The Puffer Forum

i recently bought a mbu puffer of someone of kijiji, he's selling him for 100$
when i arrive his house i saw ick and a scretch on his back, but overall the fish seems alright, so i still bought it home with me.
when i put him in the tank he just sits on the gravel, i think he's just not used to the environment, for the ick, i already added some salt and raise the temp. its a 3'x1'x1' tank, i use rena xp3 filter, and has been running for 1~2 month, ph is 6.9 and i checked ammonia and no2, both is 0,
what should i do with his back? i have some triple sulfa, that i've used for a scretch on my previous puffer as well(saltwater narrow lined puffer, died cuz i bought liverock in, after i dump the rock in i found out it is not cure yet... but its too late, and the store didnt tell me that too.)



btw i know i need a bigger tank, he's 5 inch now, once he hits 6~7 inch, i will give him a bigger tank, i getting a job so i can buy a new tank for him, so dun worry, his tank is going to be upgrade in 1~2 month

No meds please!
library/hospital/fwich/

Also, please read:
viewtopic.php?f=56&t=150
library/puffers-in-focus/mbuforyou/

You're gonna need one hell of a job!

Pufferpunk wrote:
No meds please!
library/hospital/fwich/

Also, please read:
viewtopic.php?f=56&t=150
library/puffers-in-focus/mbuforyou/

You're gonna need one hell of a job!

thx man, i will maybe buy a 90 gallon for him in 1~2 months! hope he doesnt get big too fast... so i can have time to save money for even bigger tank..
hope he doesn't die =[......

Ich is easy to treat, if you follow the directions well. Do you have a python for water changes? You're going to be doing a lot of them!

Pufferpunk wrote:
No meds please!
library/hospital/fwich/

Also, please read:
viewtopic.php?f=56&t=150
library/puffers-in-focus/mbuforyou/

You're gonna need one hell of a job!

but u didn't mention wt i should do with the scretch...
thats the thing im more worrying about...

Just provide clean water, you don't need to treat it.

Pufferpunk wrote:Ich is easy to treat, if you follow the directions well. Do you have a python for water changes? You're going to be doing a lot of them!

ya, i added 4 spoon of salt in my tank, whats a python?? im scared that too much water change will get the ph ruin.... and the ich becteria in is the tank of the previous owner's tank? so do i still need to do that much water change? cuz my tank never had any ich problem.

Ich is a ciliate parasite (not bacteria) and is in your tank now.

Python is a device that makes water changes easier than just a siphon and a bucket.

What is your tank pH and your tap pH? Why do you think that there is such a large difference between the two?

You need to do many water changes to get the ich out of your tank. Plus, you have a fish that is going to get very large and you don't have anything close to an appropriate tank for it right now which also means a lot of water changes.

Use Melafix to help with the scratch.

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/p ... atid=22441

Flutter wrote:Ich is a ciliate parasite (not bacteria) and is in your tank now.

Python is a device that makes water changes easier than just a siphon and a bucket.

What is your tank pH and your tap pH? Why do you think that there is such a large difference between the two?

You need to do many water changes to get the ich out of your tank. Plus, you have a fish that is going to get very large and you don't have anything close to an appropriate tank for it right now which also means a lot of water changes.

current ph is 6.9, tap water is 7.8 so that will obviously make a big different.
i know i have a small tank, thats y im getting a job so i have the money to buy a 90 gallon for a few month, i know 90gallon is not enough too, so i have a plan of upgrading to a large enough tank within a year or so.
since i already add salt in the water, if i see the number of white spot is decresing already when i get home today, should i still do that much water change? i know i shouldnt get the fish for now... but it is really a good price and i will give him a appropriate tank soon.

Flutter wrote:Ich is a ciliate parasite (not bacteria) and is in your tank now.

Python is a device that makes water changes easier than just a siphon and a bucket.

What is your tank pH and your tap pH? Why do you think that there is such a large difference between the two?

You need to do many water changes to get the ich out of your tank. Plus, you have a fish that is going to get very large and you don't have anything close to an appropriate tank for it right now which also means a lot of water changes.

and i dun think i should use a python cuz the tap water have a lot of chlorine.....

You add the dechlorinator (Prime is suggested--directly to the tank, before filling). Start with 25% water changes 2x today & then 50% every day after that. Then your tank water will be the same as the tap water. How did you cycle this tank before getting the fish? Do you have water test kits?

The pH isn't really a huge factor with fish as they adapt well to nearly any pH. Wild pH swings will kill a fish in a hurry though so, use your tap water with Prime to take care of the chlorine and chloramine.

You do need to do the water changes because of the life cycle of ich. To make it easy to understand, the parasite lives on the fish for a short time, falls off and lives in the substrate waiting for another host (very simple explanation). The need for the Python is so you can throughly vacuum the substrate.

Dadof4 wrote:The pH isn't really a huge factor with fish as they adapt well to nearly any pH. Wild pH swings will kill a fish in a hurry though so, use your tap water with Prime to take care of the chlorine and chloramine.

You do need to do the water changes because of the life cycle of ich. To make it easy to understand, the parasite lives on the fish for a short time, falls off and lives in the substrate waiting for another host (very simple explanation). The need for the Python is so you can throughly vacuum the substrate.

i understand that... but i use sand gravel...what can i do? it will suck out all the sand... ill do the 25% water change when i get home

Then you must thoroughly stir all the sand by hand & siphon off the top.