The Puffer Forum

One of my puffers undergo an immense colour change. The green colouration is no longer visible to the naked eye, instead everything seems to be lightly brown in colour. His skin seems blurry even from close distance and i can see some white patches on him, even the black spots have disaappeared. He is now hiding near the filter at the bottom of the tank all day long and hasn't been eating much. Anyone knows wad's wrong with him? I've raised the temp of the water. Should i remove him? The other of my puffer had the exact same problem last night but turn out fine today.

Do a 50% water change and see if it helps.
What are the water perameters?

What size tank is he in? Does he have any tank mates? What is the temp of the water?

0 ammonia 0 nitrites. The water parameters shouldn't be a problem cause the other puffer is doing well. Can it possibly be ich? or issit because my puffer is scared? he got bitten by the other puffer 2 days ago and he swam round and round really fast without stopping.

Nitrate, pH, SG?

Is the SG right? I mean I got an experience when the SG drop dramastically, my GSP just go real dull.(assuming you 're keeping brackish water). Post up some water parameter, its vital for the experts to help you here =)

Salinity is at 1.005 pH at 7.5 and temp is at 28 degrees. The white patches are not there now, it only appears white under blue light. The skin looks cloudy and blurry and it looks like the puffer is shedding skin. Is it possible for puffers to shed skin?

It sounds like ammonia burn.

How big is the tank and what tankmates are in there with him?

Do some big waterchanges.

What test kits are you using?

yeah sounds like the skins mucus layere is sloughing off. A sign of poor water qaulity, how loang and how was the tank cycled. if you have any trace of Nitrites or ammonia you need to keep doing water changes and stop feeding untilt he filter is doing its job properly

OUCH. I think you got to do real huge WC now, but not to excessively as I think it would probably disrupt the nitrogen cycle.(Formation of bacteria). Maybe bring that fella out into a quaratine tank for the moment and let the filter fullllly mature. Is the white patches the location where it got bitten by the other puffer??

Are you sure the biting has stopped? My GSP's can accidentally bite each other while trying to pry food out of each other's mouth, and a white spot where the top layer of skin is scraped off sometimes results for a day or two. Being bitten constanly(possibly only when you are not around) would cause the stressed coloration as well.