The Puffer Forum

I currently have a infestation of Ich in my FW aquarium. Originally it was only three clown loaches but now my red eye puffer has been affected. The other scaled fish in my tank don't have any symptoms. I lost two of the clown loaches, but one recovered and seems to be doing better. My puffer was covered more with spots this morning, and he wasn't eating. I fed him some brine shrimp last night which he eagerly ate, and he didn't have as many spots. I have been treating now for a week-by using Quick Cure, and adding aquarium salt while raising the temperature to about 82 degrees. I only use about 2/3 the recommended dosage of Quick Cure, and I treat for three days and then do a water change and re-apply the medication.

I read the sticky on caring for puffers with Ich, but I have a question:

I seems the free swimming stage of ich happens overnight, so is it better to vacuum the gravel when the lights are off? This would also mean I need to be up in the early a.m. hours to do a water change. Or, would I just black out the tank for a day and then do the water change when I return from work?

The free-swimming stage is whenever. The fish are less active at night so a bit easier to land on and infect.

Raising the temp to 82 isn't high enough. Raise it to 86-87. I have found clowns to be the most susceptible to ich than any other fish.

Very strongly agree w/PP on that. They seem to have no resistance to the parasite at all. Tiger Barbs are pretty easy to infect also, but are far less likely to be killed quickly than are the Clown Loaches - I have long suspected that Tiger Barbs are one of the fish that easily maintain a subclinical infection. My fondness for those two fish together is one of the reasons I went to salt and heat for treatment, and also for my neurosis about QT.

I have rarely been able to save a clown loach once badly infested. If caught early then, yes.

You can try Aquari-Sol, though it is a med I havnt had any puffers get a problem with it. I use this stuff religiously when it comes to any ich.

I am hoping the Quick Cure will work. It seems to have saved my now lonely clown loach. I had originally been using an organic product called Ich attack, but it proved to be useless, and by the time I started using the Quick cure last week, it was too late for the two loaches. My oldest (8yo) seems to have survived. I just hope the puffer pulls through. I had adjusted my heater to raise the temp a few more degrees this morning, and I will perform another water change tonight.

Good luck! Really hope it all ends out for the better!

yeah good luck...keep us posted

UPDATE: As of this morning my red eye puffer looks to be free of the cysts on his body. My loach hasn't had ich now for almost two weeks, so it looks like things are going good. The puffer was always eating well except for one day early in the treatment. The Quick Cure didn't seem to bother the loach or puffer since it contains formalin and malachite green.

I am going to continue treatment for a few more days, but the worst is over. Thank you all for your input

Malachite green can be deadly to scaless fish, including both clown loaches and puffers. You were lucky.