Very Sick Dog Face Puffer...Help!

[coralAnn]

My puppy fish is in dire straits. Yesterday morning when I turned on the aquarium light, I noticed him hunkered down in a corner and rapidly breathing. I looked him over with my big magnifier and saw white specks on his pectoral fins and on his tail. The rest of his body was normal (and still is). He wouldn't eat. He wouldn't do anything. I did some research and believed it to be Ich. I had some Coppersafe so I dosed him with that. I then read where you're not supposed to use that on Dog Face puffers!!! OMG!!! Today, his breathing is actually less labored but he still won't eat. He's also moved around in the tank a bit. Will the Ich kill him or the medication I gave him kill him??? This is so frustrating!!! I don't want to lose him. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!!! :-((

 

[Rosesrblu1]

Keep treating with the copper, it will rid the iCh. I have treated and am just about done treating my porkie puffer. Do you have a copper test kit? Keep the copper level at .5 an you should be ok.

Did you add the copper to the display tank or a QT? Copper in a display will kill all your inverts.

 

[coralAnn]

Keep treating with the copper, it will rid the iCh. I have treated and am just about done treating my porkie puffer. Do you have a copper test kit? Keep the copper level at .5 an you should be ok.

Did you add the copper to the display tank or a QT? Copper in a display will kill all your inverts.

He's the only fella in the tank right now. I guess I need to get a copper test kit. I dosed with Coppersafe but it says nothing about how often. I don't have a QT...something else on the list to do. I will go to the lfs and get a kit in the morning. I sure hope this little fella can hang on. Thank you so much for the advice. I was driving blindly!!!

 

[WickedXb]

Puffers are really sensitive fish. I just lost mine to ich 2 days ago. I've had him for a year. Once he stopped eating he just layed at the bottom and died.

 

[Pam is here]

Can you use non iodized salt treatment?

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

How big of a tank is he in?

 

[WickedXb]

I'm not sure if u can or not. Just put him in a qt tank. I used formalin for ich and it works for me.

 

[coralAnn]

I'm sad to report that Puffy died on Saturday. It was awful. His breathing was so labored then he began seizing. I never knew one could get so attached to a fish. Now I have a tank full of copper (0.5 ppm) and can't add anything until it's gone. NuNu...I have a 10 gallon right now but since I have no other fish...I guess I could upgrade. I know he required a much larger tank (90 gal) but like an idiot I didn't know until weeks after I got him. I tried the adoption thing but no one responded. He seemed happy...he was 3 inches long and swam all over the place until he got sick. I just don't understand. I'm going to leave the copper for now until I think all the cysts on the gravel and LR burst and the live parasites are released. That's the only time the copper can kill them...all of them hopefully!!! From what I read, it's very hard to get rid of. Good grief :-((
Thank you all for your advice and input!!! This has been very stressful!!!

 

[WickedXb]

It was horrible watching mine suffer and die. He was like a family member to us. My wife couldn't dispose of him. Waited till I got home from work. I didn't want to either. All because my bubble tips split hid and died cause they never came back out to the light. Then I found a 3rd piece that decayed. I only saw it split in two.

 

[coralAnn]

It was horrible watching mine suffer and die. He was like a family member to us. My wife couldn't dispose of him. Waited till I got home from work. I didn't want to either. All because my bubble tips split hid and died cause they never came back out to the light. Then I found a 3rd piece that decayed. I only saw it split in two.

I had my hubby bury him in the back yard!!! I couldn't even look at him after he took his last gulp. I miss the little fella. He would come up to the glass and "ask" to be fed. He was AWESOME!!! I catch myself looking over at the tank to look at him only to be disappointed. My tank is empty now. Gotta wait until all the copper is gone plus make sure the ICH cysts have time to explode so the copper can kill the live parasites. Gonna take about 24 days...I'm gonna wait an even 30 days before thinking about adding new critters. I think I'll start out small...Damsels or maybe some other small hardy fish. I'll see how they do and "regrow" my tank from there. ICH really IS a nightmare for both fishies and owners!!!

 

[WickedXb]

No damsels there mean and nasty. They are known to kill big fish

 

[WickedXb]

No damsels there mean and nasty. They are known to kill big fish go with green chromis.

 

[coralAnn]

I will definitely get a chromis then!!! YAY!!!

 

[willbratz]

It's fine to add damsels to the tank first. Now, some are def. more territorial than others. I started my tank with damsels before adding a blue regal tang, green chromis, clown, etc. there was only one neon damsel that was an issue, and I added him almost last.

I've got blue devil Fiji, yellow tail, three stripe convict, azure all living just fine with my other non-damsel fish.

But remember each persons tank is a different experience. Just do your research on the fish you want vs. the fish that will eventually round out your tank.

 

[WickedXb]

I agree with that statement. I mean I have a puffer living with a starfish. I've seen damsels take out some big fish. My Picasso trigger is the bully in my tank. He ate two chromis. Shoulda bought them a bit bigger.