New puffer not active, or eating and turning black bellied..
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.
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bertie 83
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Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
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Re: New puffer not active, or eating and turning black belli
Good on you, you are heading in the right direction now, please seperate the different types of puffer as stated above.
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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sgtmyers88
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Re: New puffer not active, or eating and turning black belli
Oh dear god, Convicts with Pea Puffers? If you can get rid of the Convicts please do so ASAP as they CAN and WILL eat the Pea Puffers easily. Convicts can grow much faster then the Pea Puffers and the Pea Puffers don't get much bigger then what they are now.
I greatly apologize that you have been so badly misled. Fish stores only care about profit.
On a brighter note I am so glad you found us! Your registration here may have just saved a lot of fishes lives!
I greatly apologize that you have been so badly misled. Fish stores only care about profit.
On a brighter note I am so glad you found us! Your registration here may have just saved a lot of fishes lives!
WARNING: Puffers are mischievous little blimps with enchanting powers. You may not be content with having just one.
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sgtmyers88
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Re: New puffer not active, or eating and turning black belli
Just to offer ideas for an ideal habitat for your puffers:
My 10 gallon Pea Puffer Tank:
My 55 Gallon Brackish turned Marine GSP Tank:
My 10 gallon Pea Puffer Tank:
My 55 Gallon Brackish turned Marine GSP Tank:
WARNING: Puffers are mischievous little blimps with enchanting powers. You may not be content with having just one.
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peawee
- Puffer Fry
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Re: New puffer not active, or eating and turning black belli
I have decided to get rid of everything except the gsp... is it absolutely necessary to have natural decor in the tank, or are obvious artificial ornaments ok? I have tall plants and lots of cover, but it is for my 2.5 year old daughter to view the fish and she likes the bright colors.
Thanks again!
Thanks again!
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Pufferpunk
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Re: New puffer not active, or eating and turning black belli
Sure, that's fine, as long as it's semi-complex, so the puffer doesn't get bored. Is that for the peapuffs?
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!"
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peawee
- Puffer Fry
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Re: New puffer not active, or eating and turning black belli
For the gsp.. But now Idk if I should keep him either
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Pufferpunk
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T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Re: New puffer not active, or eating and turning black belli
BW fish are best kept on aragonite substrate. How large is that tank? What are your intentions for cycling?
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!"
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peawee
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Re: New puffer not active, or eating and turning black belli
It is 20 and cycled
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Pufferpunk
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C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
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Re: New puffer not active, or eating and turning black belli
How? Wasn't that tank showing ammonia?
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!"
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JRC3
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Re: New puffer not active, or eating and turning black belli
Plecos are probably one of the most 100% FW fish and do not tollerate any salt. They also grow HUGE and produce the most waste. IMO it is sad that they are so common in the trade. Any way...peawee wrote:...The pleco will be returned as well.. Is there another fish that will eat algae as effectively and is safe to live with my puffer.. Or will the salt eliminate an algae problem?
Algae control: I cannot say about GSPs but I have luck with nerite snails with my f8 and dwarf puffers. In fact, 100% success for at least a year or so. I wanna say others have had success too with GSPs. Mollies for me work for my BW puff. Others will have to chime in about long term GSP/molly success. IME mollies are exceptional algae eaters when they are only offered prepared foods and no tasty live type foods. (bloodwors, clams, etc) In other words they cannot eat snails.
You will need a large tank for the GSP. I hope Craigslist is as lucrative in Cali as it is for me in Ohio. If so every fish you want to keep will get more than enough room.
Welcome to our addiction.
*edit*
I think I remember you had like 4 dwarf ouffers. I wouldn't keep them in less than a 15g. My 4 reside in a 29g. I've kept 3 in a 15g and 2 in a 10g and I consider those sizes to be the bare minimum in tank size for those numbers.
There are many knowledgeable fish keepers on this forum willing to help and give great advice...The advice is free; What you choose to do with it gives it value.
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sgtmyers88
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Re: New puffer not active, or eating and turning black belli
I was just gonna say just keep the DP's in a heavily decorated 10g and the GSP in the 20g for now as he will be fine in that tank for a few months. Then focus on the bigger tank for the GSP and move the DP's into the tank it is in now for when you upgrade.
Artificial decor will be fine as live plants cannot handle brackish water.
GSP's = 30 gallons per puffer.
DP's = 5 gallons per puffer.
I think that is doable. Don't feel inclined to give it up. These guys are highly rewarding pets to have.
Artificial decor will be fine as live plants cannot handle brackish water.
GSP's = 30 gallons per puffer.
DP's = 5 gallons per puffer.
I think that is doable. Don't feel inclined to give it up. These guys are highly rewarding pets to have.
WARNING: Puffers are mischievous little blimps with enchanting powers. You may not be content with having just one.
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PufferMe!
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Re: New puffer not active, or eating and turning black belli
The poster said she got rid of everything,but the GSP, and now it sounds like that may be in question. Why are you thinking of taking back the GSP? How is it doing now? Sorry to hear you went through so much. It's always worth going to a high end fish store, when you start out, and later when you have lots more experience, can "cheat" if you want to, and go with a chain store, where the staff don't know anything
Life is a sum of all your choices - Albert Camus
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Pufferpunk
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burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Re: New puffer not active, or eating and turning black belli
Sounded like she kept the DPs & convicts but then said she decided to get rid of everything except the GSP. 
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!"
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Iliveinazoo
- Fahaka Puffer
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Re: New puffer not active, or eating and turning black belli
Welcome to the forum.
If you are still reading ammonia then change the water and keep changing large amounts daily until you don't read it anymore.
Before rushing into snap decisions consider what fish you want to keep and the type of water you want to maintain, also consider the tank that you have and if you really want to upgrade or buy multiple tanks that all require maintenance.
Keeping the GSP will mean that you will have to maintain high end brackish where you will need lots of marine salt or marine water where you will need marine salt, live rock and a skimmer. You will also need to upgrade the tank soon.
Keeping the pea puffers means that you can keep your tank and maintain fresh water, you could even keep a couple of shrimps with them.
I don't know anything about the convicts so couldn't say if your 20(us)g is large enough if you wanted to just keep them but I suspect it's too small for 5.
If you wanted to start again with a low end brackish puffer that is also larger than the pea puffers then you could always go with a figure 8 with a couple of bumblebee gobies, you also wouldn't have to upgrade your tank.
If you are still reading ammonia then change the water and keep changing large amounts daily until you don't read it anymore.
Before rushing into snap decisions consider what fish you want to keep and the type of water you want to maintain, also consider the tank that you have and if you really want to upgrade or buy multiple tanks that all require maintenance.
Keeping the GSP will mean that you will have to maintain high end brackish where you will need lots of marine salt or marine water where you will need marine salt, live rock and a skimmer. You will also need to upgrade the tank soon.
Keeping the pea puffers means that you can keep your tank and maintain fresh water, you could even keep a couple of shrimps with them.
I don't know anything about the convicts so couldn't say if your 20(us)g is large enough if you wanted to just keep them but I suspect it's too small for 5.
If you wanted to start again with a low end brackish puffer that is also larger than the pea puffers then you could always go with a figure 8 with a couple of bumblebee gobies, you also wouldn't have to upgrade your tank.
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Squaffy
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Re: New puffer not active, or eating and turning black belli
Please, for the love of God, don't bring a Figure 8 into this train wreck 