I'm not entirely sure if my dp is sick or not, but he has some strange patches on his face that i wanted you guys to take a look at, mostly to reassure me there's nothing wrong.
Water parameters:
PH: around 7.4
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: hovering around 5
Currently he shares a 20g with 1 other dp who i think might be female.
They are fed twice a day, i pick about 4 or 5 tiny snails out of my snail tank and drop them in, they are both eating just fine. They were both treated for IPs when i first got them as i suspected the smallest 1 was infected.
I've been changing 5 g every other day of their water because the tank has just been set up in an emergency and the filter media and such were taken from an established 5 g. I was doing frequent water changes while the tank was settling down, which it seems to have done. I use a water conditioner.
I have both puffers for maybe 2-3 weeks, something like that.
The first picture is clearer than the second, and i have seen the darkness around his mouth before but usual when he's sleeping. Plus this time it only seems to be on one side. Any idea what it could be?
Strange dark spots around dps mouth
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
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Phoenix91
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 203
- Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 9:17 pm
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Strange dark spots around dps mouth
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Strange dark spots around dps mouth
If it's only when he's sleeping, I'd not worry about it. Puffers are good at camouflage & have sleeping colors.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Phoenix91
- Figure 8 Puffer
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- Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 9:17 pm
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RIP Vettel - Location (country): OH USA
Re: Strange dark spots around dps mouth
It's usually when he's sleeping but today it there for a while after he woke up.
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sevenyearnight
Re: Strange dark spots around dps mouth
I unofficially diagnose him with paranoid-mom-disorder.
heeheehee
heeheehee
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Phoenix91
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 203
- Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 9:17 pm
- My Puffers: 1 Dwarf puffer: Button
RIP Vettel - Location (country): OH USA
Re: Strange dark spots around dps mouth
HAAHAA!! good one. it's not my fault i worry! i have nothing better to do. You should have seen my last night, the female was hiding somewhere i couldn't see and i must have searched for a good 20 minutes to find her before giving up. i was sure i was going to find her dead somewhere. I am a paranoid fish keeper.
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Purifire
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Saddled Toby (C. Vallintini)
Have kept GSPs - Location (country): United States, Lompoc CA
Re: Strange dark spots around dps mouth
IME, Darker colouration around the mouth means they are, Tired, Hungry, or Cranky. I wouldn't worry... one is probably just moodier than the others.
29 Gallon Marine tank, with refugium, skimmer. Base rock, coral skeletons. Stock: Baby Ocellaurus Clown, young Saddled Toby, 3 Hermit crabs,one 2 inch Bristle Worm, hitch hiking starfish.
10g Biotope. 3 C. Travancoricus (Dwarf Puffer) Some Ghost shrimp, gravel/sand substrate, heavily planted with Swords and Java Moss.
10g LR Culture Tank. 10+ pounds fiji LR / base rock. Assorted hitch hiking inverts
Some FW tanks.
In My Experience, Fishkeeping is like Cooking. Five or ten basics will keep anyone from getting sick. But to be truly magnificent... You have to know the right Recipies.
10g Biotope. 3 C. Travancoricus (Dwarf Puffer) Some Ghost shrimp, gravel/sand substrate, heavily planted with Swords and Java Moss.
10g LR Culture Tank. 10+ pounds fiji LR / base rock. Assorted hitch hiking inverts
Some FW tanks.
In My Experience, Fishkeeping is like Cooking. Five or ten basics will keep anyone from getting sick. But to be truly magnificent... You have to know the right Recipies.