Is My Green Spotted Puffer Sick?

Green spotted puffers are among the most intelligent, playful tropical fish available to aquarists. However, these frisky fish come with one major drawback: they are notoriously sensitive to water conditions and relatively prone to disease. My green spotted puffer Matilda requires even more care and attention than my cats-- water changes, a carefully planned diet and a thirty-gallon brackish-water tank all to herself. Nevertheless, she still experiences occasional bouts of illness. Is your green spotted puffer sick? These guidelines can help you evaluate the situation.

Monitor your Green Spotted Puffer's Behavior

A puffer should never act sulky or lazy-- these feisty critters thrive on constant movement and activity. Sick green spotted puffers may lie on the bottom of the tank and appear listless and uninteractive. Like cats and dogs, puffers sometimes curl their tails agains their bodies as a defensive measure when they are asleep or not feeling well; a deep "U" shaped curve may indicate that the puffer is afraid or very ill. A healthy green spotted puffer should make eye contact, eagerly accept food and swim briskly around the tank. Inactive puffers may be ill, frightened, injured or overcrowded.

Note at your Green Spotted Puffer's Coloration

A healthy green spotted puffer fish has a neon-hued yellowish-green body with deep black spots and a white underbelly. Like chameleons, green spotted puffers change their colors to indicate their mood and health. Matilda tends to "turn off" her spots and make herself dull when she feels sick or when she's asleep, but she becomes blindingly bright when she is in a good mood or just chowed down on a snail. If you see consistently murky brownish-gray discoloration or a gray belly, there's a good chance that your green spotted puffer is sick.

Examine at your Green Spotted Puffer's Skin

Aside from color changes, a green spotted puffer's skin offers many other indications of overall health and wellbeing. Dozens of infections can affect the appearance of a puffer's skin, including flukes, ich, fin rot, fungal infections and bacterial diseases like tuberculosis. A sick green spotted puffer may have small white spots, cream-colored "fuzz", tattered fins, worm-like adhesions, reddish gills or patches of white growth. Seriously ill green spotted puffers may have several types of infection at once. The course of treatment will depend on the cause of the illness; unfortunately, some of these conditions are untreatable and ultimately fatal.

Look for a Chubby Belly

Almost all green spotted puffers are wild caught. Almost all of these fish have small, worm-like parasites that live in their digestive tracts. While not completely benign, these worms can exist in a puffer's body for years without causing any problem-- their effect on a pufferfish is similar to a tapeworm's effect on a cat. However, if your green spotted puffer is sick, underfed or fed inappropriately, these worms can cause serious problems. A puffer with severe intestinal parasites will have a thin belly that appears small even after she has eaten. Rail-thin green spotted puffers require deworming and extra food.

Treatment for a Sick Green Spotted Puffer

Dozens of problems can make a green spotted puffer sick, so the possible treatments vary tremendously. Parastic infections generally require treatment with specialized medicines, such as malachite green or ich formulas. Immaculate water conditions are essential for treating a sick green spotted puffer; aquarists should not allow nitrate levels to raise above 20 and should eliminate any detectable ammonia in the water. Sick green puffers should never be kept in fresh water-- they are obligate brackish-water fish. Consider raising the salinity and alkalinity of the aquarium, temporarily or permanently, to prevent and eliminate illnesses.