The Puffer Forum

1) ph is 7.5, no ammonia
2) 44g tank, 1 GSP, 7 tiger barbs, 3 gold barbs, 8 danios, 1 pecostomus
3) fed once a day, some times twice, change the water weekly about 30 %,
4) no changes
5) aquarium has been set up for over 4 years, took the fish that were in the tank out and put them in another tank, then added the fish that are in it now


I was going to do a 50% WC today and start adding 1.003. sg water to the tank to change from FW to BW, as I have only had my puffer for just over a week, but this morning I noticed that the pecostomus and tiger barbs have ick..... can't see any ick spots on the GSP, so Im not certain that he doesn't have it. I know that the tiger barbs and the rest of the fish cannot be changed to BW, was going to move them to one of my other tanks. Should I treat this tank for ick before I start adding the BW?

In my opinion, I would put the transformation to brackish on hold, and deal with the ich first. Even if your GSP isn't showing it yet, it soon will and by then, it could be very bad. I would get the treatment going tonight, or tomorrow, and turn up your thermometer too, that speeds up the cycle of the parasite and makes it easier to get rid of.
Make sure you do the treatment long enough, and do frequent water changes during the treatment to get rid of the parasites that fall away from the fish (before they can attack again). Also be very careful about using the same equipment on any of your other tanks, or you could transfer the ich to other tanks.

Good luck!

What temp should i raise to?....

If I remember right, I believe reading that at 85F the parasite stops infecting new fish, and at stops reproducing at 86F, and at 89.5F actually dies. I've never taken my temperature above 86F .... but raising the temp does seem to get rid of it quicker. Thing is, don't raise it too quickly so you don't freak your fish out. But gradually get it up and the heat will do alot of work for you.

**(I just checked the article, and those are the right temperatures that I quoted)**

Follow the instructions in the ich article in our Library.

is Ick Guard by Jungle fish care fine to use?....it says to only use half doseage for scale-less fish......it also says that it kills ick without raising water temperatures.....should i still raise the temp?

No meds for treating ich. Please read that article.

so melafix, salt, a higher temp and WC's every other day will get rid of it then?

Now ya got it!