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just a little scab or ich?

Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 1:56 pm
by andy198712
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug. ... _.jpg.html

if you look at this F8's tail from the puffer pedia section, is that ich? as my puffer has two lil white bits on his tail one on the tip and one half way down, hes eating fine and seems very happy, he isnt trying to scratch them at all,

i thought it might be scabs from a bit of nipping he might have got from the LFS i've only had him a week

cheers

andy

Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 2:02 pm
by kass
Have the spots moved? If they come and go then it is ich. I beleive ichs life cycle is around 7 days, so if they have been there for more than a week its most probably not ich.

Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 2:27 pm
by Boxermom
Looks more fungal or bacterial to me than ich. Ich are tiny white round dots that look like salt granules. That's not what I see in the picture, they look more fuzzy.

Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 3:06 pm
by Rocker
It is common to see tiny white spots on the fins of puffers . They often 'grow out'. difficult at first to tell if it is whitespot so close observation is required.
If they remain there for some time then I would rule out ich. Keep a close eye on spots appearing on the body though.

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:21 am
by Nusquam
Rocker,

What do you mean by "grow out"? My puffers have something that looks similar, except more shiny (sparkly??), and less fuzzy. I started noticing it a few days ago and noticed some more just now when I went to check up on them. I'm increasing the temperature, and getting some higher salinity water ready for a water change in case it's Ich, but if it's not, do you have any other advice? Or does that sound like Ich to you?

Thanks in advance.

PS. Sorry to hi-jack your topic like this, Andy :redface:

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:30 am
by Rocker
The best way to describe what I mean by 'grow out' - Consider the white marks you occasionally get on a finger nail. Lasts a while but will simply go as the nail growa. These spots on puffer fins are similar blemishes. They will go of their own accord.

Ich however though does need treating. The article here should help.

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:53 am
by Nusquam
Thanks for the quick reply! I'll definitely keep an eye on it. I've increased the temperature, and am prepping some brackish water for a water change soon once I get a heater for the tub I'm using to mix the change water, and increase the salinity a bit more. I'm hesitant to use meds, but will keep my eye out for some of the more commonly used ones when I head to the LFS tomorrow.

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 4:07 am
by manutius
I think you are doing the right thing meds should be a last and final method of attack. Keep water quality excellent an dlike the guys say just keep an eye on it

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:17 am
by andy198712
i've been looking at them under a magnifing lense and they dont seems to be moving, i'll keep an eye on them and if they move at all i'll raise the temp, i looked at the sticky topic for ich which was great but didnt have those sypmtons, his body is clear so i'll kep a close watch on him,

i was gettin a bit over worried for the little

cheers

andy

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 12:12 pm
by Nick
They don't "move" before your eyes, they drop and are replaced by new ones, with ich. You know the tiny little individual balls of styrofoam? Ich looks JUST like that, only way way smaller. Has that oddly perfect round ball look to it. If the spots don't look like nearly round balls stuck on your fish, it's probably not ich.

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 5:32 pm
by andy198712
nah mine aren't perfectly round, ones a long egg shape and the other is a smaller shape
thanks for your help thats a weight off my mind but i'll still keep an eye on it

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:17 pm
by andy198712
found another little white spot on his back fin to day so going to treat for ich by upping the temp and adding 1 table spoon of salt per 5 gals as the sticky topic says, can't harm to try i guess

Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 12:29 pm
by andy198712
well after i added the salt they dissapared over night, should i keep this up for a week or so? i also did about 60-70% water change

Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:33 pm
by Nick
Keep the salt and heat going for at least a week if it's effective, I've often heard two is better to make sure.

Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 7:40 pm
by andy198712
ok cheers, how much salt should i add in each day?