The Puffer Forum

robst3 wrote:Agreed, that's why it's important to over filter and clean up any waste food from the tank. I disagree with starving a fish being healthier though. All you will do is stunt it's growth and leave it open to disease through a lack of nutrientse

A starving fish is at a different end of the spectrum to a hungry fish . All things in context please .

Sorry, how I put that "nice and chubby". I should have said atleast it is not skinny with IP's but I do agree with RTR about over weight fahakas. When I metioned feeding everyother day, helps with the weight problems. Im not trying to change my story, just worded it wrong. Sorry, my fault. A skinny fish is not healthy and the same goes with an over weight one also. But it should not be too hard to cut back on his food and get him down to or close to the weight he should be.

Puffer King wrote: All things in context please .

Exactly... people are saying my fahaka is obese

Pufferpunk wrote:Once it is ill (IE, fatty liver disease) it is too late. Are we willing to wait & see?

How old is your Fahaka...?

Mine? He's around 12.

And only 12"...?

He's still growing, very slowly. I'm only 5'3", how tall are you?

When I got him 12 years ago, very little info was on the web about this species. I wasn't aware of how large they grew, nor how much space they needed. I bought him a 125g tank--the largest I had room for. He is very happy & healthy in there. He has lots of tank mates. I do 75% water changes weekly, have 3 AC 110s & a large Eheim filter on there.

Pufferpunk wrote: I'm only 5'3",

perhaps your parents didn't feed you enough

This convo is just going towards the gutter. If you would like help don't insult the sites staff! I have kept quiet on this one but as insults are flying here we go. Your fish is overweight, yours will not live 12 years if his diet is not sorted. They are hunters and don't eat every day. They also have to work really hard for their food in the wild and burn energy doing so

Just to add mine is about 2yrs and 14". And I followed the guidelines laid out by this forum. Mine is in great shape. Growing well. Humans vary in height, so less of the insults. Fish vary in length.

Who has insulted who? I'll happily take well founded advice that withstands query, unfounded opinion not so much. If you think your opinion is right then back it up with some evidence...

Sorry that I sound like Im saying your Fahaka is fat. Just abit over weight and it is best to cut back his feedings (not starve him) and he will be abit more active. Just try it and you will see the difference. Most swim around mainly for to attention for being fed but a well fed fahaka dont need to worry, if he is fed alot.

Filbert eats 1 large meal/week & then small bits every couple of days, of the other fish's foods.

Puffers beg for food and are good at getting us to feed them extra. Normally in nature it would be okay for puffers to have a big meal because they would work it off by having to hunt for its next meal. However in our tanks they never have to work for their food and they just get to eat food, never working off all the calories they just ate from their last meal.

Since adding more decoration and upping the water changes he is very active. Currently feeding him every other day and he has been growing very quickly and seems perfectly healthy so will continue doing so. Well cut back on the mussels though. I need more convincing on this liver disease... A search on Google for fahaka liver disease only brings up posts by pufferpunk advising that it is inevitable and fatal if they aren't semi starved, an opinion which seems based solely on a necropsy of a single specimen which died shortly after she took ownership.