HELP..baby porc. puffer has white-ish spots on fins..not ich

[courtneyclv]

I have had my puffer for a week. She has been doing wonderful. Getting along with the other tank mate, a foxface. Eating twice a day, begging for food. Now today..BAM, white spots all over fins. These are not ich 'salt' spots, larger, more spread out spots.

I do not have a QT because my large tank did have ich and I didn't have any new, cycled water to put in it.

Water parameters are perfect, everything is at 0, ph 8.2, temp 78, salinity .025

What can I do with her to make her better. She is acting fine, did some hiding today.

Lets say foxy foxface stung her with his spines..would that have caused it?

She has never puffed up and shows no signs of any stress.

Courtney

[melosu58]

I`m afraid it is ick. When they get on their fins it will look more bigger and spread out. If you dont have a QT then do some PWC`s and try to keep them stress free. But I think you do have ick. Sorry.

[courtneyclv]

I think you are right.

What should I do???????

I am soaking her krill in garlic extreme, and using nosickfish ich drops twice daily.

Is she doomed? EVEN if I set up a QT and she gets better..wouldnt she get the ich again if she is put back into the tank?

[melosu58]

You would need to leave the main fishless for 8 weeks so as to break the life cycle of the parasite. dont know much about your cure that you are using but I have found most of them not to work. At least keep water in pristine condition so to avoid stress in your fish and continue to use garlic. Good Luck.

[courtneyclv]

But what do I do with my fish if I go fallow for 8 weeks?

puffer, firefish, foxface.

[melosu58]

You have to put them in a QT.

[courtneyclv]

I already went fallow for 4 weeks over a month ago and it didn't work. I want to try something else.

maybe hypo in the main tank with all of the fish? Just remove the inverts and my LR that has the inverts on it.

Leave that LR in a rubbermaid for 8 weeks to make sure the ich on it dies?

wbs

[melosu58]

Your main will have to go fishless for 8 weeks to break the life cycle of the parasite. Not 4 weeks but 8. I know that we wish it could be 4 but it has to be 8.

[roka64]

Ich is already free swimming through your tank, removing the LR/inverts and hypo on the main, I don't think will work. In order to do hypo, your salinity would be very low and you could possibly lose all of your livestock, IMO.

[courtneyclv]

Well I wanted to try something before taking my fish out again, getting rid of them, and going fallow....

I am using nosickfish.com meds twice daily in my tank. I removed ALL of the media, and filter, from my canister filter. I want nothign in there that can possibly soak up my meds.
Puffy is doing well though, sleeping throughout the day (heard puffers are nocturnal) and being active at night. Begging, eating 2-3 times a day. (small snacks..garlic extreme soaked krill) She doesnt seem to be itching even though she is covered by spots..just laying under this rock.

Will let u know how this goes. I will also test my water today to see if all the parameters are ok with no real filter, just water circulation.

wbs
Courtney

[melosu58]

Just so you know all those white spots will fall off and over 200 small fry called tomites will come from each parasite causing more and more each time.

[roka64]

Good luck.