The Puffer Forum

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On his fins in those pictures are the dots in subject. He has NOT been scratching or showing any symptoms. I don't know how long they have been there. At least a few days.

Last few pictures show it the best.

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Anyone?

I personally don't think what I'm seeing is ich (whitespot). Sometimes puffers have white marks and I wonder if they aren't similar to bruising or a type or scarring. Perhaps someone else will have more to contribute, but I don't think it's ich or anything you need to worry about (I hope not anyway).

I agree. It doesn't look like like ich. If he is well in all other ways, just wait & see if anything develops - & keep up with water changes!

Ok good news then so far. It doesn't look as salt-grain-like as other ich pictures I have seen and he isn't itching or covered in dots. Just a little paranoid maybe because I want to stock more fish in my 55 other than my puffer and 1 mollie but I want to make sure it's ich free before adding more.

Given what you've just said, about wanting to add other fish in with that puffer, I would be very careful. GSP's can sometimes be nippy towards other tankmates, so you will need to be prepared if that is the case.
May I ask .... is this puffer in brackish water or not?

It's in full marine with 55 lbs of live rock and a skimmer. I know he will nip the more he matures.

I would say its more along the lines of minor fin damage, similar to a bruise. Keep an eye on it though, but I'm thinking its just fine.

Agree with Myaj, just looks like a bit of fin damage. Nothing too serious.

I don't have a GSP but that doesn't look like ick. But I would watch your GSP just in case for a couple of days/weeks. Also try hcecking the mollie. If it is ick...it would've probably spread to the mollie.

Yea I agree with everyone here. Its not ICK my puffs looked like this when I got them and nothing ever developed from it. I assume its bruising/ scarring from being crammed in packages or small tanks with other puffers from the suppliers.

Ich will look like someone took a salt shaker to em and it stuck all over them. It stands on top of the skin and is not part of the skin. That should give you a good idea of what to look for. Also if they get moody they will develope a thick coat of slime that lets the sand stick to them and can sometimes look like ich but nowing your fish will help you determine what it is.