Puffer with ich

wilkins115

AC Members
Dec 14, 2006
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I added a porcupine puffer to my tank about a week ago. He has been eating great (and still was yesterday). 2 days ago, he suddenly became covered in spots. He has been a little lethargic, but not acting too bad. However the ich is getting worse. I want to act now. I have read a freshwater bath may be the way to go and then put him in a quarantine tank. I just finished moving the last few fish from my FOWLR 65 gallon to a FOWLR 125, so I have the 65 still running, just in case something like this happened.

The only other fish that appears to have any spots on him is my purple tang, and he has just a few, but seems to always have a spot or two, so I'm not too worried.

Also, I just added my UV sterilizer from the 65 to the new tank as well. (after I noticed the ich)

I am looking for the best and least stressful recommendation for treating the puffer. Assuming a FW bath is part of the answer, suggestions for this would be appreciated as well. The only time I tried one of these, I killed a Yellow Tang about 8 years ago.

Thanks for your help.
 
I'd be really afraid to do a FW bath, especially considering you've had past experience with it. I'd quarantine them both in the 65 and treat it with some kind of copper-safe ich treatment. I've had good luck in the past treating chemically.
 
I'd be really afraid to do a FW bath, especially considering you've had past experience with it. I'd quarantine them both in the 65 and treat it with some kind of copper-safe ich treatment. I've had good luck in the past treating chemically.


I agree Ich is a disease that you do not take shortcuts with or you will suffer the consequences. I would you Quick Cure because it worked for me. Remeber it kills anything on live rock and any benefecial bacteria so get everything out to your new tank first. I would act very very fast.
 
I would use coppersafe and slowly bring the salinty to 1.017.Keep them in the q tank for a week after the ich is gone. Then bring the salinity up slowly to match your other tank and move them to the other tank. Then I would change the water on the q tank completely .
 
Thanks. But doesn't copper negatively affect puffers since they do not have scales? I was planning on giving him the FW bath, but he has been doing better and is still eating like a champ. He still has some spots, but is acting pretty normal, so I am going to continue to monitor him in the main tank, and hopefully it will run its course. Now, no other fish are showing any signs, so I feel much better. I will continue to post the progress. Thanks for your help!
 
ich

sorry to here about your ich problem.. I just lost my powerblue the other day had him for awhile..he was eatting and doing great and than one day he was dead. didn't know why until I look at my clowtriger and he's got white spots all over him.well I use to wrok at pet shop in lansing MI, called preuss and we would do the freash water dip and it worked, an trying to catch my triger so I can do this. He just keeps getting into the live rock.I will post some pic of my tank tomarrow that I took with cam ph. good luck with your fish. It sucks when we lose are fish to this dam ich. I would like treat my tank but don't remenber if thier anything safe for my coarl..:read:
 
Please don't use any copper based meds in your tank! I would also avoid anything that would make you re-cycle your tank you will have far more problems than the ich will cause.
1) fresh water dip is a very good way to remove s.w. ich make sure that the ph of the water matches the ph of your tank and adjust your s.q to 1.10 over about an hour period the fish can take the osmotic change the parasite can't
2) adust ph to tank ph and dip fish for less than 2 mins it will kill ich dead
3) invest in a q.t. tank it will save you major $ if you look in the articles section there are several articles about hospital tanks / q.t.
hth
Max
P.S.
please post if you have any more questions I can go in to greater detail if you need more help
 
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