The Puffer Forum

Today I noticed 2 white dots on one of the puffers in my quarantine tank.
Here are 2 pics of the dots, I’m thinking it’s ich but I’d like a confirmation, it’s been 8 years or so since I last had anencounter with it.





Should I start with the heat and salt method mentioned in the sticky? Or is it something else and should I wait to see how it develops?

Questions:
1) Parameters: Ph: 7.64, Ammonia No2, No3 and Po4 where all unmeasurable, TDS: 196
2) Aquarium dimensions: 47cm*38cm*33cm or (18.5*15*13) around 55L filled (14.5gal)
Inhabitants are 2 Tetraodon schoutedeni
3) QT tank was set up on the 21st, fed twice a day, one earthworm or a few pieces of thawed krill in the morning and a few snails in the evening. Vacuumed out feeding scraps and waste every day.
Waterchanges: (depending on the amount of debris) 25% on the 22nd, 10% on the 23rd, 55% on the 24th, and 20% today. Using tap water dechlorinated with Seachem prime and brought up to temp. I’m using seachem purigen in the filter.
I’ve got a small catappa leaf and a few alder cones in the tank.
4) No changes, fish are eating and active.
5) tank was set up on the 21st, uncycled filter but due to purigen and water changes I don't expect any issues with the water quality.

I’ve added a spraybar since taking the pic, to up the oxygenation

Looks like it. Yeah, try the heat/salt & large (80%) WC every other day. Why no substrate?

Pufferpunk wrote: ↑Wed Dec 25, 2019 4:51 pm Looks like it. Yeah, try the heat/salt & large (80%) WC every other day. Why no substrate?

I never use substrate in a quarantine tank, makes it a lot easier to clean and maintain.

The aquarium they'll end up in has a sand substrate, so hopefully they won't be in here for long. Is there any particular reason you ask? I'm new to puffers, so still learning!

Sorry, didn't realize that was QT.

Pufferpunk wrote: ↑Wed Dec 25, 2019 5:40 pm Sorry, didn't realize that was QT.

oh, no problem.
Probably should have mentioned it more clearly

So far they seem to be reacting well to the treatment, still eating well although they seem a bit more aggressive/active with the high temp.
But that also might be due to the fact that they are a bit more settled in off course.

Would an UVC filter also be beneficial?
Off course on top of the salt and heat method, not on it's own...

Sure, that never can hurt.

Tomorrow they fish will have completed the 10 day heat and salt treatment. I can’t see any traces of ich remaining, so hopefully It’ll stay that way.
But I’ve got an additional question, one of the animals seems to stay a bit more skinny then the other puffer, I’ve been handfeeding the animals so I know it’s been eating. It’s also the fish which got the Ick.
I can’t see any other sign of internal parasites, no worms hanging out or something like that.
But I was wondering if it wouldn’t be better to do a treatment to be sure while I still have them in quarantine?

I can get the levamisole hydrochloride mentioned in the library in a liquid medication form see: http://www.manaus-aquarium.de/pdf/Beipa ... glish4.pdf
However I’m unsure how much I would need to add to their food? Any tips on that? I was thinking of thawing the frozen krill in the mixture.
1ML of the product should contain 60mg levamisole hydrochloride.
Or would it be better to just treat the tank?

An other option is ESHA Gdex which contains 66 mg Praziquantel/ml, I’m leaning towards this one as I already have it my stockpile of aquariumstuff.

A few drops will do. Feed only medicated food for 3-5 days.
library/hospital/internal-parasites-pre ... treatment/

Pufferpunk wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2020 9:33 am A few drops will do. Feed only medicated food for 3-5 days.
library/hospital/internal-parasites-pre ... treatment/

They aren’t really keen on the medicated krill, almost all of it ends up on the bottom, where they’ll pick at it.
I think I spoiled them to much with the live earthworms I’ve been feeding because it doesn’t leave any mess unlike the krill.

I wonder if it’s possible to soak live earthworms in the meds I'm not sure if they would absorb it?

Can you get your hands on a syringe to inject them with?

Pufferpunk wrote: ↑Mon Jan 13, 2020 10:06 am Can you get your hands on a syringe to inject them with?

Yeah I kinda feared that would be the answer, but I guess that's probably the best solution.

Anyways thank you for the answer! I admire the way you're always ready to help and advise people and basically keep this place running by yourself!

If you're REALLY grateful, maybe you feel like donating to the site?

Pufferpunk wrote: ↑Mon Jan 13, 2020 10:51 am If you're REALLY grateful, maybe you feel like donating to the site?

Nicely done
I'll consider a small donation