Overfeeding Puffers

[Anjin]

I dump a bunch of scuds in the tank every few days. My baby fahaka loves to chase them for the prize. Action/reaction and plenty of exercise chasing the tiny little morsels about.

I did have a half dozen cherry shrimp in there, as well some amano and a couple otos. Plus one golden snail the size of a golfball. When puff is hungry, or just bored, everything is stalked. Cherry shrimp went first, even though they are quite agile. Otos I pulled out due to fin nips. And the snail is just too big, but I am sure some day, puff will find a way.

It is pretty amusing watching the stalking. As the puffer slowly drifts closer and closer, careful not to look directly at its target, acting all nonchalant and uninterested till BAM.

I was curious on the recommendations to only feed them once every couple days, if not just a couple times a week. The puffer is relentless when it is hungry. But does seem to stop eating when its tummy it round and full. Then just wanders about and is happy to have company it seems. In the wild, they must get opportunities for feeding fairly frequently. They certainly do patrol with intent pretty constantly a few hours after last feeding.

How do folks control things like biofilms, algae, etc? I am used to letting the cleaner crews keep things tidy. But if puff eats them constantly...

Cheers
Anjin

[Anjin]

We decided to name our fahaka Huey, because of the helicopter like hovering and movement. I flew for the Army, so it felt right.

Regardless... Huey today figured out how to pry the freshwater limpets off the glass. I am impressed, because I really thought those would be impossible to remove from the glass. Perhaps it feel off, and from the underside, they are just like a little abalone. Shrug. The amusement is in the picture:



And another of Huey sitting on the Puffer Throne:

[Anjin]

My missus and I were pondering the concept of overfeeding. We considered the rules of evolution, as well what we might presume might be rules of creation. For example, a puffer is a top level predator. Not just a little puff ball that floats about, but they own their environments. Yet they carry two amazing defense systems, one being the ability to puff. The other, one of the most deadly toxins known to the natural world.

Why?

Could it be because they make a habit of eating so much they get all fat and happy and just laze around? In a 'turkey day' haze, fat and happy from a fresh kill, stuffed till they act like a weeble and just wobble around? Because they are packing defensive tools that suddenly make a whole lot of sense, regardless of if you believe in evolution or creationism, when you factor into the equation a behavior of eating so much they become pretty much immobile on a regular basis. All puffed up and deadly to bite, makes sense when your so stuffed to the gills you just don't care

Regardless, I am not saying we should over feed our fish. Nor will I be shoveling the food into my little water puppy by the bucket. There are always a few extra snails, a lost shrimp or two, and bits of food that mine will nibble at between feedings. But the curious part of my mind wonders..

[Pufferpunk]

I love how you think!

[alex12571]

is this puffing or eating too much?

this is one puffer it only happens at feeding time, but i can believe it puffs when encountering other puffers (even thought it is the biggest) or it is just stuffing its face?

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[Pufferpunk]

Looks like puffing. The other fish may be stressing this one out.

[Lolee2771]

I over fed my Fahaka Puffer on his first night with me. I'll never do that again bc he was pitiful. I wasn't sure how much to feed him and he was very aggressively taking the food so I kept going until it was gone. 2 5ml syringes full of blood worms and brine shrimp. My puffer laid on the bottom and seemed unable or unwilling to move for hours. I felt so bad for him and swore that I didn't care how much me begged or acted hungry I would not over feed again. I decided to feed him small amounts 2 or 3 times a day rather than 1 big meal.