Puffer Turning Black

[elecbzerk]

Ok, I'm hoping for some help from some experienced Puffer keepers. I have this Golden Dogface, and he has changed from Golden to black recently. I have checked water parameters over and over and they could not be anymore perfect, all levels are optimium. He still eats very well, so I think that is a good sign. Below are some pictures of how he looked early June, and then tonight.

before

tonight

sorry about the "tonight" pics. he does swim around, but hides when I get close to take a picture. Any help or suggestions are very appreciated.

 

[1ucky]

I had a Golden Puffer a few months ago that started to turn back to it's Guinea Fowl colors in a matter of 3 weeks or so. The only thing I could think of that caused this was the fact that I was running hypo salinity in my tank due to a major ick outbreak; this might have stressed him out. He stopped eating and suddendly just died on me. All the parameters well good and all the other fish were healthy and eating as well.

 

[elecbzerk]

Thanks 1ucky. The salinity in the tank is within normal parameters. I had him in hypo while in QT, but brought him to normal when the ick was gone. He is eating well, and actively swimming around, just black instead of yellow. Hopefully someone knows the answer to the mystery.

 

[1ucky]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13018846#post13018846 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by elecbzerk
Thanks 1ucky. The salinity in the tank is within normal parameters. I had him in hypo while in QT, but brought him to normal when the ick was gone. He is eating well, and actively swimming around, just black instead of yellow. Hopefully someone knows the answer to the mystery.

I understand the feeling. I called a dozen LFS and searched all over the net and didn't find an answer to it. As long as he's freely swimming and eating, that's a good thing. Good luck with everything!

 

[elecbzerk]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13018982#post13018982 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 1ucky
I understand the feeling. I called a dozen LFS and searched all over the net and didn't find an answer to it. As long as he's freely swimming and eating, that's a good thing. Good luck with everything!

Yeah, I hate for him to die after we have been through ich and everything. My sons are very attached and saw him for the first time last night; now they are all upset he might die. But, I agree as long as he is eating and active there is a positive thing to hold on to.....Thanks for your replies though!!!

 

[humaguy]

Try the Puffer Forum dot com

Some very smart and dedicated folks over there who are always willing to help.

I hope everything works out positively for you...

 

[elecbzerk]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13019269#post13019269 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by humaguy
Try the Puffer Forum dot com

Some very smart and dedicated folks over there who are always willing to help.

I hope everything works out positively for you...

Thanks Humaguy! Don't know why I hadn't thought about that, I'll try there as well.

 

[humaguy]

PS remember to soak freeze dried krill in vitamin water before adding it to the tank (there is alot of air in freeze dried krill and this helps to get the air out of the krill)...and to vary his/her diet as much as possible...a diet of only freeze dried krill has been shown to cause lock jaw in puffers...somewhere in here is an article on it...
best of luck...

 

[LisaD]

How's your puffer doing today?

 

[elecbzerk]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13019949#post13019949 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by humaguy
PS remember to soak freeze dried krill in vitamin water before adding it to the tank (there is alot of air in freeze dried krill and this helps to get the air out of the krill)...and to vary his/her diet as much as possible...a diet of only freeze dried krill has been shown to cause lock jaw in puffers...somewhere in here is an article on it...
best of luck...

When I first got him I fed him Frozen Krill. i posted that and Pufferpunk let me know about the lock jaw issue. I really don't feed him that too much, only now and again. he usually eats silversides or Mysis. But thanks for the heads up.

 

[elecbzerk]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13019996#post13019996 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LisaD
How's your puffer doing today?

Hard to say. he swims actively until he realizes someone is watching him. I did get a look at him inside a cave and it looked like he MIGHT be lighter in color. Thanks for asking Lisa.
The salinity is still a tiny, tiny bit higher than in QT, so he may have been stressed about it, hard to say though, it is only .001 higher.

 

[LisaD]

I doubt if it's the salinity. Any sign of recurring ich or velvet?

 

[elecbzerk]

no, definitely no more ich. Not sure what velvet is; never experienced that. it is just so wierd; he swims around, eats, just not real attractive right now. his eyes look a little cloudy too.

 

[triggerfreak]

just curious as to how big he is.I was under the assumption that true golden pufffers were a color morph and they did not come any smaller that about 6".

 

[elecbzerk]

Well, when I first got him he was really no bigger than 2". You can see that in the first pic posted. I took it the day I brought him home. He has been a handful every since the minute I walked out of the LFS with him. he bit a hole in the bag on the way home, then ich, now this. But, we are real attached to him now and would like to see him pull through.

 

[Hunter21]

well I know this has nothing to do with it....but when we had a batfish a long time ago, we got it and everything was fine but then we noticed he started turning a black color, then we found out we had stray currents and by the time we bought a grounding probe, it was too late. I know that probably isn't it but that just made me think of it when I saw the pictures. best of luck and hope he does well for you.