is my puffer fish sick....??

Question

i'm kinda worried about my puffer...i've had him about a week and i've never had one before...
~about two days after i got him, he started to set into a rutine and eating well {which is the norm} but no he's doing something i just now noticed....after i turn the light off on the tank and my other fish "go to sleep" so to speak....the puffer will turn a very dark color, almost balck and sing to the bottom of the tank and set in the middle of a plant i have. the first time i saw this i was worried that he might be dieing so i put my net in the water and put it next to him....he swan off and after a minute or so his regular color came back...but now it's night and he's black again..is this normal??

it's a fresh water tank and i think he's call a dwarf puffer of a green spotted puffer. he's white {normally} w/ black spots and a BRIGHT yellow head on top...if that helps

Answer 1

If he's only changing color when you turn the light off, and regains his normal coloration soon after it comes back on, this is his way of "camouflaging" himself from predators as he rests. Other species of fish will become more pale.

You should check the ammonia and nitrites in the tank if he's changing his colors outside of when the light is on or off. Puffers are very sensitive to water quality. And you should also check where you got him on which species you have. Dwarf puffers are fine in freshwater (they come from rivers), but green spotted puffers need to have salt in their water - a few tablespoons per gallon when they're young to almost full marine conditions as adults.

I'll post a few links below on puffer care which may help you with his care, once you are certain of which species you have.

Answer 2

As copperhead mentioned, puffers are very sensitive to water conditions.

It is very important to know what kind of a puffer you have. If it is a dwarf puffer, then it is strictly freshwater. If it is a green spotted puffer, then it needs brackish water to live. It would help to have a picture.

It sounds like you have a green spotted puffer. These fish are usually kept in freshwater in the pet stores and usually the staff do not have the knowledge that is required to keep them. In the wild the green spotted puffers are born in freshwater, but generally swim closer to salter conditions as they get older. A rule of thumb for these fish after you buy them is to slowly acclamate them to brackish conditions (water that has salt added, but not to a degree of saltwater).

I recommend strongly that you go to www.pufferresources.net and look at the profiles they have and find out what kind of fish you have. Also, if you become a member, it's free, you can use the forum. They people there are experts as well as beginners, so someone will help you. If you put a topic in the ER section, usually someone will jump on and help you pretty quick.

I have tried dwarfpuffers numerous times and have not had success. The little guys are just too sensitive to water conditions. With any puffer though, if they get dark in colour, then something is wrong with them. Even if it is just stress, stress leads to worse conditions.

Good Luck.

J

Answer 3

Puffer, when they change to dark color, it usually mean, stress or water is dirty. It's normal for puffer to change light and dark shades of color. Pay attention, usually when u first change water and when water is dirty water, puffer turn darker.

Answer 4

I own a saltwater tank and as you may know, they are very difficult to maintain so alot of what i say is from tragic experiance :-P

story: I once had a clownfish and they are very weird. he would turn gray and lay down. i called my supplier in a panic thinking that my new $30 fish was going to die. they informed me that it sleeps like that because it is a reef fish and does not require to be in alpha mode in order to survive. so dont worry. its okay.

Answer 5

they arent Freshwater. LFSs are stupid for not informing people that, they just want to make a buck.. They are brackish water fish.. they need salt to survive. Research how much salinity is needed .

Answer 6

yes.