Gill Cover Only Opens On One Side?

[Natty]

I just noticed this, my puffer is only opening his gill covers to breathe on one side. Is this normal? Am I using the right term?

You know, when the fish is breathing his gills show, or at least the outside of it. I only notice that it only seems to function on one side. The other side is sorta working but only about 1/4th as much as the left side of the fish.

[Pufferpunk]

No big deal, they switch gills all the time.

[Natty]

No big deal, they switch gills all the time.

Ah, thought he was a goner lol.

Hey, are fahakas usually active fish? Mines sorta just lay there at the bottom and do some swimming every once in awhile.

[Pufferpunk]

Yup, mine mostly hangs out in his cave. That's why they are called "lurkers".

[Natty]

Yup, mine mostly hangs out in his cave. That's why they are called "lurkers".

Ah, I got the impression that they were really active and curious little, I mean, big guys.

[Pufferpunk]

They certainly can be but every puffer's different. Mine allows a whole host of tank mates.

[ACF]

They certainly can be but every puffer's different. Mine allows a whole host of tank mates.

Yours allows tank mates? When i put in my Danios he chased them around for a bit basically swallowed 2(inhaled.. GONE) (3"danios) and then i went a bit walrus on him and shook the finger at him (tapped his nose) and gave hime some mussels/oysters and he stared at them for a bit and eventually ate them but was very dosile for about an hour .. now hes watching me type this... He love LIVE food! I tried silver dollars.. they didnt last long.. Seems danios are the quickest!
How often do you feed your fahaka?

Ive never seen my puff only open 1 gill at a time... That normal?
But i have seen him close his eyes and yawn....

[Pufferpunk]

Filbert is a rare fahaka. He has eaten many smaller tank mates: neons, tiger barbs, danios, rainbowfish & even killed a few larger ones: electric blue Jack Dempsey, Parrot cichlid--even "scalloped" a softshell turtle but has left many other larger (& docile) fish alone for many years.

[ACF]

Filbert is a rare fahaka. He has eaten many smaller tank mates: neons, tiger barbs, danios, rainbowfish & even killed a few larger ones: electric blue Jack Dempsey, Parrot cichlid--even "scalloped" a softshell turtle but has left many other larger (& docile) fish alone for many years.

OMFG Hahahahaha K so he HAS eaten quite a bit over the while! Mine goes NUTS over 3" crayfish (bodylength). Basically takes their tail off and then body and all thats left is claws. Mine went nuts on a 6" pleco when i first got him. Basically same size.. i wanted to return pleco so lfs but didnt make it in time... Came back and pleco was GONE!
How long have you had yours? They do most of their growing in the first year or two eh?

[Pufferpunk]

I've had him about 6-7 years. He now lives with 2 12" plecos, a 10" chalcius, 2 large (6-7") clown loaches & a 7" frontosa. If I hadn't boiled 5 other fish last week (that's another horrible story), he also would be living with a 12" BGK, 2 20 year old 8" elephant noses & 2 large synodontis.

[ACF]

:O Boiled? K that doesnt sound like a good story.... Dam what you got all these fish in?
I have a hard enough time keeping my tank clean and its a 100g! (every 2 weeks clean) (every month filters/carbon) 2028 ehiem canister and a aquaclear 110 hang on.

[Pufferpunk]

It's a 125g & gets 75% weekly WC, in addition to my other 7 tanks.

[ACF]

WoW! Quite a community in that tank!
So do you ever feed em crayfish? I know just how much fun it is cleaning that up!
Use to have white sand.. NEVER again!
I was thinking of a courser black sand mixed in with the gravel but i think the python would suck it right up?

[Pufferpunk]

I have 1/2 corse black sand & 1/2 gravel. He eats 3-5" crays about 1x/month. He has learned to bite the claws 1st or he gets pinched pretty bad by the big crays.