pale pea puffs?
Posted: Tue May 10, 2011 3:52 am
so, after the very sad losses of 2 F8s and 1 GSP for reasons i couldn't determine -all from this same local shop, the only place that has had any puffs near me (anyone know a responsible and reliable shop around chicago?) i've gotten some DPs. the first F8 i never treated for IPs, s/he lasted over one month but only almost hit 2 months..... freaked out. second F8 did treat for IPs, lasted about 3-4 weeks. sadness. then they had 3 GSP and i got the one under 2" long. s/he lasted almost 3 weeks.... i swear i monitored and changed the water, etc. had and used a hydrometer. used instant ocean salt. had a heater and separate thermometer. well filtered established (and cycled) tanks..... i don't know what happened.
swore off any brackish fishies for the moment.
then i happened upon 11 dwarf puffs that had just come in. i waited a few days (recommended by the honest fish department woman, to assess travel-shock/immediate illness die-off). and i later bought five -all were not yet visually determinate in sex (to me anyway).
so anyway- it's been well over a month and all seem active and feeding well. they have been eating frozen and live bloodworms, pond and ramshorn snails (i raise), and i have given them everything from barely 1cm shrimplets to nearly 2 inch shrimp about to release eggs of both ghost and cherry reds (i raise), but they seem to ignore them. so now they have many shrimp in their tank, i hope they will discover they are food one day. i have determined that 2 are surely female. the remaining 3 all seem plump, active, etc. but 2 of them appear very "faded" in their colors. this has been consistent for about 2 weeks and has not changed their behavior, feeding, body-shape or skin.... so, should i worry?
the biggest of the five is one of the "pales" and has totally claimed the entire back right of the tank as "his (i assume)". the others ('pales" and 2 clear females)scope out the entire tank daily (but no pacing). the other 4 hang out together to various degrees and wait for food near the tank area where i drop stuff in if fasted for a day, but do not beg. "corner dude" does not join them, but doesn't look thin. i sometimes drop a worm/snail/what-not in "his" corner and he snatches it up.
so, all in all, should i worry that 2 of my DPs appear "bright, vivid, blue-shine eye glints" 2 seem "faded, pale" and one is in-between and apparently "a solitary man"?
swore off any brackish fishies for the moment.
then i happened upon 11 dwarf puffs that had just come in. i waited a few days (recommended by the honest fish department woman, to assess travel-shock/immediate illness die-off). and i later bought five -all were not yet visually determinate in sex (to me anyway).
so anyway- it's been well over a month and all seem active and feeding well. they have been eating frozen and live bloodworms, pond and ramshorn snails (i raise), and i have given them everything from barely 1cm shrimplets to nearly 2 inch shrimp about to release eggs of both ghost and cherry reds (i raise), but they seem to ignore them. so now they have many shrimp in their tank, i hope they will discover they are food one day. i have determined that 2 are surely female. the remaining 3 all seem plump, active, etc. but 2 of them appear very "faded" in their colors. this has been consistent for about 2 weeks and has not changed their behavior, feeding, body-shape or skin.... so, should i worry?
the biggest of the five is one of the "pales" and has totally claimed the entire back right of the tank as "his (i assume)". the others ('pales" and 2 clear females)scope out the entire tank daily (but no pacing). the other 4 hang out together to various degrees and wait for food near the tank area where i drop stuff in if fasted for a day, but do not beg. "corner dude" does not join them, but doesn't look thin. i sometimes drop a worm/snail/what-not in "his" corner and he snatches it up.
so, all in all, should i worry that 2 of my DPs appear "bright, vivid, blue-shine eye glints" 2 seem "faded, pale" and one is in-between and apparently "a solitary man"?