The Puffer Forum

Thanks for the help over the last couple of days...all gone a bit pear shaped now!

180l tank, 2 SAP's, 5 neons, gravel bottom, heavily planted.

Water parameters 0 nitrate, ph 6.5, temp 75F/ 26C. Fish fed frozen bloodworm, algae wafers, frozen peas, and frozen prawns.

Since yesterday, I've been soaking the worms in garlic before feeding them.

I posted when I found a weird, white, stringy thing in the water, wondered if it was IP's.

LFS gave me a treatment containing malachite green. Advised on here to do a large water change, done yesterday.

Puffers agitated, lots of glass surfing, rapid swimming and small jumps out of the water. This is followed by sitting on the gravel, and rapid breathing and clamped fins. One of the fish is having problems staying level, keeps doing a strange head-standing posture.

There are some small, white dots on their bodies, which are flat. I presumed they were ich and that the malachite had damaged their skin - but the dots seem to come and go in that they are there when the fish is agitated and fade when it's lying on the gravel. But, the malachite was only done two days ago, and the big water change was yesterday.

I put the fish with swim problems into a floating hatchery, and left the lights off.
So, here's the questions:

1. ?IP - just treat with garlic? I'm in the UK and can't find the jungle stuff, and it's a holiday weekend now.
2. ? ich - epsom salts or aquarium salt?
3. balance problem - assume that's because of the malachite?
4. Should I do water changes with fish that are a bit off balance?

Thanks in advance Again.

x

Hello,

For ich please use aquarium salt. To cure ich you would also need to raise water temperature ( I think 85F) + do W/C every other day.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=28113

What was your WC schedule before this? Sounds like the parameters have changed a lot & they are uncomfortable with it. Use Melafix, to heal their skin.

That could be it!

I was only doing 30% water changes, changed two weeks ago to 50%, and did a good 80% yesterday.

Ididn't rinse out the filter or hoover the gravel, thought I'd better leave that be fr the bacteria.

They are actually looking better now. The white spots have gone, and the surfing is less, and the head standing has stopped.

So, will go and read the tank cycling article again...any further advice is very welcome!
x

You can always gravel vac, there will be no negative effects from this. As long as you rinse out your filter in tank water this is also fine, never rinse with tap water.

When I had SAPs I used Waterlife STERAZIN, and soaked there food (snails) in that.
Ip's should be treated internally I remember someone once saying. It's a 10 day course, and worked a treat.
The Ich treatment, you can just use table salt. No definition of what Aquarium salt is.
Mike