So my Valentini puffer i believe came down with ich, so i set up a hospital tank about a week ago and started medicating him. he looked to be doing really well up until yesterday. I noticed yesterday that he was swimming on the surface and sticking his mouth out of the water. I just got home and noticed him swimming on his back and upright, not looking to great. Any thoughts?
valentini puffer help
- Thread starter hodge918
- Start date
barscaz
New member
Like all puffers, and other scaleless fish, ich can be pretty tough on the Valentini. You said he was looking good until today, I assume that means the symptoms of ich had been clearing? The hospital tank was just set up and the puffer was added immediately? Was any live rock or other biological media added from the display? If not this would be perfect timing for an ammonia spike. His behavior imo, suggest this too. Ammonia gets in the blood stream, attached to red blood cells reducing its ability to carry and distribute oxygen. Even with the addition of biological media from the display, there would still be a cycle to some extent, while the bacteria population adjusts to dealing with the waste a puffer can create in the reduced body of water. Have you tested the water since setting it up? This is something I'd be doing daily. To keep an eye on the spikes. Performing water changes as necessary.
there was a little Ammonia spike yesterday and i did a water change.. As soon as i noticed the ich i set up a tank for him, and i did add one small live rock. He was looking looking real bad the first couple days i had him in the tank, then a couple days where he looked really good and was acting normaly until yesterday. He is kind of just floating around now so i think its a lost cause..
barscaz
New member
I'm sure it is. Imagine being exposed to high levels of ammonia directly after spending all your energy surviving a life threatening illness. If you can't, imagine huffing gas after doing so. It would be a lot alike. You'd be stumbling and incoherent too. Maybe it will pass, we can only hope. But in my opinion its to be expected. You did what you could with what you had ready. I would keep the hospital tank up and running for an future illness. Good luck, hope the puffer pulls through.
MrTuskfish
Team RC
Doesn't sound good. What are you treating with? What are your plans for the rest of your fish, they have ich living with them too and they are bound to get it. You have a HT, good. I'd use it as a QT on all new livestock from now on; a QT is absolutely vital for long-term success. IMO & IME.. You really need a better and faster way to cycle your HT/QT when needed; here's whatI do, I've posted it many times and know it is about foolproof.
"In regards to Qt cycling; I've done this for years. Get a HOB filter; I really like Aqua-Clear, they have a big sponge and last forever. Don't use the carbon or ceramic noodles that come with the filter. Also, have some extra sponges on hand, they're cheap. Keep a sponge in the flow somewhere in your DT. When you need a QT or HT, just use the sponge that has been in your main system in your QT filter---the QT will be instantly cycled. When done, toss the sponge and keep a new one ready in your main system.
BTW, Cupramine copper, used in a QT,will not destroy a bio-filter." A cheap, air-driven sponge filter will work fairly (but not as) well too."
"In regards to Qt cycling; I've done this for years. Get a HOB filter; I really like Aqua-Clear, they have a big sponge and last forever. Don't use the carbon or ceramic noodles that come with the filter. Also, have some extra sponges on hand, they're cheap. Keep a sponge in the flow somewhere in your DT. When you need a QT or HT, just use the sponge that has been in your main system in your QT filter---the QT will be instantly cycled. When done, toss the sponge and keep a new one ready in your main system.
BTW, Cupramine copper, used in a QT,will not destroy a bio-filter." A cheap, air-driven sponge filter will work fairly (but not as) well too."
MrTuskfish
Team RC
I doubt that stuff will cure anything, very few products do. IMO & IME; only copper, hypo, or tank-transfer will always cure ich. I'd read this RC sticky, good info and I think there's a good chance you'll need it with your other fish. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1992196
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