The Puffer Forum

I noticed small white dots all over two of my 4 SA puffers last night before bed, and this morning I noticed all 4 have white spots--ICH. I just got them 4 days ago . SA puffers are very prone to Ich (from what I've been told), so I took my fish and aquarium experts advice on wiping it out fast. Puffers are scaleless, so they are sensitive to meds, so I am using a half dose of Rid Ich (3 teaspoons in my 55 gallon tank), added 10 tablespoons of Doc Well's aquarium salt, and am gradually increasing the temp of my tank to 85 degrees. All per my friend. I also took out the carbon filter out of my filter head. He said to do a 30% water change Friday (2 days) and repeat the treatment if necessary. He said between the salt, meds, and increased temp, the Ich will be wiped out in no time. He consulted his friend about this and because I have puffers (his friend has been owning and cleaning aquariums for the last 25 years) and he agreed with the treatment. We shall see what the future holds for my new friends--I am doing what I can!!

Sounds like a plan, but I'd do larger waterchanges & daily, while cleaning the gravel. Have you read the article at the top of this forum on Treating Puffers W/Ich?

yes, I saw it and read it after I started treating--I started treating as soon as I could! It sounds like you don't like products like Rid-Ich, but I am going out of town in a couple weeks, for a week, so I need this Ich wiped out completely before then, or I will come home to dead puffers! Aquari Sol was recommended to me, but PS didn't have it, so I got the Rid-Ich, since it is the safest for scaleless fish.

My DPs and pleco all have the ICH now. I lost a DP today. I just did a 30-40% water change in the tank, and will treat again and add more salt in a while. So far, my puffer experience has been horrid. This sucks

Don't give up EvilE, SA's are terrible at diseases. Just get the heat up - that is the easiest way. I have los quite a few due to ich. It is gutting but you can have your fishkeeping grow from the experience.
Chin up!

Try 80% water changes, every other day. Plecos (as do puffers) die easily from meds. Add Melafix to sooth their skin.

Well I did another water change today, and added a bubble wall for extra oxygen, since I have the temps higher. I lost another DP last night, so I only have one left now. The pleco came out last night, and looks pretty good--the Ich on him is virtually gone. The SA puffers are all active and doing good, and they still have the white spots, but I believe it is getting better. I will med them again tonight, and add a little more salt, since I just did the water change a few minutes ago. I am trying kids!! I am doing my best to cure them, and make them healthy and happy!! I will not give up.

Still battling ICH--it's been over a week now. Still medicating half dose, still raising temp, still using salt, still changing water--still very frustrated.

Ich has a 21 day lifecycle--be patient.

21 days in all cases?

If the tank temp is raised properly, the ich should die within 3 days. I would keep up the temp & water changes a little longer than that though.

I have the water temp at around 83-86, it fluctuates a bit. I have had it up for 11 days now, along with aquarium salt, and half dose daily Rid Ich meds. Shouldn't it be done by now? I have changed the water numerous times as well, and have been adding some melafix, to help sooth their skin. So why is it still sticking around?

Ich can be a pain to get rid of whether you use the high temp treatment or medication. The parasite is only vulnerable in the free-swimming stage of life and that is a relatively short period of time. If treatment fails to kill it while it is free swimming or you are unable to remove it from tank via water changes and gravel vac, the parasite attaches back to the fish and begins another round of reproduction. It is all but invincible when attached to the fish and protected by the fish's slime coat.

You have to be vigilant and patient. PWCs daily or more often will help remove the critters from the tank and will help to keep the water pristine, reducing stress and aiding in healing.

Do a Google search on Ich life cycle.

According to RTR:
"Total treatment course may be that long (21 days), but the protozoan hits its minimum cycle time (~72 hours) in the mid to upper 70's. The mid-80s figure we use so much is because the temperature alone will disrupt the life cycle above 84-85F, best higher still (90F and above*). But most occupied tanks cannot hold enough O2 at the higher temps, and many fish cannot handle the combined stress of gill damage and lowered O2 from the temperature increase.

I do not start the clock until I have no visible Ich, then allow 10 days (3 times the 3 day cycle plus one for insurance) before I call it done. That is usually about 2+ weeks total, rarely up to 3 weeks. There is no magic number, but no visible plus 10 days has always worked for me. I do restart the QT period after that, so the whole return to normal temps plus more weeks is still isolated from my displays.

If you want to specify a total treatment time, 21 days would be conservative, but it is way past the bug's cycle time.

*I have seen reports in the sci. lit. on 5 days at 95F alone, but that is big time risk in my book - not for the parasite, but for the fish."

I am still treating, and doing water changes, but my SA puffers seem to be worsening. They seem to have more Ich on them than ever, and seem to be losing weight, even though they are still eating. It's now been a full 2 weeks of treatment. I am kinda at a loss--I feel like I am losing the battle right before my eyes.