The Puffer Forum

I am new to brackish tanks and puffers but I have a 110 gallon saltwater and a small freshwater tank. I have always wanted a puffer but could not have one in our reef tank. About a week ago, I saw some brackish water puffers in the store and just had to have a couple. We set up our tank and cycled it using some of the water from our reef tank. I went back and bought two puffers that are about 1 inch long. They are eating well and exploring their new environment. Today, I noticed a few white spots on one of them. Is this ick? What should I do? I read on one of the other threads that medicine is not always the best thing to treat it with. Here are the water conditions: Tank- 30 gallons (I know we will need a bigger tank when they get bigger), Salinity-1.008, ammonia-.5
temperature- 78, alkalinity-2.0, nitrates 10ppm, nitrites- .2

I would appreciate any advice you have. Thanks, Jennifer

Hi Jennifer - welcome aboard. What type of BW puffers did you get - Green Spotted Puffers, aka GSPs, or Figure 8s?

Unfortunately, very little of the bacteria you need for cycling is found in your tank water...it's more commonly found on the gravel, tank decor and especially in your filter media. The BW bacteria are not the same as SW or FW, either.

So, your tank is not cycled as evidenced by your nitrites which should be at 0.

I'd suggest frequent water changes until the tank is cycled or there is a product, whose name escapes me, that I'm sure another board member will chime in here and recommend which can instantly cycle a tank (although I can't recall if there is a BW version).

As for those spots, it can be hard at first to differentiate ich from their spines. Are the spots regularly placed? If so, could be spines.

Your SG of 1.008 should take care of any FW ich, but you can raise the temperature, too, if it's ich. There's a nice post/sticky in the hospital section on treating ich with salt and temperature.

Eric

Your tank is definitely not cycled at all. Please either return the puffers & do a fishless cycle (see article in our Library) or purchase Bio-Spira to instant cycle the tank. In the meantime, test for ammonia, nitrites & nitrates 2x/day & do 50-80% water changes accordingly. What SG were the puffers at in the shop you purchased from? Generally, not 1.010, usually more like 1.000 (FW).

If it's ich, you would see it on their fins. If not, then you're probably just seeing spines.

If you're keeping the SG at 1.008, you can use freshwater Bio-Spira, as the bacteria can thrive at SGs up to 1.012 or so, so that's ok.
I'm assuming you're in the US as you say ich rather than whitespot, so you should be able to get hold of some B-S easily..over here it's just not available, which is a pain, but grab some and cycle that tank pronto.
Also, can you find out what species the fish are, as that's how you work out what's best for them.
Have you determined whether it's ich or just their spikes?
Ich is like salt grains and is distributed randomly, and like PP says, it appears on fins first. Spikes are in a regular pattern and are not bright white like ich spots.
Pami.

Hi and thanks for helping us!

I guess I did forget to write that they are GSP. I am at work right now but I believe the spots are randomly spreaded. They do look like grains of salt. I salinity that I have them in is the same as the store. I will go this afternoon and buy the Bio whatever it is called. How do you use it?

I also have another question. Should I be feeding them everyother day? I am feeding them frozen food and I plan on getting them some snails this weekend (and a bubbler)

Jennifer

At the sizr they are, they need feeding everyday, bt skip one day a week...which is a contradiction, but you know what I mean.
Hmm...if they've been in salt water at the shop...I hope it's not marine ich..surely not.
Are there any of these spots on the fins?
Pami.

Pam,There are spots on ones tail I know. I just noticed the spots last night. I will look better after work. If it is marine ich, do I still use the Bio Spira or do I need something else?

The Bio-Spira is for cycling your tank, it's not a medicine. It is essential, though, so get hold of it asap.
I'm wondering...what salt are you using to make your water brackish? Is it aquarium salt or marine salt? Cos I'm wondering if the lfs just chucked a teaspoon of aquarium salt in the water at the shop and told you it was brackish. If so, then they could've harboured the ich there...the spots you see are the parasites under the skin, where they're protected from the salt...but once they bust out...the salt'll get them.
If it's freshwater ich, then a rise in water temp and the high salt will kill it off. Read the sticky on ich in the hospital section, as it's extremely helpful. If it's marine ich, then you've got a bigger fight on your hands, but it's still curable. A member called Kman has a porcupine puffer who had marine ich and it took a good few weeks, but he got it sorted...so have a read through the thread...do a search of the forum.
Let's wait and see what wiser heads than mine say...but for now...get that tank cycled...your fish need clean water in order to fight off any illness and stress...that's their first requirement.
Phew..long post...don't worry, we'll work this out.
Pami.

Thanks! I am going to call Petsmart and or Petco on my break to see if they have Bio Spira. If not I will go back to the aquarium store to get it. I am also going to try to find out if the store just threw in some salt and called it Brackkish. There is a guy who works there that my husband and I made friends with because he is Russian and he found out that we are going to Russia to adopt a child. I think he will be honest with me!

Jennifer

At that low an SG I'd be really surprised if we're talking SW ich.

I do wonder about how the LFS created their BW, and just to double check - you are using marine salt mix, right? I think increased temperatures and your SG will eventually clear them up. They're probably stressed little pups after the trip from the wild to the LFS to your place, so the ich was able to take hold.

Eric

Eric, Thanks for responding. Yes, we are using marine salt. I called a few stores to see if they had Bio Spira. So far I have only found Bio Zyme. Does anyone know if it is the same thing? There are still several stores that I can call but I ran out of time.

No they aren't the same thing. Where are you located? It's not available in Canada, but you can order it.

Not the same. Bio-Spira is the only product that we know of that can truly claim to instant cycle a tank. All others that we are aware of are ineffective at best, some even potentially harmful.

Note: It is very important that you follow the Bio-Spira instructions carefully and that the product remain under refrigeration at all times. If you need to perform a water change, do so prior to adding the Bio-Spira.

Big Al's (aquarium services) also has a product. I forget what its called exactly.. something like bio-support, its in a yellow bottle. I'm pretty sure its the same thing as bio-spira, just their own brand.

I just found Bio Spira. (I live in Dallas, Texas) I am also suppose to call the store where I purchased the puffers back after 2:00 to talk to the guy who works there. Hopefully, that will help answer the question is it sw ich, or fw. Jennifer