The Puffer Forum

So I'm pretty sure my figure 8 still has IP. I have been treating the whole tank with jungle lab fizz tabs but it doesn't seem to be working. He was fine for about two weeks and now is looking skinny again and losing interest in foods. I have read the article on treating for IP but have a couple of other questions.

Tha medicines listed are specific compounds, not brands. Any recommendations on a widely carried brand that I could try to mix directly with his food. Also to what ratio should I mix the treatments. I am currently feeding bloodworms, brine shrimp, and snails. The bloodworms and brine shrimp are small cubes, SF bay brand.

Any help would be apreciated, I lost a F8 in a almost the same manner(fine for two weeks then lost interest in food) quite some time ago.

Gel Tek is a good product. I use it and have never had any complaints. You should be able to find it online or your local fish shop.

I used Jungle Parasite Gaurd (powdered version of same product). PraziPro is good. Gel-Tek is said to be the best on the market right now.

I agree Gel tek Ultra Cure Px. With other meds when treating the tank the puffer may stop eating for at least a few days after treatment is over. With gel tek they will eat the food that is soaked in it. I guess it dosen't have a nasty taste. It's best to use it with freeze dried foods. The freeze dried foods soak it up really well.

Gel Tek Ultra Cure Px, if you can get your hands on it (many places sold out).

The problem with treating the tank with the tabs is often the medication is ineffective unless you get the fish to EAT it. So you have to soak the food in the medication, not just treat the water.

The medications mentioned in the article, such as levamasole and metronadazole are medications you can purchase.. but to tell you the truth, its a heck of a lot easier to go the Gel Tek route as apparently the fish actually LIKE the flavor, which is the biggest problem in every single other IP treatment I've found.. most of the time they spit the treated food back out.

Looks like I picked the right stuff out today then. Thanks for all the quick responses, hopefully I didn't notice the problem too late.

Also can a soak snails in it then feed it to him? He never hesitates eating snails.

-edit-never mind, he hadn't touched the bloodworms in two days, the ones soaked in the gel-tek he gobbled down. Bottle says the gel-tek has fish pheromones in it so I'm guessing that's what makes it irresistible. Again thanks for all the help.

I hope he gets better.

So he is still swimmin. He fattens up nice and good but still doesn't seem to stay rally fat for a long time. Should I just continue to treat with the gel tek or can you overdo it?

If he poohs and it's nice and black/brown with no white, muscas, stringy stuff then he shouldn't have any more IP's. If you are using gel-tek then yes you can treat again. It won't hurt him.

I just read your post again. Does he stay fat for a few hours? I feed Annabelle and her tummy will bulge just a little, a few hours later it's flat but not sunken in. This is normal. If you feed and a few hours later it's sunken in then that's not normal.

yeah no mucus or stringy stuff. Also his tummy just gets flat, not sunken. So I guess he's fine

Yay!