The Puffer Forum

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 ( :

Heat + Salt

add more salt, and up the heat, and add a couple of more air stones

Just try not to kill off the bacteria in your filter

///we are dealing with the same thing here....

thanks! i read alot of your thread at work today. i just added an airstone which did make "big one" perk up a bit - i'll get some more though, and read your thread more closely...

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.

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.

Get a refractometer..they are like 10x more accurate than a hydrometer. Ebay is your friend

the little one died. I'm bummed. i don't really know why he died so fast when the big one is still kicking ...

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...

If you are concerned about parasites, I would break it down & clean everything w/OxyClean. Then do a fishless cycle.

They could've also been stressed from being in so small of a tank. By the time they are two inches they each need 30 gallons. And you should know that in case there is "next time".