The Puffer Forum

I got my mom a small F8 puffer which has been great and active since we got him about 2 months ago. i have notice that the top half of his mouth seems to have a light brownish color to it.. like a tobacco stain of some sort.. the rest of him is fine .. this stain has been there since we got him.. but just curious what this is.. his belly turns a dark black sometimes to.. My guess for his stain is from racing up and against the tank glass. and one more thing is it seems he chipped his tooth by trying to bit a small rock instead of a snail.. will he be ok? or do i need a dentist?

First, F8 puffers are brackish, not freshwater. I've moved your post into the brackish section. I definitely recommend the article in our library about F8s.

Colors tend to vary on puffers, some have splotches that others don't have. However, a darkened belly is often a sign of stress. Was the tank cycled? If so, how? What size is the tank? Can you get a picture?

Whether he needs dentistry will depend on whether he is still able to eat and/or how badly chipped his teeth are.