How Can I Tell If My Puffer Has Ick?

Ick, or white spot, is an extremely contagious disease caused by a protozoan parasite that infects fish rapidly and leads to death if left untreated. It is easily treated with chemicals, but puffers have sensitive skin instead of scales, so administering a white spot treatment at the normal dose can cause chemical burns. Half doses are safer, but not as effective, so natural remedies may be used in addition to chemical treatments for a better prognosis.

Things You'll Need

  • Magnifying glass
  • Aquarium salt
  • White spot treatment
  • Jug of warm water
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Instructions

  1. Diagnosis

    • 1

      Look at your puffer's skin closely, and use the magnifying glass if necessary. Ick is characterized by tiny white spots that look like grains of salt. The spots appear on the fins or tail initially, before spreading to the soft tissue on the body. If you catch ick when there are just a couple of specks on the fins, you stand a better chance of eradicating the infection before it overwhelms your puffer. Some fish flick or rub their fins against plants and rocks when the cysts start to develop. This is a warning sign that something is wrong with your puffer's skin and you should take a closer look.

    • 2

      Watch your puffer for abnormal behavior. Healthy puffers are very friendly and swim to the front of their tank when they see their owner. Sick puffers are easy to spot because they are normally very active and near the front of their tank looking for food. If your puffer is hiding in a corner, refusing to eat or seems generally disinterested in his surroundings, then he may have ick because these symptoms appear immediately before and during the cyst stage.

    • 3

      Look at the shape of your puffer's tail. It should be fanned out in the resting position or when swimming. If the tail is clamped to a point and curled around toward the body for longer than a few seconds, there is a very good chance that your puffer is displaying signs of disease or distress. Color loss and lethargy are additional warning signs that your puffer may be infected with ick and about to break out in white spots.

    Treatment

    • 4

      Isolate your puffer if it isn't already in a tank of its own. Puffers are not community fish because they are carnivorous and sometimes eat smaller fish, so most owners take the precaution of housing puffers individually.

    • 5

      Check the water temperature. Freshwater puffers are happy in temperatures between 72 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit so turn up the heater and monitor the water thermometer until it stays level at 82 degrees. Heat contributes to eliminating ick by speeding up its life cycle, so a very gradual increase in temperature will help in the treatment. Don't go higher than 82 degrees as too much heat will make your puffer even more stressed and less likely to respond to treatment.

    • 6

      Calculate the volume of your aquarium and dissolve 3 tsp. of aquarium salt in the jug of warm water for every gallon of water in your aquarium. Pour the saltwater mix into the aquarium.

    • 7

      Read the instructions on the white spot treatment and use as directed but only administer half the quantity specified. Salt and a rise in temperature increase the effectiveness of white spot treatments, so it's OK to use them all at the same time.

    • 8

      Change the water regularly during treatment, or the build up of medication and salt may become too strong for your puffer. A 30 percent water change twice a week is adequate. It could take up to three weeks to cure the ick, so continue to make water changes until a week after the white spots disappear completely.