Figure 8 puffer stomach turned black
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Figure 8 puffer stomach turned black
I have my figure 8 puffer in a 35 gallon brackish tank. In the tank there is also one cichlid (they get along fine). All I can tell you is that the ph is 7.8 and the temp. Is 78 degrees the tank has been running for about 7 yrs the only thing new is that I installed a new light but this light is actually blue (big surprise when I installed it). But anyway on to the puffer for about two weeks I noticed that his stomach had turned completely black but It fades going towards the mouth. He's eating normal and swimming fine. If anybody can help I would really appreciate it.
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Welch4
- Fahaka Puffer
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Re: Figure 8 puffer stomach turned black
Sorry to hear this. Please post your other parameters. Ammo, nitrite, nitrate, specific gravity. Any additional information will help us to provide answers. Water change schedule, feeding schedule, how long have you had the f8 and the chillid together?
Last edited by Welch4 on Sun Jul 20, 2014 9:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
Forget other advice about puffers you don't hear here - Pufferpunk
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Arny
- Mbu Puffer
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- Location: London
Re: Figure 8 puffer stomach turned black
Hey Kraken, You really need to get some liquid test kits. API are the most popular. Then you can test your Ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. If your Ammonia and Nitrites are showing in your water then this is the problem with your f8 showing signs of being stressed (turning black). Also it doesnt matter if your puffer and cichlid are doing ok together, the cichlid should not be in a brackish water setup.
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RTR
- Mentor
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- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 4:39 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): East Coast, USA
Re: Figure 8 puffer stomach turned black
What species is the Cichlid? There are BW Cichlids, but very few.
Where's the fish? - Neptune
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Arny
- Mbu Puffer
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- Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2010 4:33 pm
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- Location: London
Re: Figure 8 puffer stomach turned black
Apologies kraken, I never knew there were brackish Cichlids
Re: Figure 8 puffer stomach turned black
The ammonia is 0 and nitrites are also at 0 gravity is 1.003. I have had the cichlid since I've had the tank so I'm not sure what kind it is. The feeding schedule is usually half a cube of frozen brine shrimp a day than once a week a snail.
Re: Figure 8 puffer stomach turned black
Oh and I've had the f8 and cichlid together for about 6 months.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
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2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
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Re: Figure 8 puffer stomach turned black
Brine shrimp really isn't nutritious at all. Here are some better ideas: library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Re: Figure 8 puffer stomach turned black
Hey thanks for the article. I wonder if lack of nutrition could cause a blackened stomach. I'll have to try some different foods and see if it gets better.
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RTR
- Mentor
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- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 4:39 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): East Coast, USA
Re: Figure 8 puffer stomach turned black
+1 to Pufferpunk's comment above.
Any chance of posting a photo of the Cichlid, and the whole tank. That might allow us to identify the Cichlid. That is quite a small tank. Real numbers on the nitrate and other readings would also help a lot.
What is the water change schedule?
Any chance of posting a photo of the Cichlid, and the whole tank. That might allow us to identify the Cichlid. That is quite a small tank. Real numbers on the nitrate and other readings would also help a lot.
What is the water change schedule?
Where's the fish? - Neptune
Re: Figure 8 puffer stomach turned black
Not sure if it worked but I tried posting a pic of both the cichlid and the puffers stomach.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32773
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
Re: Figure 8 puffer stomach turned black
No pic. You need to upload to: www.photobucket.com & link to here.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"