Hey, I have 2 GSPs, both about 1 and a half inches. Theyve been here about a week, and even though I should have done it much earlier, I'm doing all the water parameter tests tomorrow. But I dont think those would be an issue, because this problem is only for this guy, the other one is doing swimmingly (lol lame, I know). The tank is 20 gallons I beleive (will upgrade, but fine for now), with some plants (I checked, they'll survive in brackish) and a cave, and the substrate is argonite sand with a little bit of gravel for added effect.
Anyway, he spends a little more time at the bottom than the other, and has the gray belly more often, and the wierd part... His back turns kind of opaque, sorta translucent, with a slight reddish/pinkish tint... Its hard to explain, and harder to catch on film, I'd take a pic if I could, but I dont think I could capture it.
But the other one doesnt do it (I can tell them apart by two joined spots on this ones right side), so it makes me wonder if its a parasite or something... Ideas??
To answer the questions in red, tank is 20 gallons, no tankmates besides an American eel which is leaving today, last water change was about 30% and done about 4 days ago, pH is 7.3, temp is 78F, and since I've only had the tank about a week (Although I should have done this earlier), I'm going to get the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate testing stuff today. They are fed bloodworms daily, skipping one day a week, and they get krill every few days and snails and other goodies when I can get them. So far they've had a small mantis shrimp (Arms cut off), some of my friends guppy fry, and about a dozen small snails. The aquarium has been up and running for almost a year as a freshwater tank, and is now converted to brackish, though I have been told raising the salinty too fast may kill the bacteria, so that may be the problem. But this is only affecting one puffer, so I dont think its something in the water.
Could this just be a stress thing like the gray belly? Its usually as hes sleeping or just at night, and it changes back to normal within 1 minute of being woken up or disturbed.
Wierd color...
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.
Wierd color...
Last edited by DracoRJC on Fri Jun 19, 2009 1:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive!" - Bruce Springsteen
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coldmachineUK
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Re: Wierd color...
Moved to Hospital.
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Re: Wierd color...
We really can't help much without more info. Answer the above Qs in red please.
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: Wierd color...
I've seen the red thing before, I tried to answer most of the stuff I remembered from it, but now I'll go back and fix the original post. Sorry about that.Pufferpunk wrote:We really can't help much without more info. Answer the above Qs in red please.
Update on his condition: Last night he turned almost completely yellow on top! The black spots were an extremely faint gray, it was scary to see my little guy look like that. 99% of the time, however, he looks like the picture of health and is happily buzzing around the tank...
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Dadof4
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Re: Wierd color...
What is your SG and how fast did you bring it up to where it is currently? If you went up by more than .002 you may have killed you biofilter.
"Darwin swings...annnnnnd a miss. Boy Jim, Chuck's suffered at the plate tonight. He's 0 for 3 and I'm not sure he's recovered from that shoulder pull a few weeks ago. I'll bet the front office is re-thinking that contract."
Re: Wierd color...
I'm going to find that out today, but for now the question is whether or not that would effect only one of the two puffers, and even make him turn that color in the first place...
"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive!" - Bruce Springsteen
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Dadof4
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- Location (country): United States
- Location: North Wisconsin
Re: Wierd color...
The reason I ask is that if your biofilter has went down, one puffer may be weaker than the other and showing the effects of the higher ammonia/nitrate before the other.DracoRJC wrote:I'm going to find that out today, but for now the question is whether or not that would effect only one of the two puffers, and even make him turn that color in the first place...
"Darwin swings...annnnnnd a miss. Boy Jim, Chuck's suffered at the plate tonight. He's 0 for 3 and I'm not sure he's recovered from that shoulder pull a few weeks ago. I'll bet the front office is re-thinking that contract."
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coldmachineUK
- Former Staff Member
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1x C. asellus - Location: Wirral, UK
Re: Wierd color...
For those offering advice this topic may assist with background info.
Did our staff successfully help you? The Puffer Forum is an incredible resource and is run completely on the donations of its viewers. Proceeds from the Puffer Forum store go towards future contests and keeping the site running. We also welcome donations!
36G: FW Planted | 53G: Brackish (F8 Puffers) | 58G: Freshwater Community (Unusual/Rare Loaches)
Interesting stock: S. mahnerti, S. vinciguerrae, S. sp. "crimson", V. maassi, N. masyai, M. guentheri, T. biocellatus, C. asellus.
36G: FW Planted | 53G: Brackish (F8 Puffers) | 58G: Freshwater Community (Unusual/Rare Loaches)
Interesting stock: S. mahnerti, S. vinciguerrae, S. sp. "crimson", V. maassi, N. masyai, M. guentheri, T. biocellatus, C. asellus.
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LilGreenPuffer
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Re: Wierd color...
Yeah, if you added half of what the bag said would create marine conditions, then that was way, way too fast. Start doing regular water changes, say, once or twice a day, at least 50% each time.
For those who know more than I - would decreasing the salinity save any remaining bacteria?
For those who know more than I - would decreasing the salinity save any remaining bacteria?
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
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Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!