My dragon puffer is looking really dull, and is gasping

[Nagato69]

Have you tested your water?

Yes

If yes, what is your ammonia?

0.02 ppm

If yes, what is your nitrite?

0.05 ppm

If yes, what is your nitrate?

0.5 ppm

If I did not test my water...

...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.

Do you do water changes?

Yes

What percentage of water do you change?

11-20%

How frequently do you change your water?

Every two weeks

If I do not change my water...

...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.

I fed my dragon puffer a couple large shrimp yesterday, and I’m wondering if he is just taking time to digest his food, because my saltwater puffers do that a lot. But later on this morning, I walk back into my room just to find him out and swim rapidly into corners and walls of the tank. I left once again and returned to see him fully puffed up. Does anyone know what’s going on, is he digesting food, or is he sick or stressed?
here’s some pictures:

 

[Raka]

.02 ppm and .05ppm, how are your tests so precise?

 

[Nagato69]

Those are the numbers that are on my test kit

 

[kno4te]

I’d give it a good water change. Hold off on feedings. Puffers can over eat and experience swimming problems. Hopefully that’s all it is. See what Fat Homer thinks about it.

 

[Fat Homer]

^ I agree with @Kn4ote, could be hes over eaten or could be lack of water changes as puffers tend to be quite sensitive to water quality...

Just out of curiosity, is there enough oxygen getting into the tank? Coz with the heavy breathing you mentioned, im wondering if the lack of dissolved oxygen could be a problem?

also, what temp are you keeping these guys at? Coz they end to prefer warmer temps coming from Asia...

 

[Nagato69]

I currently have two very large air stones running in the tank. And the water temperature is 76 degrees Fahrenheit

 

[Fat Homer]

nothing sounds too far off, although temp wise i would probably bump it up by a degree or two...

could just have over eaten or could be some other underlying problem...

One more question as well, before your puffer started acting like this was he usually this dark in color or only started to get darker when you noticed these problems?

 

[Nagato69]

He was only this dark when I saw him this morning, he is usually a brighter shade of green This is what he looks like when he’s healthy

 

[Fat Homer]

I ask only because i know when stressed they can get darker in color and sometimes when they have over eaten they can also feel a bit constipated and get darker in color too...

i know my fahaka when she over ate would sometimes be darker in color till she did a poo in which case she’s bounce right back to her usual self...

so keep an eye on him for another day and see if there are any changes?

 

[Nagato69]

Ok cool, thank you for the information, I’ll do an update tomorrow morning.