The Puffer Forum

i just got 2 red eye puffers and the male puffer is black and the other is a female is normal colour what makes it look black she told me its a dominate male but i still aint sure any advice please thanks

Please read the top post in this forum & answer all the questions.

i've looked at the questions in the top post. He hasn't just changed colour. i have only purchased him less than three hours ago. When i got him he was that colour as like i say before the lady in the shop said he was so dark due to him being a dominant male. He is still the same colour now while i have him in a breeding tank. i was just asking if this is normal as at the same time i purchased a "so called female" red eyed puffer which has black stirps under neath and is looking like a puffer.

My tank has been running for over a year now and all tests are fine and correct, like all other fish/puffers

Any ideas?

Paul

Please answer all of the questions at the top of the forum. Unless we have the answers, there's not much we can do to help you.

Also, what kind of puffers are they specifically? There are many called "red eyes" but they are quite different from each other. If you can't get a photo for us to help identify them, look in the PufferPedia and see if you can find one that they look like.

Carinotetraodon irrubesco so i was told and what i can see from pufferpedia
ph-7.5
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0.3
Nitrates-5

feeding 2 mussels plus some blood worm water change 20% ones a month
its been set up for a year now
thanks paul
my tank is a 200l uk tank

Is there anything else in the tank?

You say you just got them a few hours ago, yes? It can sometimes take them several days to settle in. I'm wondering though if your tank has been set up for a year why its showing nitrites. Any amount of nitrites are bad for puffers. So I'd suggest a large water change.

As far as I know, "dominant" males don't have any different coloration than "subservient" males. Its a gender-specific coloration in that species, although I could be wrong.

i also have 2 green spots i will do a 40% water change and see how i get on thanks
it seems weird the male was so dark in the shops tank and when i got him home theres no change

Green spots? As in green spotted puffers?

You can't keep those two species together, irrubescos are freshwater and GSP's are brackish to full marine. Not to mention they are all extremely aggressive fish. Your tank will be just about the right size for the two GSP's with nothing else in there once they are full grown.

Can you get a photo of the "dark" puffer?

Definately do water changes, you shouldn't be reading any nitrites at all.

Maybe the GSPs are in a different tank.

Boxermom asked if there is anything else in the tank and his response was "I have two green spots"...

I'm hoping they are in another tank...