The Puffer Forum

1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate).
pH 8.1, Ammonia and Nitrites 0, Nitrates 12, SG .006, temp 78.

2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants.
29 gallon tank, home for two 2 inch Figure Eights. The filter is an Aqua Clear 50, with Marineland Ceramic Cylinders

3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
Usually feed once daily with a one day fast, sometimes they will also get a light snack of snails as a second feeding. I use Instant Ocean and Stress Coat Plus, I occasionally add Flourish for the plants.

4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
I've added plastic floating plants from one of my FW tanks, I suspect this is the culprit.

5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it?
Set up last September as a FW tank, seeded with filter media, sand, decor from another tank and cycled with ammonia. Transitioned to BW in November and puffers moved in the beginning of December.

Last night I found two spots on my puffer Piglet's pectoral fin.
After reading the articles about treating Ich in Freshwater and Saltwater, I'm wondering the best practice for treating Ich in the Brackish tank.
Do I follow the guidelines for freshwater, if so do I add more salt because of the SG? Is this aquarium salt, like API? When I do my water changes, do I add the aquarium salt (pre-mixed) to water that has the Instant Ocean dissolved in it?
I guess I'm looking for more specifics.
Also, should I remove any decor from the tank, like the beastly plastic plants? Last weekend I found a single mystery fry in the tank (most likely came in on the plastic plats), which now resides in a floating nursery until it grows large enough so I can ID it. Can I leave it in there and treat it as well?

Those are my questions for now.

Thank you

If the plastic plants came from another tank, they could definitely be the culprit.

You could either raise or lower the salinity, but it would be cheaper and easier to put them in a freshwater hospital tank. (Don't do it in the main tank because that would kill the biofilter!)

But you might want to wait for a BW expert before you jump on my advice.

Thanks LilGreenPuffer. So far today I have done a 50% water change, keeping the SG where it is but raising the temp to 80 and putting in a bubble want for extra aeration. Both seem to be doing fine, chubby as usual, hunting and begging for food. I tossed the plastic plants.

Get the temp to 86 when you start the treatment.

This is the prescribed treatment for freshwater puffers.

Treatment

Before starting treatment you should do at least a 50% water change and vacuuming of your tank. I also suggest doing 50% water changes every other day of treatment, to reduce the number of parasites in the water.

I do not like to use medication with my puffers, except in cases of heavy infestation. Melafix is helpful to treat any damage done to the puffer’s skin from the parasite. If you run into any severe secondary bacterial problems, Pimafix may also be used.

For freshwater puffers, 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.

One thing to remember with high temperatures is that there is less dissolved oxygen available in warm water than there is in water at cooler temperatures, therefore it is recommended to run an additional airstone to oxygenate the water.

Is this the treatment I use for brackish puffers as well? I would like to avoid using medications, with the exception of Melafix and Pimafix. I'm wondering about the salt, would I add aquarium salt as treatment in additional to marine used for the SG? And how gradually do I increase the temperature?

Do you think it would be better to move them to a freshwater treatment tank? I have a 15 that I'm breeding snails in. The water quality is good because I also use it as a grow out tank for fry when needed. If I went this route, I would have to start lowering the SG in the 29 so they could start acclimatizing in preparation for moving to the freshwater treatment tank correct? Wont this prolong their exposure to the parasite?

Am I making this too complicated for myself, am I overlooking anything obvious? My puffers have always been healthy, this is our first illness and I don't wont to do any thing wrong or detrimental to them. I just want them healthy again.

No, just a drip-acclimation will be fine. You don't need to lower the SG in the main tank. Just acclimate them right into the Hospital tank.

But like I say, wait for an expert to make sure I'm telling you right.

Where are the experts?

Right here! Leave the SG be. With just a few spots, it may not even be ich. Just in case though, you can keep up with WC every other day, vaccuming the substrate to remove any free-swimming cycts & their eggs & raise the temp to 86.

Oh thank goodness!!!

Should I do this for a month or re-evaluate after a couple of weeks? Would you recommend adding Melafix?

Thank you for your help and you too LilGreenPuffer! Like a typical parent, I was imagining worse case scenario. I will sleep much better tonight.

Piglet and Blinky thank you as well!

Melafix never hurts when used as per directions.