The Puffer Forum

Well, noticed some white spots on my F8's fin and body: Ich
So I found the FW Ich article and I have a question about it. It recommends adding salt at 1 tsb per 5 gallons of water, but what kind of salt is it, Aquarium or Marine? I plan on converting my tank to brackish, but figured it would be better to have him settle in my tank for around a week before I go and mess with his water parameters.
Thanks.

If you have a figure 8 puffer anyway, just do the first water change to increase the SG to about 1.002 right away. As you increase the SG over the next 3 weeks(using marine salt) you will eliminate the ich at the same time as you improve the water parameters for your puffer. I haven't found increased temperature to be needed when increasing the SG by that much and never lowering it again.

For future reference, that's 1 tablespoon (tbsp) not teaspoon (tsp). If it is a BW fish, you can double that dosage the next day, if it's still in FW. Or even better, do what Nick said.

Well he hasnt gotten any better yet( actually he got worse)....
The temperature is it 83F( checked with an IR thermometer) and the salinity is just a tad under 1.004. But the odd thing is, I would never guess that he is sick at all. Hes more active and hungry than ever, its just the white spots that give it away. Should I just wait and see what happens? What about products such as Quick Cure?

Quick cure kind burns the fish's skin. Are you sure the spots are actually ich, not spines? F8's have visible spines level with the surface of the skin.

Its 100% Ich, unless the spines can grow on the fins too...

Nope... but FW ich can't survive much above 1.002, from everything I've heard... very strange.

Well the salinity was probally cruising around 1.002 till last night when I added some more water which brought it to 1.004. Maybe because of the warmer water the salinity read slightly higher, and might have actually been less than 1.002, but now it is without a doubt above 1.002. Ill give him a day and watch for any changes.
Thanks

Also, get the temperature to just above 86 - ich generally can't spread at above that temperature.