Are you noticing white spots on your puffer fish? Do you see your puffer fish scratching or bumping itself against the tank or objects within? In this article, we’ll find out if the white spots could indicate that your puffer fish has gotten Ich.
Can Puffer Fish Get Ich? Yes. Puffer fish are very prone to getting Ich. The parasite attaches itself to puffer fish and requires raising the temperature, water changes or medical treatment to get rid of it.
What Is Ich Doing To My Puffer Fish?
Ich is a parasitic infection called Ichthyophthirius multifiliis protozoan. It attaches itself to the following areas of your puffer fish’s body.
- fins
- gills
- tail
- belly
- back
The first thing you will notice is white spots. After that, you should look for the following reactions in your puffer fish:
- Lack of appetite
- Rapid breathing
- Rubbing against r0cks, decorations walls and substrate
- Staying near the air pump’s bubbles
- Hiding
Your puffer fish is trying to shake, scratch or rub them off. Even the bubbles on the tank are being utilized to get these white spots off. Once they feel it’s unsuccessful, they give in to moodiness by hiding or not eating.
What Happens After My Puffer Fish Has Ich?
The bad news is once your puffer fish is affected with Ich, the entire tank is also affected. The white spots or protozoans will mature, rupture or drop to the bottom of your tank.
These parasites will live through a life cycle and infect other fish in your tank as well. Your puffer fish requires attention and possible medication. Your tank also requires treatment.
How Do I Treat A Puffer Fish With Ich?
Separate your puffer fish and place it into a quarantine tank. Adding copper based medication is recommended by some and not by others. Your puffer fish doesn’t have scales and is sensitive to copper. Consult with a professional if you are apprehensive about this approach.
Also keep in mind that this process will take more than 2-3 weeks. We want to treat the tank as well and make sure to not place the puffer fish back into a tank where Ich remains.
The life cycle of Ich will end when there aren’t any fish to attach itself to. Ammonia will also kill off Ich, but the levels must be restored to 0 before adding your puffer fish into the main tank.
What Does Ich Look Like On Puffer Fish?
Ich could resemble:
- Tiny crystals
- Sprinkled salt
- Shiny sugar
- Pale protruding spots
Look for Ich on the fins of puffer fish where there is less mucus or slime coating. It’s easier for the parasites to attach themselves there at first. They could easily spread in a short amount of time. You could notice 2 spots today and 14 spots tomorrow.
What Will Happen To Puffer Fish With Ich?
If you treat the tank and your puffer fish in a quarantine tank, the process of eliminating Ich will slowly, but surely eradicate itself and gradually disappear. Getting overzealous or impatient will make matters worse.
Your puffer fish may end up with temporary or permanent outcomes such as:
- Excess slime on its body
- Fin damage
- Breathing problems
- Cloudy Eyes
- Erratic or lethargic swimming
Which Medications Help With Itch On Puffer Fish?
Puffer fish are sensitive to copper, too much aquarium salt or raising the temperature to kill off Ich. The following medications have been used, but it is not the purpose of this article to prescribe them:
- Malachite green
- Metronidazole
- Ich-X
Be careful with these products and use them sparingly. Follow the instructions on the bottle.
What Should I Do When I Notice Ich On My Puffer Fish?
- Wait 24 hours.
- See if there are more spots.
- Remove the puffer fish and place in a quarantine tank.
- Conduct a 75% water change in the main tank.
- Add 5ml of less medication to a 10 gallon tank. (follow instructions on the bottle)
- Conduct a 25-50% water change in 24 hours.
- Apply another 5ml of medication per 10 gallons or do as indicated on the bottle.
- 25% water change again in 24 hours.
Repeat this process for up to 3 weeks. Treat the quarantine tank as well, but in much smaller amounts. Consult a professional or seek guidance from the local fish store. There are other methods as well. Please research further if you notice the white spots increasing in quantity and size.
Conclusion
The purpose of this article is to make it clear that puffer fish can get Ich. It’s common and even more so in confined aquariums. Puffer fish arrive from the wild or fish store in a stressed state. This makes then more likely to catch infections with a weakened immune system.
Water changes and healthy water parameters are paramount, coupled with a healthy and steady diet rich in nutrients. Ich happens to the best fishkeepers. We must notice it first and act accordingly.
The fishkeeping community is here to help. We hope your puffer fish recovers soon!
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