GSP's changing color

[brooklyn]

so i have noticed that when my GSP's first come out of there little cave and greet me at the tank, there bellies are often darker than usual but it slowly goes away as they are out of the cave. is this normal? is this a type of camoflauge?

[soggydrysuit]

Just noticed nobody had got around to you yet - they will

That colour change could easily be them coming out of 'snooze' mode, as long as there is no dark belly all the time they sound fine.

[marksrush]

GSPs (and Ceylons too, for that matter) change color all the time, at least that's been my experience, so my response would be that it's normal. Like soggydrysuit says, when they've been sleeping or napping they will often get either washed-out and faded looking, or have dark bellies, but then once they shake out the cobwebs and have their coffee, they go back to their normal bright green with white belly.

[brooklyn]

thats exactly how it happens. thats pretty cool though. jus wanted to make sure it was normal. thanx!

[pufferpuggirl]

Actually, from my experience, I've noticed the bellies on my GSP's and my Ceylons change all the time, and one of my GSP's, as well as one of my Ceylons, has a dark belly just about all the time. So I think the old saying that having a dark belly indicates sickness isn't true. I think it's one of the things that change colour when the puffer isn't feeling well, but I don't think a dark belly alone indicates that a puffer is ill. If that were the case, then my puffers would have been ill for a very long time, and they sure don't behave like ill puffers.

[Pufferpunk]

When fish are napping/sleeping, they are vulnerable. So they will do their best to be inconspicuous by darkening, making themselves smaller (curling their tail) & retreating to safer grounds, not out in the open.

[brooklyn]

that makes perfect sense. thanx alot. another question, what does it mean if they lay on the rocks on the bottom of the tank in the corner? could that be them sleeping? his fins are still moving and its like hes tryin to suspend himself right on top of the rocks but hes staying in one position.

[brooklyn]

after reading some other posts, im guessing that that is what he is doing, sleeping. my other GSP is also less active at this time too. now when i notice them napping, should i turn there light off?

[soggydrysuit]

I've read here that you might do best to keep to set lighting times, so they are used to when the lights are on or off. They can always go under an overhang or in a cave if they want some shade.

I've put my Celons off a feed by turning the lights on (they were ravenous next day) when they were not 'expecting' it.

It's also much easier to spot external parasites if you have the tank lights on.

I've not been using my tank lights very often because they seemed happier in ambient light. But. Now I read that they may need the small amount of UV in tank lighting to produce vitamin D, so I've switched a timer on now for six hours per day. The light I'm using on that tank is a 55W 50% marine white/50% actinic T5 double tube so it's quite strong. One of two, but I'm only going to run one

Not sure about other fluorescent tubes but I think the actinic is making the puffers eyes fluorese blue at the cornea! They have sparkly blue eyes

Somebody will correct me if the above is wrong...

[marksrush]

...another question, what does it mean if they lay on the rocks on the bottom of the tank in the corner? could that be them sleeping? his fins are still moving and its like hes tryin to suspend himself right on top of the rocks but hes staying in one position.

Yep, that's what he's doing. Puffers love to sleep...seems like they're always either eating, or sleeping. Hmm, kind of sounds like my partner...

[define999]

Gaby does the same thing.... sleeping or resting, faded colors and dark belly! When active, bright and white belly. As far as lighting is concerned, I have heard a dark aquarium for too long can make lethargic inhabitants... which slows the metabalism... which in turn can slow growth... dont know how true that is but ive heard it a couple times before... might just be bull?

[Mrs.Puff]

My one puffer, Jumbo, is always sleeping. I don't turn the lights of though at all during the day. If I do, it's only after I've done a water change and I turn off the lights for about 20 min. so they can relax and feel less stressed, than the lights come back on. My puffers are on a regular schedudal when it comes to lighting and eating.