The Puffer Forum

I don't know why my post was removed but my puffer is sick again. Please don't remove this.
I reported after a water change he was back to normal within an hour. that night last night, he was mostly black belly again, staying mostly on the bottom w/ tail curled, very little interest in the blood worms I offered (his favorite). After the light was off I saw him doing the verticle shuffle but when the light comes on he hides.

No food during the day day, I did put Prime in for the chlorine and added about 1/2 to 1/3 C more salt.
The tank has the 1 gsp and 3 Siam algae eaters who get along fine. They even clean the puffer!
I have a biowheel filter for 40 to 60 gallons
Amonia 0
Ph 8.0 to 8.2
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrite 0
salinity 1.008
I cycled the tank apps. 4 wks then added starter fish. 2 to 3 Wks later addad puffer.
I have had him appx. 8 wks.

I had taken the freshened water to the lfs and it checked out great, I bought the testing kit and when he looked bad I tested it again and it was the same readings as in store (listed above)

Any suggestions?????
thanks
Mary-Rhea

maybe he's scared of the bright lights.... dark colours can indicate hiding as well as illness...

(my ceylon hated it when i had tube lighting, he's be fine until the light was turned on, then he'd go very black and hide....


Does he have lots of places to explore and hide.... if he's pacing then that's another sign of stress/bordem....

maybe put more decoration in?

Also, what size is the tank?

he has lots of plants and a rock grouping that he can get under. He's never been afraid when the light was on before. I feed w/ a syringe and he comes up and pecks at it until I squirt a few bloodworms out. He has always been outgoing.

Mary-Rhea

Are you sure he wasnt just asleep at this point.

pretty sure.

I haven't checked him this morning. getting ready to do than now. hoping for a good report.

Just took a look, on bottom but Ijust turned the light on so that isn't a surprise.

from what I can see his belly is not a dark, just gray on the sides (I think -- have to swim to know for sure) tail curled.

Mary-Rhea

Is he eating/swimming normally?

Sorry for deleting your threads but there were 3 of them & you had said he was fine after a WC. This one will stay.

My Shakespeare sometimes gets grey boarders between his back coloration and belly white when he overeats.