South American Puffer with white spots

[Nallen]

Hi

I have some kind of emergency here... One of my 3 SAPs have quite a lot of white spots all over him/her... (Ich/ick) about 100 dots or something.

I have given treatment to the tank. Half the normal dosage. Puffers are sensitive to this stuff I heard.

But the spots won't go away, and the other two puffers seem to take damage from the medicine... Their fins get sticky & such things...

temp is around 84F

What to do, what to do?

 

[WILDER]

Turn temp up to 30 and cover the tank with a blanket, good luck.

 

[Nallen]

Why the blanket ?

 

[WILDER]

Answer to your question is here, and it is a good article.

http/www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/ich.shtml

 

[Nallen]

Added salt & raised temperature worked...

One of them didn't make it though

 

[WILDER]

Good, that's great, but sorry for the one that didn't make it, R.I.P.

 

[CathyG]

There are many theories when it comes to dealing with Ich, but there is a common denominator. Ich to a fish is like a common cold to a human and there are many remedies, but the key is safe dosing (scaleless inhabitants such as loaches, catfish, frogs are sensitive to many meds, as are some tetra) and continuing the dose beyond the last spot seen.

Turning up the temperature gradually will accelerate the lifecycle of Ich, therefore getting it to the free swimming (and more vulnerable) stage sooner. Aquarium salt can also help, but should not be used with scaleless fish.

Take any carbon out of your filter, gradually increase the temperature, choose a med and dose as per instructions (taking into consideration any sensitive fish) You may find you are treating for weeks, you don't say how long you have been treating already, but you need to continue for at least three or four days after the last spot has disappeared. Partial water changes before each dose will help deplete the free swimming protazoa.

BTW, if you decide to change meds, you need to carry out a sizeable water change and filter over carbon for a couple of days beforehand. Good luck!