Ich--Out of Control!  3/19/06
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I am in tears right now over my fish.
I recently set up a brackish tank because I fell in love with the  
puffer fish. One of the  first fish that I added into my BW tank was two zebra  puffers.  
<Colomesus asellus?  See: http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/puffer/sapuffer.html >
I had some scats in the tank to cycle the water and everything was fine until I got a couple GS puffers and 3 F8s  from another pet store.  
<A lot of bioload to add all at once.  Scats grow as large as dinner plates & require 50g each (adult size).  Green spotted puffers grow to 6", require marine conditions as adults & 30-40g each.  F8s like low-end BW (1.005), need 15g for one & 10 more for each extra puffer.>
I was then informed  that the Zebra puffers were not BW fish.
<Correct.>
So now I had two fish that had no place to go.  I do have a FW tank, but it is pretty full and I thought that I saw some ick on the Z puffers, so I did not want to spread into my other tank.
I decided to remove the Z puffers.  Yes, they had ick...
<This species in particular, is very sensitive to ich.  Must be quarantined & treated right after purchasing.>
So I am thinking that maybe they were stressed from the BW conditions and I moved them into a small, already cycled 16 gallon tank.  I treated the ick in the 16 gallon with JUNGLE Ick clear, along with my BW tank.  I saw a few spots on the scats and a couple F8s by this time.  Well, I treated both tanks for 3 days and the ick cleared up in both tanks.
<Just long enough for them to become immune to the treatment.  It's like not using antibiotics for the full recommended period.>
About 6 days later I noticed that the Z puffers in the 16 gallon FW had signs of ick again, so I immediately used JUNGLE ick and I had  gotten 2 glass fish for the BW tank and I swear, by the time I got them home and dumped them in the tank - not more than 1 hour passed and the glass fish had ick spots, so I also treated that 40 gallon BW tank with JUNGLE Ick again also.  Well, after 3 days of treatment, my Z puffers had  not responded to  the treatment and have gotten steadily worse.  My BW tank has held its own but still no signs of improvement.  I then put the carbon back in the 40 gallon BW tank (Fluval) and  the 16 gal tank, waited 12 hours, did a 25% water change and switched medicine to Kordon Prevent Ick.  I used that for 2 days in both tanks, cutting the medicine down a little bit because of the puffers being sensitive and all of my fish seemed to have gotten worse.  So, I then changed medicine AGAIN with Kordon Rid-Ick.  Now, after 3 days all of my fish that were infected are either the same or worse.  The Z puffers look so bad - one is also starting to get fin rot, that I have thought about putting them out of their misery, ether by having a friend of
mine freeze them or me flushing them.  
<Overdosing with clove oil is best (found in the toothpaste isle of the drug store).>
My BW tank with the three F8s seems to be getting worse and I just don't think I can see any more of my fish suffer so.  I talked to a friend of mine at the pet store and he told me that there are all sorts of strains of ick, and that all medicine might not kill that strain.
<There is FW "ich" (Ichthyophthirius multifilius) & SW "whitespot" (Cryptocaryon irritans), with similar habits to freshwater ich.>
I do not understand how ick could be living in my BW tank with the  
temp being 80, and the hydrometer reading at .006 - .008.
<You could be making the strain resistant to meds, with all the different meds you are using, for not a long enough time.>
So to sum it up I have a 40 gal tank with 2 scats, 2 knight gobies,  1 GS puffer, 3 F8s, 2 butterfly gobies, 5 Bumblebee gobies, 2 glass fish and 2 black Mollies.  
<Waaaay overstocked!  With that kind of overstocking there is always going to be constant stress & lowered immune systems--no chance of fighting disease at all in there.>
The 3 F8s are steadily getting worse and I am sure my fish are stressed from constant 24hr water changes along with new doses of ick medicine.
<Water changes are the very best thing you can be doing right now.  Here is an article on Treating Puffers with Ich: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9 >
My 16 gallon tank has 2 Z puffers and 2 white mollies COVERED with ick.  I do understand that it takes more than 3 days to clear up ick but I have had ick in the past in another tank.
<The parasite have a greater hold on scaleless fish.>
I have - a FW 40 gal and after 3 days the ick has always maintained the same appearance or gotten a bit better.  So, if you are wondering why I have not waited before trying a new med is because every day, even with the ick medicine the puffers have gotten steadily worse.  As of now I have put the carbon back in the tank and am going to try a new medicine called Super Ick Cure, by Aquarium pharmaceuticals Inc.  I am still debating as whether to do another 20% water change before attempting this.  I feel that the more water I take out and put in, the more stressed the puffers get.  My Z puffers are suffering so, I know that I cannot watch any more of my fish get that bad so please, if you have any answers on how to get this under control - PLEASE write back.  If I have to watch my F8s suffer like the Z puffers,  I don't think I'll be able deal with having any more fish.  :(((((
<I understand your affection for these wonderful fish!  I'm afraid your tanks are in trouble with all the fish you have in there.  Please read the links I have given you.  You can also add Melafix to help with the fin rot--caused by the parasite eating off the fish.  Look through the other articles on the species you have & consider many larger tanks for all your fish--if they make it.  For now, leave the meds alone, heat & water changes, water changes, water changes.  Be sure it is the same temp & use Prime to dechlor.  ~PP>
Kathleen

Figure 8's with Ick  2/10/06
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I just  lost a figure out to Ick a few days ago, and I got two  more that I set up in a separate tank until I completely get the other  one clean.  My two new ones now are starting to get Ick and I  tried the Ick Cure (blue stuff) on the last guy and it did  NOTHING.  I noticed the pet store I work in carries a medicine for ornamental fish that is suppose to kill all parasites and Ick, would  that be a good thing to try?...if not what should I do because I don't  want to loose another puffer, especially not within a week of buying  the 2 new ones?
<http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9  ~PP>

Treating Puffers with Ich  1/26/06
I recently bought 2 Green spotted and 2 Fig 8 puffers.  The 4 of them share a 2ft brackish water aquarium (salinity's around 0.008).  
<Wow, sounds way too small for all 4 of these fish.  What is that around 15-20 gallons? I'd either return 1 F8 & the GSPs, or get 2 larger tanks.  Even if that tank is 20 gal, you should keep 1 F8 in 15g & 10g for every one added.  GSPs are going to grow up to be too large & aggressive to keep with F8s.  They also require much higher salinities--even marine conditions as adults.  F8s are best kept at a SG of around 1.005, for life.>
They're all eating and all seems to be fine but one Fig 8 has developed a few tiny white spots on its tail & fins (looks almost like tiny air-bubbles).
<Sounds like it should a parasite called Ichthyophthirius multifilius (ich for short).  Here is a safe, non-medicinal treatment for it: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9  
I am actually surprised they would have it though, if the SG is as high as 1.008.  Do you think it could just be bubbles?>
I don't want to fiddle with them unnecessarily but they're an important part of our lives now and I'd hate anything to happen to them, especially as a result of ignorance (and a reliable source of information of puffers in South Africa is limited - to be polite).
<Here's a huge source of information on puffers for you: www.thepufferforum.com  Excellent articles on your puffers in The Library at that site.>
Do you reckon it's a disease and if so, what's the best way to treat the little guy?
Any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated.
<Check out the info I've given you & see ya at TPF!  ~PP>
Thanks, Adrian