2 little figure 8 pupplets

[lilacamy931]

Well I have two figure eights pups. They are pretty small and not the best condition, the store had a fair few in a small tank with no decor. The fins are frayed and there are a couple of bite mark patches. I have added melafix in hopes of preventing infection abd healing them quickly. The puffs are gorgeous and we have named them Henry and Tara after mine and Alexs dogs that passed away this year in their memory. Tara has a heart shaped mark on her back and is the larger of the two, Henry is a small piddly thing. They have had two meals of bloodworm and plan to plump them up and get them on the road to recovery.

One thing I did want to ask as with all puffs trying them together (such as F8s, DPs and GSPs) it is a bit touch and go whether they work together. I have already seen some squabbling between them (mostly when food went in). As they are pups and not even juvis yet (and early days) how long a trial is needed to see if they work well together?

[JoseDepacos]

My two get bad attitudes when food hits the water but the one thing I have noticed is they never actually bite or harm each other. Its just for show I guess. It looks brutal sometimes but I have watched it over and over and when they bite at each other its as if they are just mouthing one another. No teeth involved.

[lilacamy931]

Thanks for the reassuranc JoseDepacos

Here are two quick dreadful pics I managed to take (usually do better..)
Here is Henry. That white patch is his skin rubbed a bit bare.

Here is Tara, can you see the heart shape? So cute

[xrayjeeper83]

nice looking puffers

[Ohyouknow]

beautiful puffs love the <3!

[omplmpa3]

Very cute puffers, I love the heart! I got my F8s as juvenile pair about two years ago and they haven't had any problems, aside from very rude table manners. They tend to push one another out of the way. I think once they realize it's just they two of them they will begin to lower their guard. You could try adding a bit of food at opposite ends of the tank, maybe then they will feel like they don't have to compete for the food. The Melafix should help. If you have any Vita-chem or Selcon, I would add that as well.

[pufferpuggirl]

I have spent alot of time watching both my irrubesco puffers and my dwarf puffers, and one thing I've noticed with them both -- they tend to chase, but there's rarely any physical contact. It's just like JoseDepacos said, it's mostly for show. When I first started keeping irrubesco, I had read how nasty they were and I thought they were going to cause all sorts of problems (same with dwarf puffers), but after much observation, I've noticed that it's mainly chasing that goes on. Even in my tank where I've got the irrubesco and dwarf puffers together -- I have yet to see actual physical contact. I think if they have a "busy" tank, lots of plants and/or decorations, to keep them busy, and they are well fed, they aren't going to attack anyone. That doesn't mean they won't defend their territories, but as long as there's no biting, I can accept that.

By the way, cute puffers Amy, I hope they get back to good health soon.

[lilacamy931]

Aw thanks guys. They have settled well and sorted themselves out, one is noticeably smaller than the other so feeding them both up to start growing. Both are doing well and trying anything I give them and started to heal well already. I certainly notice it as the way you describe it Suzanne, kind of deflecting each other but never actually biting, their original wounds must have been in that bare open tank with nothing in it..Will have to get an updated pic as they look much better to me!

[pufferpuggirl]

Alot of the time the bites that we see on puffers occurs during shipping when they are all stuffed into plastic bags and there's nowhere to escape to, and who can blame them? I'd probably be biting people too if I were crowded so bad that people were all in my face!