Help possible ick

Chanjad385 · Feb 23, 2017

Need advice on what to do

sc50964 · Feb 23, 2017

It's tricky cuz I think puffers don't do well in copper. Have you tried fresh water dipping?

Chanjad385 · Feb 23, 2017

Haven't tried anything yet

sc50964 · Feb 23, 2017

Fresh water dip is a safe approach. I've also heard metroplex and paraguard being helpful for puffers.

Chanjad385 · Feb 23, 2017

Notes taken

Should I quarantine?

RUNVS · Feb 23, 2017

If you have a hospital tank you can set up it might be worth trying something called hyposalinity, I have never tried it but heres a link that I have read about it. might help.
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/a-hyposalinity-treatment-process.23131/

Chanjad385 · Feb 23, 2017

I have a spare tank not set up

Next water change I could transfer 50 litre to the hospital tank

Fresh water dip between tanks

Add salt

Good idea ?

jlear3 · Feb 23, 2017

RUNVS said:
If you have a hospital tank you can set up it might be worth trying something called hyposalinity, I have never tried it but heres a link that I have read about it. might help.
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/a-hyposalinity-treatment-process.23131/

From what I've read in the past, hyposalinity is more stressful than changing the temperature. I've never read anything about puffers so I have no idea how they do with warmer temps but I'd personally take the temp up to 85, and leave it for 2 weeks. But I am pretty new to aquariums so maybe follow responses from the pros. Good luck!

sc50964 · Feb 23, 2017

In general, you should QT all fish. For species like puffers who are notoriously known for the ease of infestation, you absolutely have to QT them. It's also a bad idea to think that a cleaner wrasse could help. Since it's scale-less, the cleaner wrasse can really do damage to them.

Chanjad385 · Feb 23, 2017

sc50964 said:
In general, you should QT all fish. For species like puffers who are notoriously known for the ease of infestation, you absolutely have to QT them. It's also a bad idea to think that a cleaner wrasse could help. Since it's scale-less, the cleaner wrasse can really do damage to them.

Puffer has been in the tank since the beginning

6 months now

Chanjad385 · Feb 23, 2017

Chanjad385 said:
Puffer has been in the tank since the beginning

6 months now

Was added exact same time as clowns

sc50964 · Feb 23, 2017

You need to be very consistent and precise with the salinity level to have noticeable positive effects from the hypo treatment. You also need to take your time to lower the salinity down to where hypo calls for, which I think is 0.08. Unless you have the means to do that, I would suggest to do fresh water dipping first.

sc50964 · Feb 23, 2017

Puffers are scaleless and they are messy eaters. Therefore, that's a bad combination as the lack of scale exposes them to external parasites easier and the messiness of eating leads to easier contamination or pollution to water quality, which increases stress and the infestation of sickness.

You were either lucky with the puffer or your vendor did a good job for it.

Humblefish · Feb 23, 2017

That's ich. I've had phenomenal success using CP on puffers: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/chloroquine-phosphate.192309/

Tank transfer method or hyposalinity are two other options.

If you decide to try copper on him, I would use a chelated copper product such as Coppersafe or Copper Power.

Michael Cooper · Feb 23, 2017

I rescued a Porcupine Puffer that had Ich from Petco and put him in my QT that I run with Cupramine. Raised temp to 81 and salinity was no higher than 1.015. Had him in there for 72 days and did extremely well, then put him with other sick fish (didn't know they were sick at the time) and they had velvet and it spread within hours killing all of the fish except for him. Did a freshwater dip on him and right back in the QT with Cupramine and completed treatment and had been thriving in his new home ever since! So I would give it a shot.

melypr1985 · Feb 23, 2017

Humblefish said:
If you decide to try copper on him, I would use a chelated copper product such as Coppersafe or Copper Power.

I've done well with several puffers using Coppersafe

4FordFamily · Feb 23, 2017

Humblefish said:
That's ich. I've had phenomenal success using CP on puffers: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/chloroquine-phosphate.192309/

Tank transfer method or hyposalinity are two other options.

If you decide to try copper on him, I would use a chelated copper product such as Coppersafe or Copper Power.

Agree 100%

Cary Hover · Feb 23, 2017

Get a cleaner shrimp. If all he has is that on the one fin then maybe you'll luck out. Youtube has hours of different approaches you can try. Fresh water dips and dropping salinity are two that atleast when I researched it had little if no effect.