Fahaka Puffer Growth and Observations Log

[xrayjeeper83]

haha gotta love that he turned his back, he's tryin to tell you he didnt want his picture taken.


how big has he gotten?

[Hilly]

I'd say hes tripled in size, pushing 5" its difficult to tell, sometimes he looks quite small but then I remember when I got him he could slip behind the internal filters and there is no chance of that now. It seems to go in stages, sometimes length one month and then other times girth. Expect to have him in his new tank in the next couple of months. Just gotta build a new stand. He spent an hour flying around the tank when I got in begging for good and now hes been fed he couldnt give a stuff about showing off.

[xrayjeeper83]

haha sounds like Bloat, did nothing but showed off all morning and then after eating retreated to his hole and just laid down.

I was asking about size cause yours seems to have such wide and distinct red lines, and Bloat doesnt as prominent of markings

[Hilly]

He showed promise at a small size of having some decent lines, im hoping they will develop more as he ages and grows.

[Hilly]

Last night for the first time since I had him he refused to eat. I dropped in a piece of Mussel and he turned his nose up at it. Tonight I tried again and he eat no problem, but usually when I show him the glass with his food in he is flying around enthusiastically waiting for it, but he is in what I can onlt describe as a sulk. He is shy and hiding. I'm not sure why but I am wondering if I have upset him the night before he refused to eat when doing a water change. Hopefully he will come back around again.

[Hilly]

Swapped sand for fine gravel a couple of months ago over a couple of weeks and turned down the temperature in his tank a few weeks ago.

Initially when changing from a white sand to a black and white gravel, he would not even venture into the gravelled area, left the tank for 2 more weeks, he only used half of the tank, even though the gravelled are had much more hiding spots and overhangs of plants.

After swapping all of the sand out, it took about a week for him to come round but still wasnt that active and hit and miss with food.

I decided to turn the temp down on the tank it was skirting around 78 degrees but that is on a stick on thermometer and I can never get a good reading off of them. I turned it down a few degrees and activity levels have increased dramatically. There is a lot more free swimming in open water darting in and out of plants and wood used as hiding spots and an increase in appetite.

Could be totally non-related but thought it was worth mentioning.

[geronimo69]

Hi,

I'm curious to know if you've moved him into that 120 gallon tank yet? I ask this for a simple reason... When I first bough mine, he was about 1-2" (size of a nickel around, maybe) and I housed him in a 55 gallon. He was growing quickly, reachgin 4" in 2-3 months. I then moved him into his current 150 gallon. He has nearly doubled in size in the same amount of time. He's near 8" now. I think that the quicker they are moved into a larger tank, the better. Small tanks (from my experience) seem to start stuntint the growth of fish at a very young age. Seeing as yours is such a nice specimen (I love the stipes, Mufasa (mine) has the same stripes) I think it would be wise for me to suggest you moving him asap.

Nice Fahaka!

[FADE2BLACK_1973]

Hilly, get log you have going on about your fahaka . Something that I noticed about my fahaka, when he gets his belly full he tends to be alittle less active but most of the time he is very active and adjusts pretty fast. I dont try to over feed mine to the point of an extremely large belly, just enough to get alittle thicken in the belly area. I think this might have something to do with puffer being active or less active. Keeping them fed but not too much so they tend to want to lurk for food more, imo.

Btw, geronimo, you are just one forum Rebel...lol. Always getting into some kind of trouble by the forum police.. .

[geronimo69]

Btw, geronimo, you are just one forum Rebel...lol. Always getting into some kind of trouble by the forum police.. .

Tell me about it! I don't do it intentionally either...

[Pufferpunk]

Even in the 125g, my Filbert seemed stuck at 10 for a long time. I feel he has been going through a growth spurt lately & is about a foot now. Polish Puff was over here recently & he thinks all the growth is in his tail.

[HGI]

Wow he's fat lol, my fahaka is about the same size as yours