Small Dogface puffer with ick!

[raw88gt]

hi all i have a small small dogface puffer with ick... Anyone know the best cure? i've been using kick ick.... i know not the best but it worked on my other tank unfortunatly not on this one.... anyone have any ideas? he eats great (frozen mysis)

[Willie11]

Sorry to hear about your problem.
I saw on doctor foster and smith's website they have a new ich medication for marine fish. It's made by Instant Ocean, so I think it would be worth a try. Here's the link:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=14980&N=2004+114038

I hope that helps and keep us posted!

[jverzal]

I have a few puffers and the best thing that I have found is to do a fresh water dip. Get a bowl of fresh water and a bowl of saltwater from the tank. Take the puffer out of the tank and put him into the fresh water bowl for about 5-10 min. Then put him into the saltwater bowl for about 5-10 min. Repeat this about 4 times. The puffer can handle it but the ick cannot. This works the best. Just remember to watch the temperature of the bowls and not to use a net to transfer the puffer from bowl to bowl. Good luck.

[raw88gt]

ok call me crazy but what do i use to tranfer from bowl to bowl?

[deionized]

a pitch fork

[andrewsmart]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8540571#post8540571 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by raw88gt
ok call me crazy but what do i use to tranfer from bowl to bowl?

remember to adjust the ph in the fresh water and use ro/di water if you do this.

[deionized]

then it is more of a personal preferance choice between a pitch fork and a net

[jverzal]

A plastic cup is usually what I use. Do not use a net, mainly because if he attempts to puff up while out of the water he will suck in air and that is potentially fatal for puffers.

[deionized]

no it is not, it happened to me countless times
sponges and some frog fish cant deal with air, most fish are ok with it short term

[EdKruzel]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8540602#post8540602 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by deionized
a pitch fork
I assume you were trying to be funny, but this person is asking for help, not humor; please keep your response helpful and considerate to the person asking.

Ed Kruzel
RC Moderator

[EdKruzel]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8540602#post8540602 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by deionized
a pitch fork
I assume you were trying to be funny, but this person is asking for help, not humor; please keep your response helpful and considerate to the person asking.

Ed Kruzel
RC Moderator

[deionized]

i did help, and if anyone ever tried to catch a puffer with a pitch fork and did it i think that would be impressive -cruel but impressive
OK, no pitch forks for catching fish, here is a big thumbs up with a wink and a smile for Ed
that wink wasnt designed to seduce you, it was more of a silent jesture to go along with the thumbs up... kind of like in a sports movie when the rebellious but very talented athlete makes a great play but does it the way his conservative, by the book coach suggested... just with a little style
me + you = same page

[VolitanLioness]

IMO - If the Kick Ich is not working, you need to hypo the tank. Lower the Salinity to 1.009 for the next 6 weeks. A fresh water dip is pretty stressful. If you are not familiar with Hyposalinity or other options look at Steven Pro's article: It also explains freshwater dips.

Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon irritans - A Discussion
of this Parasite and the Treatment Options Available, Part I - http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.php

Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon irritans - A Discussion
of this Parasite and the Treatment Options Available, Part II - http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-10/sp/feature/index.php

You may want to take a Look at Fish Disease Treatment there is quite a bit of info on ich at the top.

If you do Hypo and do not have a quarantine tank and need to use the display, you can place your LR in a separate container with a powerhead & heater.

Kaye

[syddakyd]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8540602#post8540602 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by deionized
a pitch fork

LMFAO!


na but seriously just cup your hands and then get a semi-strong hold on it. don't squish it obviously but dont let it jump out on the floor either.

[squiddly]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8539167#post8539167 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Willie11
Sorry to hear about your problem.
I saw on doctor foster and smith's website they have a new ich medication for marine fish. It's made by Instant Ocean, so I think it would be worth a try. Here's the link:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=14980&N=2004+114038

I hope that helps and keep us posted!

I'd really be interested in knowing if anyone has used this product and if so, what the results were. Thanks!

[luke33]

Fresh water dips do nothing to ick. I've had this problem with by DFP before. Hypo or copper will work. I would suggest hypo for 4-6 weeks in a QT tank. Copper is very rough on scaleless fish like puffers. But is very effective is used properly. I'd be glad to go over how to do this. Shoot me an IM if need be.

[someguynamedG]

I used a series of FW dips to cure a dogface recently. The day after I brought him home the dreaded white spots started showing up on his fins and eyes. I waited hoping he could fight it off with some food and garlic. Didn't happen so I started doing FW dips for about 5 minutes. I just nabbed him with a net and quickly put him in a bowl. If he was near the surface begging for food it was easy to just dip a bowl in the tank and have him float in but that didn't always happen. Yes I know netting is not a great idea for a puffer since they can try to inflate while out of the water thus trapping air instead of water which they cannot expel. The 5min dips seemed to have little impact on the ich that was continuing to cover his fins and eyes. He was still eating well but he was obviously going to take a serious turn for the worst soon. I started upping the time of his FW baths to more like 15 minutes.(once he was left for about 40 on accident. NOT RECOMMENDED!) I always made sure I used de-chlorinated water that was the same temp. I did the dips once or twice a day for about 2 weeks. Then one day no more ich and it stayed away after that. Haven't seen any scratching in the tank for about 10 months. I know this doesn't seem all that safe or nice to the fish but he is better off tormented than dead(for you PETA people out there). I'm a firm believer in trying to help your fish BEFORE they become lethargic and obviously sick/dying. The baths worked wonders for me. I also made sure NEVER to let the water from the bath go back into the display tank. Sometimes after a bath you could visibly see that some of the white spots had disappeared(fallen off in the FW) so its not a good idea to add them back to your tank.


gabe

[hcahan]

Please read up on the Fish Disease Forum. I recently lost my 4 year old porc to ick. I kept trying alternative methods and by the time I got him and my other fish into QT- it was too late.

Copper or Hypo are the only way to go and your main tank needs to be fishless for at least 4 weeks. Fish can develop an immunity to ick and that is why so many people have examples of Dips, other meds, garlic, ect working. (No disrespect intended) But it stays in the tank and you can have a new outbreak if you add a new un-immune fish, your puffers immunity starts to wear off, or any other stressor occurs.

Don't let your fish die. He has an infection and needs real treatment.

[XtrmCHoPZ]

IMO the best proven way to treat ich on puffers is Cupramine.

Separate tank is required. Set up a QT tank and follow the directions exactly. Cupramine is in my opinion te SAFEST copper medicine. Ive never had problems with it, Ive used it on all types of fish! Its much safer than other copper remedies. Just make sure u turn off ur UV sterilizer if u have one when using Cupramine.

[Puffer Queen]

Freshwater dips may dislodge some of the parasites but the problem is the display tank has the parasite in it!

Returning the puffer to the tank re-exposes it to the parasite.

There are three life stages of ich - feeding stage (white spots on fish), cyst and free swimming (these are not visible). The parasite will continue to live as long as there is a fish host in the tank.

I agree with hyposalinity or copper in a separate tank. All fish must be treated (not just the ones with spots). The display tank needs to remain fallow (fishless) for at least 6 weeks in order for the parasite to die off.