Sick GSP's

[Aquascaper]

I would have put this in emergencies but wll probably get a better reply in here:

My two GSP's both have Ich

They have both started to lie on the bottom of the tank doing nothing.
They will still eat (i feed them mainly cockles & mussels) but only little bits.
They have also lost a lot of colour and are looking quite faded.

I have been treating for Ich with 'White Spot Plus' as follows:

Day 1 - 1st dose
Day 4 - 2nd dose
Day 7 - 3rd dose after a 50% water change

Any ideas or help would be very much appreciated as i really don't want to lose these guys.

 

[Pufferpack]

I would be wary of medicating for Ich with puffers, sometimes the meds do more harm than good.
Check the following thread on Ich in GSP's, it may be helpful.
http/www.fishforums.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=48251

 

[Lithril]

Just out of curiosity what is the salinity (salt level) of the water, I know I'll be corrected if I'm wrong but I always thought that ICH couldn't survive in brackish tanks??

 

[Aquascaper]

Well one puffer has died

They were both kept in freshwater as that is how they were bred locally and how thye were being kept in the LFS. I did add some salt to try and help them recover, it perked them both up but i still lost one

 

[GP]

That salt level should be much higher now... How big are the fish? Go get yourself some marine salt, a hydrometer, and add about 0.003 SA per day.

 

[Stryker]

Aquascaper, I had the same problem when I had my GSPs. I'd read and read and read on dwarf puffers.... funny enought I'd not spent much time studying the pictures and that was my downfall.

At a fish shop that was not and never will be my regular store. I bought what I was told were 4 FW dwarf puffers.

They were fine for a few days but then became listless..... I eventually found out I'd got GSPs and got some marine salt and raised the SG to 1.005. I wasnt in time tho as the day before I'd lost some. Anyways, I ended up with two very happy GSPs, that was months ago, they are now at SG 1.013

SSSooo in short, I'd suggest you get their SG up to at least 1.003 ASAP, then raise it by 0.002 to 1.005 the week after.

EDIT: I'm not saying thats what is wrong, but it really wont help if they are in FW.... esp if the fish shop kept them in salty water. Also the sudden rise in SG may kill off the ich.

 

[Aquascaper]

The LFS didn't keep them in saltwater or even brackish. They were bred in freshwater and have been kept in freshwater since birth.
Still, the surviving puffer seems a lot better and has lost most of the white spots and seems happier. I will continue to add salt when i do water changes but have no idea what the levels will be. I'm adding salt to the water i put in when i do a water change, that way it should stay constant.

Thanks for the help anyway.