The Puffer Forum

1. Ammonia - 1ppm. Haven't tested the others today, since I know he's going through a mini-cycle, and since Mom kept bugging me to quit messing around and clean my room. Just did a 50% w/c and added extra Prime.
2. 1/2g, only inhabitant a betta.
3. Fed on frozen, vitamin-enriched bloodworms and betta flakes/freeze-dried bloodworm mix stuff, 2-3 times a day, as per directions on package. W/c schedule - not permanently established yet. Products - Prime, aquarium salt.
4. Everything. He's new.
5. About three days, and cycled with substrate and a big decoration that I stole from the puffers' tank.

I just picked up a betta from the pet store the other day. He's going through a mini-cycle now, but I've been treating with Prime (water changes, too, but not much help, since my tap water here at home reads 1ppm for ammonia, too ), so, no real biggie.

Problem: He's got ich. He's flashing, poofing out his gills like he sees another betta (I guess he has cysts in his gills), hanging out by the airstone (I think he likes the bubbles moving over the cysts), and, of course, is covered in little white grains that popped up this morning. *sigh* I know how to treat - aquarium salt and perfect water quality for four weeks - but I've never treated ich before and I really want someone to tell me for certain-sure that I'm doing the right things, and that I'm not a dumbass who's about to make some drastic mistakes.

I added about a pinch of aquarium salt to a couple of cups of water, dissolved it, added Prime, and did a 50% w/c. I upped the air flow, since he seems to like the bubbles so much right now, as compared to a couple of days ago.

I really want to treat the puffer tank, too, since they're next-door neighbors (I've moved them several feet apart now!), and I use some of the same equipment (thouroughly rinsed in between, but still!). Should I add some salt?

Up the temp on both tanks to 86 degrees add one tablespoon of salt for every 5 gallons do 50% w/c with grave vaccum every other day and keep the temp up for 30 days.

Will treat puffer tank, too. I really don't want it in both tanks.

The pinch is my version of 1/10 of a tablespoon.

I'll try to up the temp with lamps. My heater only does a range of 76-80.

I'm worried about the gravel vac, though. I would have to use it for both tanks, and it's hard to clean. Would vinegar work? I don't want to risk Oxy-Clean getting stuck in there, and I'm NOT going near bleach, not with my small tanks.

Thanks! Will do everything I possibly can.

UPDATE: I've succeeded in upping the puffer tank to about 83-84, and I've made it to 84-85 in the betta tank. The puffers are showing no signs of developing ich. They're quite healthy, so I think that if anything got in there, they're fighting it off just fine.

Does anyone know whether snails can carry ich? I don't want to have to treat them, too - I don't have enough lamps!

If anyone can answer that, please IM me, unless I'm still online (for the next half-hour, maybe). I only get online rarely these days, since Mom's confiscated my laptop until my room is clean! I can get on AIM from my phone, though. And if I have to treat, I want to start ASAP. My AIM is LilGreenPuffer, too. Thanks!

Snails do not get ich. I can be carried into tanks by nets, hands and snails but does not host on them, or you. They don't need to be treated.

YESSS! Thanks!

The poor little guy is absolutely crusted, especially his fins. He looks like someone took him out and rolled him in salt. He's still eating enthusiastically, though, and jumped and bonked his face on the toothpick the other day when I offered him a live blackworm!

I'm really, really worried about him. Not only is he crusted in cysts, which is to be expected, but he also has fin rot. I can't believe I didn't notice before. I guess I was too worried about the ich to notice the gradual fraying, and I thought that the whiteness at the ends of his fins was cysts, or else he'd developed extra slime coat. Ugh. I can't believe myself.

He's lost about half an inch of fin, and the rays are now exposed. His body is brown instead of red. I moved him from the 1/2g to the hospital tank (moved snails out [they're done with QT anyway], cleaned, spread out nice bacteria-y blue gravel from before substrate change, stole puffers' second filter, added betta), so now I can maintain better water quality for him. He doesn't seem to like the current from the filter, but the water needs to be moving through the bacteria in it, so it's staying on.

I need to do some serious boot-licking. I have no money, but I'm running out of dechlorinator, and I need to be treating with lots of Prime. Water has to stay ammonia-free with that fungus, and the stupid tap water still has 1ppm in it. Maybe I can convince Mom tomorrow... fat chance.

Oh, well. Even if he doesn't make it, he'll die overwhelmed with joyous swim room unlike anything he's had in his life.

oh so sorry to hear lilgreenpuffer, he is having a hard time bless him. Least he has a luxury of all that space to help ease his discomfort.

Lots and lots and LOTS of space! I think he doesn't quite know what to do with himself. If he makes it, I'll add some tetras (shh! don't tell Mom) and such, and get a new hospital/qt off of craigslist. I just have to wait for my next paycheck, which is going to be a nice fat one!

P.S. One question, guys! I know not to use Melafix on a labyrinth fish, but is Pimafix okay? I really hope so... I don't want to have to beg for $$$ for a new medicine, too!

Got Gel-Tek penicillin today, plus dechlorinator. *phew* A few hours after moving the betta, he was almost entirely red again, so that's a major improvement! He's not interested in dry food right now, so I may try dunking a nice yummy live blackworm in the meds later. Poor little guy.

He won't eat anymore. He just sits on the bottom, making the trip up to the surface for air every minute or so. He doesn't even look at wriggling worms right in front of him. Gel-Tek tastes good, so he must be pretty far gone if he's not interested at all. I've been treating the water instead. No water treatment dose was given, so I added 20 drops. You're supposed to feed at least 5 drops 2x/day, so I don't think I'm ODing. Colors are still good.

You're keeping his water warm right? They like it in the low 80's and get a little inactive if its cooler.

Bettas are one of the more picky eaters (really like their meaty foods) so I can see one being not quite interested in a gel type food.

Just keep up the water changes every day, keep up the treatment and wish for the best. If you haven't already, you might want to skim http://www.bettatalk.com for ideas on how to treat sick bettas.

All the research I did said that they didn't need a heater. Geez. Well, it's getting into the 90s this week, so I'll just start keeping a window open until payday, I guess. It was easy to keep the little tank at 84 to treat the ich using just a lamp, but not so with the 10g.

I can understand him not being interested in gelly foods, but he won't even eat live blackworms, and he normally loves them. Refusing a food that was a favorite is worrisome.

I've been reading that site. I like it - thanks!

Ich is not cured by penicillin.

Penicillin may help with secondary bacterial infections. The dose you stated (20 drops) sounds OK, but the antibiotic is not the best choice. From this product line I'd have chosen Gel-Tek Neomycin.

To cure Ich follow the advice of edmlfc1 or see the article in the hospital tab above, especially this paragraph: "...it is recommended to use 1 tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons of aquarium water, while gradually raising the temperature to 86 degrees F. Continue with this for a period of one month, adding back 1 tablespoon of salt for every 5 gallons of aquarium water that you remove during water changes."

You need to use real salt (NaCl), not only aquarium salt.

I'd aim for larger quarters (at least 2 gallons) if the fish survives. 1/2 gallon is too unstable. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebinde ... sysart.htm

See here for further advice on betta disease;
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebindex/betdisfaqs.htm
there are more pages about the topic linked above.

Good luck.