Ich! Help!

[puffy_1234]

I think my puffer fish has ich. I just noticed it tonight. Do they have any changes in behavior with this, and what exactly needs to be done to get rid of it? I was reading about the FW dips, and stuff like that, but I agree about that being to stressful on fish though. Can't I use drops in the tank to get rid if it?

 

[puffy_1234]

I was reading about the hyposalinity.... how do you do it? just lower the salt level, to what level? Also, I have a shark egg, it won't hurt my shark egg, will it? Please help soon before it's too late!!!

 

[puffy_1234]

Thanks for replying... I need to know how to do a hypo... and also, all that I have in the tank with the puffer is a damsel, a brittle starfish, and choco chip star.... Now I just need help on doing the hyposalinity
THANKS!

 

[puffy_1234]

MAN,that sounds like a pretty heavy duty procedure to get rid of ick, escpecially for someone who is new at this kind of stuff. I do not have a quarintine tank... what does that actually need? Is it a regular, smaller tank that is set up, for cases like this then? ummm is there any other suggestions on geting rid of ick.... if i were to do it in my display tank, what could happen to my shark egg also, anything? I need all the help I can get...

 

[puffy_1234]

Thanks for taking your time and answering all my questions... you are very helpful.
So, let me get this straight.... I may as well go about and buy a tank to make a qt, right? All that I have is a porqupine puffer (which is the one with the ick) a damsel, a shark egg, a choco chip star, and a green brittle star. I am confused on how this "hospital tank" should be set up. Should it be set up like my display tank, just a smaller version of it? and do I use water from my display tank? gosh, I am just confused on all of this, obviously I need a pump, but will just one pump be ok for the qt or do I need the whole set up like the display tank?and the hospital tank... does it need to be running all the time also... I am getting a lot of information on all of this, and you are helping me tremendously, but I still feel like I am in the dark about a lot of things....

 

[puffy_1234]

K, Hopefully this is my last post on this with just a few more questions... I hope I'm not bothering you with all of this....
Let me get this straight then.... smaill 10 gal tank... nothing in it except heater and small filter. Use water from the display tank to fill up hospital tank. Put infected fish, and other fish you have in there. Lower salt level... After how many hours, or days, should the salt level be at the 1.009 salinity? Next, when the salinity is lowered, leave in there for 2-3 weeks to make sure ick is gone. Now, next question... do I do anything to the display tank.... or i that one gonna be fine?No treatments to that or anything, right?
Then after the three weeks passed, raise the salt level in the hospital tank to the salinity in the display tank...then add the fish back into the display tank? Does that sound right, or did I leave anything out?

 

[puffy_1234]

K, I got another question... whle lowering the salinity, is that when the ick will go away and see the spots go away? Or is it in the three weeks after? and where do you get a refractometer? Are they in speciality fish stores or what?
Ive started the process today, hopefuly all goes well, and I don't kill my fish, but they seem to be doing fine so far. I am about to take out some salt water, and add some fresh water to lower it some more...... keep me posted if you can think of anything else I need to do

 

[puffy_1234]

I don't know what I'd do without you, you know... probably killing my fish... Ok, I just lowered my salt level... my anly prolem is that that I don't have a refractometer, and using my hydrometer... could that be used for now, and test it like 5 times, to be a little more accurate? That's what I just did, and it came back pretty accurate all 5 times. I will try to get a refractometer as soon as I can, but will this hurt the process if I do that? The soonest I can probably get one would be Monday... If the fish store has it... but will they be ok?

 

[puffy_1234]

Well, so far ir seems to be progressing fine... I have the salinity down to 1.013 and will hopefully do the final drop tomorrow, and hopefully find a refractometer tomorrow also. Checking the ph... what should it be at?
My puffer kinda sits at the bottom of the tank though, but swims around sometimes, and is still eating fine. Could lowering the salinity too fast be bad for the fish? I know you said 48 hours... but I've changed and lowered it twice now... should I be doing it more often and taking out less water, or does it matter? I hope it's not affecting my fish with the way i am doing it. They seem to be fine.

 

[puffy_1234]

My puffer still seems to be getting more white spots on him... just checked on him, and he has more... is that beccause I don't have the salinity down yet?

 

[puffy_1234]

My water in my quarintine tank is really cloudy... why is that? and what can I do to make it not so cloudy? Will it harm my fish?