hi everybody
I'm new here, and I have already read 2 articles on ICH - Treating Puffers with Ich and TReating SW "ich", but i still have questions.
I have 2 GSPs that i got a little over a week ago (one is about 1", the other about 2") in a 20 gal tank.
The tank was fully cycled before I put them in there = readings then and now of
ammonia = 0
nitrites = 0
nitrates = <20
PH = about 7.2
per the fish shop guy's instructions I added 1 tblspoon of marine salt per gallon water.
i changed out about 40 % of the water a couple days ago - added it back in at same salt ratio. hydrometer currently gives me a reading of 1.009.
so these are brackish conditions, right?
well i think they have ICH - i first noticed them rubbing against stuff, then after the water change, one (big one) got really sick. breathing really heavily - i dont see white spots really, his color just seems sort of grayed out as does with the other one. but the small one is swimming about while the big one is very, very unhappy.
just about to set up the QT, then re-read article for SW Ich, and it says "hyposalinity" is the way to go. But my salinity is already at the level it says to drop to 1.009. article says parasite cant live in that salinity. so now I am confused as to what to do. whether to take them out of the 20gal at all. i added a bit of melafix (about 2 tsp) yesterday also. both fish ate this morning.
thank you for reading. please help!
dspaz ( :
brackish puffers w/ ICH
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
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Pandora114
- Green Spotted Puffer
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- Contact:
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
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burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
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I'd recheck that hydrometer. If you're reading that correct, then you are adding a little under 2 cups of salt/5g to reach that SG. Doesn't sound right... If you did raise the SG that high that fast, then I'd recheck those parameters. The tank's biological system would definitely crash if you did. Anything <1.012 should be treated as FW ich but I don't think that's the problem here.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
I just rechecked the hydrometer and now it says 1.004! i did it three times yesterday each time getting the 1.009 reading, and now after adding some salt its at 1.004?! i know, i need a refractometer.
just did other tests - ammonia and nitrite at 0.
now the big fish seems to be much better off than the little one. last night the little one turned all white, started letting the water toss him about for a while, and has been near motionless in a hiding spot ever since. i am not even completely sure he is alive. i guess I am going to get another air stone and do a water change asap...
if not ich, what could the problem be? thanks for your help.
just did other tests - ammonia and nitrite at 0.
now the big fish seems to be much better off than the little one. last night the little one turned all white, started letting the water toss him about for a while, and has been near motionless in a hiding spot ever since. i am not even completely sure he is alive. i guess I am going to get another air stone and do a water change asap...
if not ich, what could the problem be? thanks for your help.
-
Pandora114
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 397
- Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 1:28 pm
- My Puffers: C. travancoricus RIP both of you little guys. Tank will be a F8 after GSP goes full marine
T. nigroviridis Named Pepsi - Location: Comox Valley, BC, Canada
- Contact:
well, the big fish died last night. its really sad and i wish I could have done more for him.
Now I am thinking it might have been a parasite of some sort instead of ich. i wish I had thought of that sooner, but if there is a "next time" hopefully I will be more prepared.
Now another question has come up. If it was a parasite, what do I do with my now empty tank? It still has water in it and everything, but I am wondering if I need to break it down and start over or if I can just wait it out for a certain period of time.
If I wait, do I keep everything running and go back to adding a bit of ammonia each day until i restock? thanks for any help you can provide...
Now I am thinking it might have been a parasite of some sort instead of ich. i wish I had thought of that sooner, but if there is a "next time" hopefully I will be more prepared.
Now another question has come up. If it was a parasite, what do I do with my now empty tank? It still has water in it and everything, but I am wondering if I need to break it down and start over or if I can just wait it out for a certain period of time.
If I wait, do I keep everything running and go back to adding a bit of ammonia each day until i restock? thanks for any help you can provide...
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
If you are concerned about parasites, I would break it down & clean everything w/OxyClean. Then do a fishless cycle.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
