nicandkris02
New member
how would one treat a puffer with ick? im a newbie to ick thank goodness.
puffer with ick
- Thread starter nicandkris02
- Start date
zoanthid2009
New member
there are a few ways to treat ich
NOT in reef tank:
if the puffer ISNT with your reef you can take the easy path and medicate it, however medication sometime destroys the insides of the fish if you do not change the water in about 2 days. As long as he is not in the reef tank you could bring your salinity down to 1.009 which kills the ich.(inverts will die in low salinity) After about 3 weeks ll disease will be gone. Also raise the temperature to 83 which makes the fish "slime" their skin off more. You could also give the puffer a fresh water dip, which is where you put the fish in enough RODI water to swim in for about 30 seconds.
REEF tank:
A freshwater dip would be fine. Rasising the temperature also would be acceptable. You could also move the puffer to a ank w/o coral and treat with medicine.
Just remember if you treat with copper change your water in 2 or 3 days. The copper might leech into the silicon or rock so be careful with adding new animals in the future.
NOT in reef tank:
if the puffer ISNT with your reef you can take the easy path and medicate it, however medication sometime destroys the insides of the fish if you do not change the water in about 2 days. As long as he is not in the reef tank you could bring your salinity down to 1.009 which kills the ich.(inverts will die in low salinity) After about 3 weeks ll disease will be gone. Also raise the temperature to 83 which makes the fish "slime" their skin off more. You could also give the puffer a fresh water dip, which is where you put the fish in enough RODI water to swim in for about 30 seconds.
REEF tank:
A freshwater dip would be fine. Rasising the temperature also would be acceptable. You could also move the puffer to a ank w/o coral and treat with medicine.
Just remember if you treat with copper change your water in 2 or 3 days. The copper might leech into the silicon or rock so be careful with adding new animals in the future.
Puffer Queen
New member
Raising the temperature increases the metabolic rate which increases the oxygen demand in the fish. Fish with ich have parasites in the gills which affects the ability to oxygenate and parasites also increase stress/metabolic rate.
Elevated tank temperatures have less available oxygen as well.
I would not recommend raising the temperature.
Elevated tank temps may only decrease the cycle by a day or so which does not warrant the risk of hypoxia/death of the fish.
Adding copper to a tank with porous materials - substrate, rock, etc can be hazardous to the fish as these material can leach the copper making achieving a therapeutic level difficult. These porous materials can leach out the copper back into the tank and cause toxic conditions. Copper should be used in a bare bottom tank with nonporous "decorations"/hiding spots.
Performing freshwater dips and returning the puffer back to the display tank will lead to reinfection of the puffer. The parasite will continue to live in the tank until the tank is left fallow (fishless) for at least 6 weeks or treated with copper (not in reef tanks!).
Elevated tank temperatures have less available oxygen as well.
I would not recommend raising the temperature.
Elevated tank temps may only decrease the cycle by a day or so which does not warrant the risk of hypoxia/death of the fish.
Adding copper to a tank with porous materials - substrate, rock, etc can be hazardous to the fish as these material can leach the copper making achieving a therapeutic level difficult. These porous materials can leach out the copper back into the tank and cause toxic conditions. Copper should be used in a bare bottom tank with nonporous "decorations"/hiding spots.
Performing freshwater dips and returning the puffer back to the display tank will lead to reinfection of the puffer. The parasite will continue to live in the tank until the tank is left fallow (fishless) for at least 6 weeks or treated with copper (not in reef tanks!).
zoanthid2009
New member
PufferQueen-
So you think hypo-salin is ok?
So you think hypo-salin is ok?
Puffer Queen
New member
If you are sure it is cryptocaryon irritans (ich) - hyposalinity in a separate bare bottom tank without live rock is a proven method for eradication of this parasite.
zoanthid2009
New member
why no sand or rock?
Puffer Queen
New member
Live rock and sand have microfauna which will die off with hyposalinity - this will cause fluctuating water parameters and stress.
zoanthid2009
New member
yourone smart cookie
Puffer Queen
New member
in some areas I do know my "stuff" 
zoanthid2009
New member
yea....remember my puffer?
i got him to eat
i started with krill just to get him hngry but now he is on mussels.
i got him to eat
i started with krill just to get him hngry but now he is on mussels.
