The Puffer Forum

I have a porcupine puffer who has ich (He also has one really cloudy eye, is that something that would happen because of ich or is that something else?) and I am working on treating him in a quarantine tank with hyposalinity and I was wondering if it is okay to treat him with copper in the same tank? I'm not even sure if I am doing the quarantine tank right, I read the section in the library and other things so I kind of had to collaborate all the ideas together. Also, the salinity of the quarantine tank is at 1.011, is that about right? He is looking real bad, so I'm getting concerned, so if any one has any answers asap that would be awesome.

Also, I've read everywhere that you have to leave the tank fallow for 8 weeks and all that, but none of my other fish appear to have ich. I mean...it could be in a different stage or something so should they all be removed into the quarantine tank anyway? I've got a damsel, butterfly fish, panther grouper, and then the porcupine puffer.

Okay, thank you!

oh and another thing, what kind of things should I feed my puffer to help his immune system? And do I need to have anything else in the Qtank besides a filter and heater?

Hypo needs to be 1.009. ALL the fish are at the minimum carriers & need to be treated in hypo & the main tank should remain void of fish for 8 weeks. The cloudy eye may be a result of the parasite, attacking it. Several threads going on right now on this subject.

Okay well that helps. I've read a whole bunch of the other postings but they haven't answered all my questions. Like, can I do the copper treatment and hyposalinity at the same time? Also, I just need to know if I need to have anything else besides the filter and heater in the Qtank? He is in the qtank right now and he has just been sitting in the corner of the tank for over an hour now, it's really sad..

I recently read that someone did a few tests and found that flubendiazole very aggressively kills velvet, due to it's anti protozoan qualities. Isn't SW ich a protozoan?

I wouldn't do copper treatment as it has adverse affect on pufferfish. They are very sensitive to it and it can cause more harm then good.

Only use copper as a very last resort. Try the method written up in our Library 1st.

Okay, I'm glad I asked, I didn't think it would be a good idea. So if I have to turn to using copper what kind of side effects should I be concerned about? Do they only occur because of overdosing? Also, Blimpy (my puffer), now that he is in the Qtank, has basically been in the same spot on the bottom of the tank the whole time. He's still breathing and he even eats but he just doesn't move. Is this to be expected when they have ich and are being quarantined? Normally he's all energetic and comes to see me when I'm near the tank, but not now...

General side affect I've heard of is the puffer's skin peeling off it's body from copper overdose/maltreatment.

Is it possible that he may have ich and velvet? I'm not exactly sure what velvet is...but he has this strange stuff on his body....and he still remains in the same spot of the fish tank.

OKay, well nevermind everybody, I just went back to look at him after a half an hour, and he's not breathing anymore. Funeral for my dead Blimpy...