The Puffer Forum

Hello all. I am new to this forum but am glad I found it. I've been lurking it since I got my puffer fish about 3 weeks ago or so. About a week ago I noticed one morning he randomly had a cloudy eye with ich all over him and was curled up by the heater. So I did a quick water change, slowly raised the water temp up to 80. Took some water to petco for testing and they said the nitrites were a tad high but nothing to worry about. Since then have done 3 20% water changes and vaccumed the gravel/cleaned the tank real well. Nothing was working so I tried my old method I used on my past fish, which is make up a cup of water/salt mix and dunk them in it for a few mintues. His eye has since cleared up and the ich about reduced to half. However I'm noticing him having labored breathing, laying on the bottom sometimes, and turning very dark. His darkness comes and goes and I noticed it goes away when I am changing the water or after I salt dunk him.
So obviously I am kind of lost here. Btw, he is just a baby at about 2 inches and so I have him in my 10 gallon for now, will upgrade in a few months. I was advised to wait on turning it into a brackish tank since he got ich so so badly. But I am wondering if he is stressed now from lack of salinity?
I can't do tests right now on water quality but will do so asap.

Please help! I am at a loss. I am pretty used to very hardy fish and my puffer seems so much more sensitive and I don't want to lose him.

We really need you to answer ALL the Qs abode, in red. Especially about cycling. Get yourself the API liquid test kit. ANY nitrite is toxic. You really need to be on top of this! Adding Tetra Safestart will cycle the tank.

http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/lib ... d-puffers/
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/lib ... encycycle/
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/vie ... =3&t=28113