
nitrite 3.0 (adding prime and i added that bio spira last week, but still not at 0, constant water changes.. almost there!)
nitrate 20
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lisalisa