The Puffer Forum

my green spotted puffers stomach is starting to get black on it. what could this be?

How long have you had him? Did you cycle your tank? What are your tank readings?

yes we have cycled the tank but we do not have a tank reader.

Have you noticed if the stomach colors change? Sometimes puffers will change colors depending on their mood or if they are sleeping..However it can also be an indication that your puffer is ill, stressed, or living in poor tank conditions. It can also be a combination of these problems.

i am new to this. and no it does not change colors. the tank is very clean.

Even though the tank looks clean any traces of Nitrites and Ammonia can cause serious problems with your fish. Doing a 50% water change will help if that is the problem. Getting a good water test kit is key (i use API brand liquid tests).

If the GSP is fairly new to you he may have IPs or internal parasites. These nasty parasites will often attack your fish when a change is made and he is stressed such as moving him. A good indication that he has IPs is his belly will go away soon after he has eaten. He may also have stringy looking poo. Is he eating good or at all?

Does he seem to be fairly active? Greeting you at the tank and exploring his home?

Here is a great article on GSPs it should also help you out a great deal I'm sorry that your first post has to be about your puff being ill

library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/

he is very active and seems very happy. i was just concerned when i saw the black. we have had him about two weeks. he eats shrimp pellets.

thanks so much

No problem Searcyfam4...Shrimp pellets will not be enough for your puffer. They need a well rounded/varied diet. Here is an article on feeding your puffers.

library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/

Please understand that you may need to continue being concerned...it isn't normal for your GSP to keep the darkened belly. Usually you'll see the darkened belly when he is asleep or stressed out. If he is keeping the coloration there may be a problem with him.

Have you done any water changes since you have had him? what is the tank size? I know again with the questions lol

Hi Searcyfam4, to the forum.

Please answer busybones' questions. We will help you and your puffer, but we need to know your tank status. If you can't buy test kits at the moment, take a water sample from your tank to a LFS, there they can test it for you (remember to ask the readings in numbers).

Then tell us:
- What's your tank size.
- Salinity or SG, pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate results
- how often you do water changes and how much.

As busybones said, shrimp pellets doesn't help to keep a healthy puffer. Go to a grocery store and buy some raw shrimps, mussels, squids and some crabs if you find them there. I'm sure your puffer will love them.

Could you post some pictures of your puffer? We love to share photos!

no i have not done any water changes since getting him. i have a 10 gallon tank.

and okay i will go get some raw shrimp asap. thanks.

i will post pics as soon as i get the chance also.

When you do your first couple of water changes, do small ones, just a gallon or two each day, so you don't shock him. Most of us change out 50% of our tank water each week. These guys are really sensitive fish, so they don't feel good in dirty water, and a black belly is a sign of them not feeling good.

Your little guy is going to get a lot bigger and need a bigger tank to stay healthy, but you have some time to figure all that out Keep his water clean, that's the first, biggest step to take. Later on we can bombard you with information on salt and all that good stuff but for now clean water for the fish and reading for you There's a lot of good articles on food, salt, etc in our library that can help you, and if you have any questions feel free to ask.

Please explain EXACTLY how you cycled this tank. Get liquid test kits for ammonia, nitrite & nitrate, ASAP. Read that link provided above, on GSPs.