The Puffer Forum

I have a green spotted puffer whose colour has been concerning me. I've had him for approx one year and for the last 3 months his colour has been quite dark with a black belly only when the lights are on. When the lights go off he turns back to his bright green with a white belly. If I turn the lights on even for five minutes he turns dark. He still eats and is active, just dark in colour.

Although the black belly is often a sign of stress, it's not always the case. Just ask edmlfc1 about her GSP's belly... Some GSPs show this color change for no apparent reason, or for reasons we don't understand.

However, it's possible that something the puffer is exposed to during light-time is stressing it out. Does it have lots of hiding places so that it feels safe when the lights are on?

Could you give us some info on his tank?
Size
Tank mates
Water parameters: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, SG

cdndrtbk wrote:I have a green spotted puffer whose colour has been concerning me. I've had him for approx one year and for the last 3 months his colour has been quite dark with a black belly only when the lights are on. When the lights go off he turns back to his bright green with a white belly. If I turn the lights on even for five minutes he turns dark. He still eats and is active, just dark in colour.

It sounds to me like the light could be stressing him. Have you changed your brand\type of bulb lately perhaps?
I had a GSP that was sensitive to a certain brand of light. I switched to a different brand and he was fine.
So far, I've only had this happen with "full-spectrum" bulbs. You could try a bulb that is less intense also.
I would try a 50\50 bulb. Or, perhaps even a deep water bulb.
I've actually found the aqueon 8000k full sprectrum bulb to be pretty versatile, and it only costs about $7-$9 for a 24"

+1 to lilgreen and pp. give us some info on this so we can help. different bulb? doubt it imho

He is alone in a 20g tank. He does have plenty of hiding places. I did recently changed the bulb to a Power-Glo, it's 18,000k. Water parameters are SG 1.016, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, Ammonia 0-0.6, pH 7.5-8.

That's a pretty high K rating! Puffers are pretty moody, I'd get him the same K rating he seemed happy with to begin with.
My GSP doesn't like certain rocks :/

nitrite 0, nitrate 0, Ammonia 0-0.6

Something's not right here. In a healthy, established tank you should never be showing any ammonia & you should be showing some nitrate. How large if your puffer? An adult GSP requires a minimum of 30g but 55g is best.

Sorry I got that wrong nitrite 0, nitrate 5, Ammonia always comes up a little cloudy yellow never clear. He is approx 2 inches.

cdndrtbk wrote:He is alone in a 20g tank. He does have plenty of hiding places. I did recently changed the bulb to a Power-Glo, it's 18,000k. Water parameters are SG 1.016, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, Ammonia 0-0.6, pH 7.5-8.

18000 is very high. I started out with an 18000 T12 Plant \ Aquarium Bulb (the ones from a hardware store) for my GSP actually.
It was from a friend who was growing things in his closet. But we have often used those bulbs for other tanks.
My GSP was always hiding, but I assumed it was just getting used to the new environment. After a couple weeks, I starting looking at all the algae growth and after a while determined it was the light. I swapped it for an 8000k and the GSP came out almost right away and never hid again. GSPs have been known to be sensitive to light. The best bulb for him might be a "deep water" bulb. But, the 8000k Full Spectrum are usually fine.

cdndrtbk wrote:Sorry I got that wrong nitrite 0, nitrate 5, Ammonia always comes up a little cloudy yellow never clear. He is approx 2 inches.

that's about right. i had nitrite and nitrate mixed up also. I always just called em NO2 & NO3, but most peeps here don't.
How new is this tank? If it's less than 2 months old, keep an eye on that ammonia.

sevenyearnight wrote:That's a pretty high K rating! Puffers are pretty moody, I'd get him the same K rating he seemed happy with to begin with.
My GSP doesn't like certain rocks :/

LOL my GSP didn't like red plants, only green.

It was from a friend who was growing things in his closet.

Aha! This explains everything...

Pufferpunk wrote:

It was from a friend who was growing things in his closet.

Aha! This explains everything...

I don't ... but, I don't judge those who do.
I'm just naturally the way I am

+1 PP