Zebra puffer with red belly

[PuffPuffPuffer]

Water parameters: (Water test done on 1/12/11) NH3/NH4: 0, NO2: 0, NO3: 0, PH:7.4, KH (degrees of hardness) 4.

Tank size: 8 Gal Biocube and a list of ALL inhabitants: (1) Zebra Puffer, (2) Ghost Shrimp

Feeding: I try to feed him everyday, sometimes I will miss a day or two. Cycle between niacin shrimp, blood worms, and pond snails.

Water change schedule: I have been trying to get rid of hair algae so I have been changing the water everyday (10-20%) Using Seachem Excel(every change), iron(once a week), alkaline and acid buffer(every change), Prime (every change)

What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so: Tried a tank siesta to help in removal of the hair algae, but I didn't really notice much of a difference in how the algae grew, I tried that for a month. I recently went back to a 10hr day period. I have noticed that some of the more coarse gravel that is underneath my black sand has started to surface, an employee at the LFS say's he uses that coarser gravel with his GSP's with no problem.

How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it: The tank was cycled for almost 4 months before I introduced the puffer, weekly water tests were done to ensure the tank was safe before I brought him home. Introduced him into the tank in the beginning of August 2010.

I will try to give you as much detail on what has happened: I've had this guy for a few months now, about two months ago I started having problems with what seemed to be green algae building up on the floor of the aquarium (it may have been waste, or bacterial growth, I had three friends look at the tank who also kept fish and each one gave me a different answer). Every water change I would attempt to suck up as much as possible but if I went a few days it would build up faster than I could get rid of it. At that time I began to have problems with hair algae, and started to do daily water changes. I began using acid buffer to lower the ph of the water because it kept climbing and therefore dropped the KH (hardness) in the tank. I then started to use both alkaline and acid buffer to raise the KH while keeping the ph correct. After raising the kh and stabilizing the ph the water is clear and everything looks very healthy (plants and ghost shrimp) minus the continuing battle with hair algae and the redness on my puffer's belly getting worse.

The local puffer expert advised me to use melafix from api to help the skin heal, is this safe to use on puffers? It also states to remove activate carbon, so does that mean I should remove my filter? It also states not to change the water for a week, If I do that the puffer will not have any room to swim with all that algae!!

I have the feeling the redness is from him darting around in the tank when I put my hand in to clear out the hair algae. He really hates it, and will frantically run around the tank (not the whole time, but he has his moments), kicking up gravel and splashing water at me. The few spots he sleeps in has a bunch of that course gravel kicked up, Should I maybe get some fine sand and lay down an inch or two?

Does anyone have any suggestions on getting rid of hair algae? Everyday I have been going in and manually removing as much hair algae as possible, changing the water and dosing with excel. If I miss a day, its unbelievable at how fast it grows, and its almost like I didn't do anything for a week. I am on the verge of taking all the plants out of the tank, planting all new plants and laying down some fine sand, will that cause more problems than solve any?

I appreciate any suggestions!

[Hilly]

If its a male Carinotetraodon Salivator, they develop a bright red belly. When I purchased mine, he already had this where as other males had not developed the redness yet. However if you think it is a wound then Melafix will aid in the healing of the skin. I generally do a water change before I dose, then dose with Melafix and then leave for a couple of days, do another water change, say 50% and then dose again with melafix to correspond to the dosage for the tank.

If you can get a picture of the belly that would be good.

The reference to activated carbon is if you have any carbon pads or sachets in your filter, if you are using bog standard filter pads and sponges etc then dont worry about that.

[PuffPuffPuffer]

I was able to get a shot of his belly last night, this fish def sleeps weird, after taking the shot he woke up and started to drag himself around the floor until he found a better place to sleep and went back to bed.

[Pufferpunk]

Could we please see a side shot too?

[Hilly]

Difficult to tell from that shot but it looks more like coloration to me than a wound, the more pics you can get the better though.

[PuffPuffPuffer]

darn, I had a side shot saved on my computer but deleted it. You couldn't see anything from the side though, I will try to get one later today. On a side note, what color substrate would make his colors stand out.

[Pufferpunk]

I want the side shot for proper ID.

[PuffPuffPuffer]

Gotcha, well there are a few in this thread that I started, I'll try to get some better ones

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=23927&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=15

[Hilly]

I stand by my original ID on that thread of a male Salivator.