Puffer with ich.

[rlf_racing]

I have a small 5.5" dogface puffer now for about a week. He eats great and looks healthy other than a slight case of ich now. Now for my problem is that my tank has inverts so I can't use a copper treatment. What can I use for treatment? I know the garlic extreme by kent marine worked for my blue tang, would this work for my puffer as well? Or is there something better that I can use?

 

[ccampbell57]

I never understood the "slight" case of ich.

It's like saying you have a slight case of cancer or a slight case of blindness.

If your dogface has ich, you need to remove him and all the other fish in your tank and get them into QT. Once there, place them in Hypo for 4-6 weeks post last sign of ich.

 

[nureefer2008]

I suspect that my golden puffer is suffering from some form of parasite as well. Although, it does not show any visible sign. However, it is new to my tank and for the past 5 days, it has not been eating. I am going to lower my salinity to 1.010 for 4 weeks to see if it's going to rid of the parasite.
Good luck to you

 

[ccampbell57]

NuReef - 1.010 is high...go to 1.009 for the 4 weeks post ich signs and you should be good to go.

 

[rlf_racing]

I don't have QT, and I can't lower salinity. Will the garlic treatment work like it did for the tang? What I mean by slight it is not severe, just started showing signs. Does that clarify what i mean by stight case of ich?

 

[ccampbell57]

Well you can try to use garlic to up your puffers immune system, but if he already has ich then it is just a matter of time before the rest of the fish have it and it will work fast.

The garlic did not kill the ich. It only allowed the fish to fend it off. If you don't kill the ich then the first time a fish gets sick it will multiply so fast there will be no stopping it.

 

[rlf_racing]

Well then how do I kill the ich in a fowlr setup? Like I said I don't have a qt.

 

[Jason1520]

A friend/owner of a local fish store gave me the following remedy for ich:

Lower the salt level, and raise the temp in the tank. I lowered the salt slightly, which the fish like. Lower salt is easier for them to pass through gills. By lowering the salt, the ich falls from the fish...and raising them temp kills off the ich.

The inverts usually don't do well with warmer heat, so be careful. Along with lower salt and higher temp, lower the amount of time the lights are on. Do this for about one week and reevaluate.

I am not sure how this works, but it did. I had an outbreak and this method cleared it up, with no caualties. I did also use garlic with all feedings throughout the process.

 

[Justin/TiV]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12396190#post12396190 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ccampbell57
Well you can try to use garlic to up your puffers immune system, but if he already has ich then it is just a matter of time before the rest of the fish have it and it will work fast.

The garlic did not kill the ich. It only allowed the fish to fend it off. If you don't kill the ich then the first time a fish gets sick it will multiply so fast there will be no stopping it.

I disagree with your posts. Yes qt and hypo will get rid of the parasite, but that is a last resort IMO. A healthy fish can fight it off on it's own, and the garlic can help. You can have a slight case of ich, I've had fish that only had a couple spots, fought it off on their own, and never came back.

What inverts do you have in your tank...the beauty of a FOWLR is no inverts to kill if you need to run copper IMO...I was guilty of this myself. But recently removed all of them, and have a couple corals left over from my reef that are coming out as well so I can run copper if I need to. The only thing that sux, is all my rock will never be able to used in a future reef. Ah well...just have to buy new rock when I do

 

[Justin/TiV]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12399735#post12399735 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jason1520
A friend/owner of a local fish store gave me the following remedy for ich:

Lower the salt level, and raise the temp in the tank. I lowered the salt slightly, which the fish like. Lower salt is easier for them to pass through gills. By lowering the salt, the ich falls from the fish...and raising them temp kills off the ich.

The inverts usually don't do well with warmer heat, so be careful. Along with lower salt and higher temp, lower the amount of time the lights are on. Do this for about one week and reevaluate.

I am not sure how this works, but it did. I had an outbreak and this method cleared it up, with no caualties. I did also use garlic with all feedings throughout the process.

it was most likely the garlic, or the health of the fish that fought it off...I don't know about the slight change in temp or specific gravity...you have to lower sg to like 1.010 for like 3 or 4 weeks to rid ich...

 

[ccampbell57]

Raising the temperature and slightly lowering the salinity does nothing.

Ich is killed 3 ways...

1 - being in a host free tank for 4 weeks meaning no fish for them to host.
2 - Copper
3 - proper hyposalinity for 4 weeks post last sign of ich

 

[Justin/TiV]

true...

IME though, after doing hypo and having no fish in my system for near 6 weeks. I still had ich, I think they live longer than people think without a host. Cause I've seen it first hand

Copper IMO is the BEST solution when it comes down to it. Not having a QT is no excuse. Get a cheap tank, filter, and pvc parts. When you do water changes put the old water in your QT setup, and you'll always have the same parameters. Works like a charm and is a must have IMO