How long can I do a freshwater dip on a Black Dogface Puffer-?

[gtdarock]

Hi. I have my Black Dogface Puffer, who has ick very bad. I used the stop parasite, but no luck. So I wanna dip him. I know the procedure. I just wanna know how long he should be dip before entering the tank again-? Also when catching him, is a net fine-? Cuz, I know they can't be out of the water for a long time. Thank you

 

[lion_crazz]

I would definitely not do a freshwater dip. Put this fish in hyposalinity for 3 weeks to cure it of ich. Freshwater dips will do nothing but stress this fish incredibly bad. The fish is already pretty bad, and continuous freshwater dips will not help.
You also really need to figure out why this fish is stressing so badly in your tank.
Also, a puffer should be caught with a container, not a net.

 

[gtdarock]

Hey Lion ! I don't have a QT. What should I do. No one else has ick but him, he has it pretty bad, all over his body, and he's 5in. Help !

 

[lion_crazz]

Well, the freshwater dips are just going to be more negative than positive.
What are your current water readings? (pH, alk, ammnia, nitrite, nitrate, temp, and salinity)? How did you acclimate this fish back into your tank?
Do you have inverts in your tank? Live rock? I remember you coppered your tank. Is there any live rock in there now?

 

[gtdarock]

No live rock, no inverts. Should I use copper-? When I acclimated him back to the tank, I did the drip process, but when I was putting him into the bucket, he slipped and landed on the floor, and he was there for 10 seconds. So after he entered the tank, he was eating and doing fine.Then three days after, he got ick.
Reading are:
Ammonia- 0
Nitrate- 20
Nitrite- 0
P.H. 8.2
Temp- 80
Alk- I don't have a tester for that
Saltnity- 1.009

 

[gtdarock]

I think I'm gonna copper my tank. I have a Copper Power 4 FL OZ. So that bottle should be fine for my 75 gal tank. I don't wanna lose that puffer. He went threw a lot, with no eating,fungus, and so on. I hope I made the right choice. I hope the copper will do the trick, cuz he has it all over his body. At least he is eating and swimming fine, so that's a good sign.

 

[lion_crazz]

Well, if you are doing hyposalinity, I would just continue with that. That is the most effective ich treatment. I would not copper the puffer, as puffers are extremely sensitive to copper.
What are you feeding this fish? Are you using garlic and vitamins?

 

[gtdarock]

He's eating krill and mysis shrimp soaked in garlic. What is hyposalinity-? My saltnity has been 1.009 for a while now, so is that too low-? If so, when I increase it, should it be a big jump-? little-?

 

[lion_crazz]

No, I would keep it at 1.009. That is hyposalinity. Ich cannot reproduce very well in this, which will eventually kill ich (3-4 weeks). I would keep the fish in 1.009 for another 3 weeks.
If you do not know what hyposalinity is, is there any reason you have your specific gravity at 1.009?

 

[gtdarock]

My tank is 1.009 due to the fact that when I did my last water change, I mix up less salt than usual, which is my mistake. So I didn't think it will do any harm, so I didn't bother to add more salt. So the tank has been running with 1.009 for at least 1 week, cuz I did my water change last week. So I will leave it at 1.009 for the next 3-4 weeks. Then do a water change at the readings should be at-? Also do you think the puffer got ich cuz it was stressed when it fell out of the water-? Cuz he is the only one with ich. Thanx for your hep Lion. You are the best !!

 

[lion_crazz]

Did you have this fish in the tank when you did your last water change?? If so, this is definitely what caused him to get ich. Fish are not tolerable of large salinity changes like this one. There is no doubt in my mind that this caused the ich. If you can keep the fish's stress down, and keep the water parameters extremely stable, he should be able to fight off ich in the hyposalinity. Hyposalinity also increased metabolism, so you should begin feeding him a little more often. When you do increase his feedings, you need to be extra careful with nitrates though. You are probably going to have to increase your water change percentage to keep those nitrates in check.
When the hyposalinity is over, you want your salinity at 1.025.

 

[gtdarock]

Well, I guess its my mistake again, cuz he entered the tank after I did my water change. I had him in the drip process for about 2 hours after I did the water change, then he entered my tank. Dam, I'm a real newbie LION.

 

[lion_crazz]

It's okay. That's why I am here to help!
The thing with ich is that it does not usually attack healthy fish. If your fish has ich, then I need to know what is stressing the fish out. This is the only way you are going to solve the problem. Ich hosts fish with a weakened immune system.
When you do your next water changes, make your water up 48 hours in advance, and be sure to run a heater and powerhead in the bucket as well. This will give you plenty of time to make sure the salinity, pH, and temp. are identical to your main tank.
Right now, keep the diet good, use garlic with each feeding, keep an extra close eye on nitrates, don't let them go any higher, and keep water parameters as stable as possible.

 

[gtdarock]

Hey Lion !! I think I should just give up my tank. What a mess I am. I wanted to double check on the saltinty readings, and it came up 1.019. I checked it like 10 ten times already. I'm sorry about the mess. I don't know where I got 1.009 from. So I don't even know what to do now. I'm looking to add copper or something, its my last resort. The puffer is doing fine, I don't think he's stressed. He's moving around blowing the sand around and looking for food.

 

[aw2eod]

Whatever you do, DO NOT run copper in that tank. Puffers are scale-less fish, and do not do well with copper treatments.
As Lion_Crazz has already said, the only way to get rid of ick is do run hyposalinity. Whatever your salinity is now, slowly lower it to 1.010 or an SG of 14. This should be done over the course of the next few days. Keep it there for 4 - 6 weeks and monitor daily, with a refractometer (if you have one).
Dont give up...we all go through this, as some point, in our hobby experiance.

 

[lion_crazz]

I am just going to reiterate what AW said and say it again, DO NOT copper your puffer. Lower the salinity in your tank to 1.009 over the course of 48 hours. This is called hyposalinity and is the ONLY treatment for ich with puffers. Lower your salinity a few points every few hours. Do not drastically change your specific gravity.

 

[gtdarock]

Ok. thanx guys. So what's the best way to do this-? A water change-? Or take out like 10 gallons, and add water for the next couple of days-?

 

[lion_crazz]

I would definitely not take out 10 gallons. Just take out a gallon and then add RO. See how much that lowers your specific gravity. Like I said, you only want to bring it down a few points every few hours.

 

[gtdarock]

Hey Lion ! I took out about 3 gallons, and its about 1.017. Also I don't have a refractometer. I have a hydrometer, is that ok-? So this is my final choice right-? No meds or nothing right-?

 

[lion_crazz]

Nope, you do not want to run any meds with a puffer. Bringing it down to 1.017 was good. A hydrometer will have to do, although, it is preferred you do hyposalinity with a refractometer.