He likes it... HE LIKES IT!!!

[zookey]

So I had bought a new tank, had a stand built, and have been collecting things that the new tank needed to make a good home for Lava my puffer. I used to bring home the decorations and things, show them to him through the glass of his tank and watch his wiggly approval.

This weekend I got the stand and tank set in place and leveled. Cleaned and soaked the sand getting it all added to the tank. Added the decorations, and started aging the new salted water needed for the new tank. I ran a heater and a bubbler bar in the aging tub, tested after 8 hours, again after 12 hours, again at 24 hours and the SG kept raising so left it another 12 hours. This morning and again this eventing it finally read the same SG so I started the process of moving the new water into the new tank.

Then I captured Lava in a holding container. He instantly curled into a tight ball and turned almost completely black. He really did not like the holding container at all!!! I was worried about stressing him too much so quickly pumped the water from his old tank to the new one while moving the filter from his old tank to the new one to help stabilize the new tanks cycle. I did seed some filter media for the new filter, but figured running both filters wouldn't hurt anything. I moved his heater over to the new tank and got everything plugged in and running.

When I went back to Lava's holding container, he was in the exact same place and I couldn't see his fins moving or anything. Almost had a heart attack thinking I stressed him to death, but then his eye moved, just the slightest amount but it was movement. I carefully lowered his container into his new tank and he slowly poked his head up out of the container, then ducked back down. Then poked a bit further up and cautiously swam out. He looked around carefully, looking at things suspiciously, scoping out his new digs, and once he realized this is a good place turned a very bright neon green... almost white in places!

He likes it!! HE LIKES IT!!!!

Watching him swim and investigate and I swear when the lights go out tonight he is going to glow in the dark, he is such a happy green color!! In all the time I have had him he has NEVER been this color before! I am glad he is a happy puffer now, up until now I guess he was just fat and ... .

[sevenyearnight]

Great story!!

[Pufferpunk]

That's wonderful!

[xrayjeeper83]

good to hear

[zookey]

By this morning he found the filter flow and is happily swimming "up stream" and for the first time in a long time he is not near as fat as he has been! He is very happy in his new tank and seems to enjoy his holy rock and clay arch, swimming in and out of the plants and doing the cutest "Look how cute I am" dance. Until I get the camera out then he dives back behind the rocks or plants. If I put the camera down he comes right back out and starts his dance all over. Grab the camera and then the game is on again.... until the batteries die....

How does he know the camera batteries are dead I wonder? He doesn't mind the camera once it is rendered useless......

Thank you all for listening to my ramblings..... Here I know you all understand my happiness, unlike other people who look at me like I have lost my mind for getting excited over the silly things my puffer does.

[allycat]

If I put the camera down he comes right back out and starts his dance all over. Grab the camera and then the game is on again.... until the batteries die....

How does he know the camera batteries are dead I wonder? He doesn't mind the camera once it is rendered useless......

My camera has a little red light that goes on when I press the shutter button down halfway to get it focused. The light doesn't bother my little puffs, but my loaches and other shy guys will dart away from the "warning" light! I think it makes them nervous... are you using flash or does your camera have a light like this? JW. Then Lava would definitely "know" when your batteries were dead!

I liked your story a lot! Can't wait to upgrade for Merck! He's on his way up at 1.012 now, and once I've got full marine going, I should be able to seed his larger tank and run a LR cure in the little one!

[zookey]

If the camera was on there would be a red light... but he will shy away from the camera even when it is off with live batteries. That is what has me most confused. I would totally understand if the camera was on, shutter was depressed and red light on..... but this is literally when you pick up a camera that is off but has good batteries.

I think (hope) he will calm down and allow for some pictures of himself. He is such a handsome boy now that he is so bright green.