The Puffer Forum

Hello I got two figure 8 puffers for my 55 gallon brackish water tank (currently sg is reading 1.009) they were in freshwater before I got them and somehow I didn't see the few tiny salt like specs on them maybe 5 or 6 per fish, used the drip method to acclimate them to the salinity in the tank and they went in, I know I screwed up not quarantining them. the tank residents currently include 2 guppies and some fry they had, and two mollys. I've never had ich in brackish fish yet so I'm not sure where to start, I'm hoping the raise in salinity and temperature will cure this but I need some advise as I want to eventually move my small mud morays in the tank as well and they cannot tolerate copper.

Are you absolutely sure it's ich & not their tiny white spines?

hi and thank you for the reply, I tried to get a picture but it they didn't come out good enough to post, I think its ich just because they look like little specs of salt, I'm not sure how to tell the difference yet since I've had them for so short a time (and they're delightful btw).

Yeah, unfortunately, so do their spines. I'd be surprised at SG if it was ich. Are there any spots on their fins?

well after I got home from work yesterday most of the little spots have fallen off, the little guys came from freshwater so I really hope that the life cycle of the ich is stopped due to the salinity before they can reproduce and infect everything in the tank. From the research I've done if it is for sure ich the freshwater species of it won't live in the mid level brackish salinity I have, at least I'm really hoping this is a the case.

I've gotten some really great information on this forum and again I thank you guys for taking the time to offer your advise I appreciate it! These are my first puffers and they're so much cooler than I thought they would be!

Glad to hear this! Like I said, I'd be surprised if they had ich at that SG.