Do dwarf Puffers have toxin?
Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2017 6:45 am
Hi there,
Main question: Can anyone provide me any documentation of what type(s) of toxins are possibly carried by dwarf Puffers, and any negative interactions with HUMANS and dwarf Puffers from toxins?
Background:
I bought 3 Puffers labeled "Pea Puffers" from a local fish shop 6 weeks ago. They were wild caught. One was small and died two weeks ago while I was out of town on a weekend (I suspected it had internal parasites, belly looked different from the others). I fed on Friday morning and when I returned Sunday afternoon it was dead and decomposing. They are in a 10 gallon with just the 3 of them, no other fish deaths to worry about. I cleaned the tank and gravel immediately, and the other two have been doing fine since, although one doesn't eat as much (bloodworms) as his buddy. Today was the first time I've cleaned since then, and I also put in new drift wood, moved my plants around, etc. I had my hands in the tank~10 min. I did not wear gloves and I have a couple small cuts in my hands. My head, neck, and hands started tingling shortly afterwards (within 20 min?). I am fine now, but feeling shaken.
Everything I've read says these are safe to keep as long as you don't eat them. But a small part of me wonders if a) Puffers can release toxins from their skin if they're stressed, similar to some corals I've heard of, or b) if there could be some debris or water carrying toxins from the first mortality, that got stirred up when I was moving gravel around today.
The fact that I have NOT found any documentation of people getting poisoned by dwarf Puffers without eating them is comforting!
I'll probably take the Puffers back to the store, because my paranoid mind is currently losing sleep over this. I've enjoyed having them, but have read quite a bit of mixed info in general about these guys... and haven't found with certainty what kind of toxin this species would contain, provided they had the right diet for that. Saxitoxin, since they're entirely freshwater? Do any FW Puffers have ttx? Does it just depend on the bacteria/algae conditions? Have aquarists of other puffer species reported tingling of arms during tank maintenance, or anything like that?
Thank you for your time!
Main question: Can anyone provide me any documentation of what type(s) of toxins are possibly carried by dwarf Puffers, and any negative interactions with HUMANS and dwarf Puffers from toxins?
Background:
I bought 3 Puffers labeled "Pea Puffers" from a local fish shop 6 weeks ago. They were wild caught. One was small and died two weeks ago while I was out of town on a weekend (I suspected it had internal parasites, belly looked different from the others). I fed on Friday morning and when I returned Sunday afternoon it was dead and decomposing. They are in a 10 gallon with just the 3 of them, no other fish deaths to worry about. I cleaned the tank and gravel immediately, and the other two have been doing fine since, although one doesn't eat as much (bloodworms) as his buddy. Today was the first time I've cleaned since then, and I also put in new drift wood, moved my plants around, etc. I had my hands in the tank~10 min. I did not wear gloves and I have a couple small cuts in my hands. My head, neck, and hands started tingling shortly afterwards (within 20 min?). I am fine now, but feeling shaken.
Everything I've read says these are safe to keep as long as you don't eat them. But a small part of me wonders if a) Puffers can release toxins from their skin if they're stressed, similar to some corals I've heard of, or b) if there could be some debris or water carrying toxins from the first mortality, that got stirred up when I was moving gravel around today.
The fact that I have NOT found any documentation of people getting poisoned by dwarf Puffers without eating them is comforting!
I'll probably take the Puffers back to the store, because my paranoid mind is currently losing sleep over this. I've enjoyed having them, but have read quite a bit of mixed info in general about these guys... and haven't found with certainty what kind of toxin this species would contain, provided they had the right diet for that. Saxitoxin, since they're entirely freshwater? Do any FW Puffers have ttx? Does it just depend on the bacteria/algae conditions? Have aquarists of other puffer species reported tingling of arms during tank maintenance, or anything like that?
Thank you for your time!