Narrowlined puffer back turning black

[Yerxi]

So my Narrow Lined Puffer had been perfectly fine up until this morning when he had been floating upside down for extended periods of time and his back had gotten a darker blackish color to it, it seems like he's struggling to swim down and not float to the surface and tries to use rocks to hold himself down, when i fed him he did eat although he tried to eat upside down. I had him in a 10 Gal tank up until this and when i tested the water the nitrites were 2ppm, so i started to acclimate him into a new 29 gal tank but the problem persists, hes been in there for at least 45 minutes, while in the bucket he was able to sit right side up however. I tested the water of the 29 gal and it was ~0.25ppm. Both tanks had low ammonia (~0.25ppm) and normal nitrate (>20ppm). I'm relatively new to the hobby and I'm not sure if he's having a problem with the water or some kind of sickness and cant find many things or posts on forums talking about this kind of issue.

 

[Yerxi]

also want to mention that the tomato clownfish that i had in the 10 gal tank with him is showing no issues and is acting perfectly normal

 

[vetteguy53081]

Color change sounds like distress from swim bladder disease.
The impaired buoyancy in fish is caused by a malfunction of their swim bladder. When affected by Swim Bladder Disorder fish will often lose the ability to properly swim. They will float uncontrollably to the top of the aquarium, turned upside down, while still being alive. In some cases the fish will lay upside down or sideways on the bottom, unable to swim upwards. Affected fish will face difficulties when trying to maintain their floating balance, as the swim bladder is located in the lower half of the body.
The swim bladder disease in fish is not lethal on its own and needed to regulate its buoyancy. Constipation is the most common manifestation of swim bladder disorder. Fortunately, it is easiest to treat. Constipation will cause a bloated stomach, which in turn will press against the swim bladder. Often a frozen green pea partially boiled and then feeding the pea inside minus the skin will help.
If bacterial infection causing this, Erythromycin will help greatly. One form is Mardel maracyn

 

[Yerxi]

Color change sounds like distress from swim bladder disease.
The impaired buoyancy in fish is caused by a malfunction of their swim bladder. When affected by Swim Bladder Disorder fish will often lose the ability to properly swim. They will float uncontrollably to the top of the aquarium, turned upside down, while still being alive. In some cases the fish will lay upside down or sideways on the bottom, unable to swim upwards. Affected fish will face difficulties when trying to maintain their floating balance, as the swim bladder is located in the lower half of the body.
The swim bladder disease in fish is not lethal on its own and needed to regulate its buoyancy. Constipation is the most common manifestation of swim bladder disorder. Fortunately, it is easiest to treat. Constipation will cause a bloated stomach, which in turn will press against the swim bladder. Often a frozen green pea partially boiled and then feeding the pea inside minus the skin will help.
If bacterial infection causing this, Erythromycin will help greatly. One form is Mardel maracyn

thank you for the help but could you please restate the treatment? i didn't quite understand what you were saying about the pea

 

[vetteguy53081]

thank you for the help but could you please restate the treatment? i didn't quite understand what you were saying about the pea

1. Thaw a frozen pea. It is better to leave the pea to thaw naturally. However, as this disease’s treatment can be time-sensitive I recommend to microwave it on the Defrost function.
2. Boil the pea. Cook the pea in boiling water, while being careful not to overcook it.
3. Peel the skin off of the pea. The pea skin may cause swallowing complications for fish. You need the meaty insides of the pea for the treatment.
4. Soak the pea in water. This is done to avoid swelling of the pea inside of the fishes’ stomach. Mind that the cooked pea will sink, so use a shallow container for the soaking.
5. Feed your fish the cooked pea. Hand-feed the pea if needed. The fish will have difficulties getting the food.
6. Skip feeding in the next 24 hours. Let the fibers in the pea do their job at helping your fish with digestion.