The Puffer Forum

Parameters are fine. Salinity is 1.005

I don't see how he could have the power to remove himself from the filter. It's quite powerful and watching the way these puffers 'cruise' around on the hunt, it doesn't surprise me that the tube surprised him and literally sucked the life out of him.

That's why I put the plant next to the tube, when I started the filter I laughed and said "Holy crap!" because the current it creates at the surface is pretty strong, so one would think the tube has quite a bit of suction force around it. I put the plant next to the tube and it would pull the plant toward it. I honestly think my Puffers were healthy, although I wouldn't rule that out because...they can't tell me if they are or not LOL.

The surviving puffer looked fine this morning and came out from under the driftwood to beg when I checked on him before work.

What is the GPH of that filter?

I don't know for sure, but it's a 30-60.

I'd have to look on the box at home. I think it was capable of 300gph?

Yep, I just looked it up, it says it can do up to 300gph.

That's nothing for puffers. Seriously. I've used AC300's (300gph) and AC500's (500gph) on 29 gallon puffer tanks, even a betta had no problem with that amount of suction.

I'd still say something had to be wrong with the fish for it to get sucked in there.

Gratned I wasn't there, but my theory is he didn't get "stuck" to it - I think it pulled him against it and he was so startled he puffed immediately, including the little bit of his body that was between the grill... then constant struggling and pulling against the tube's "biting" caused the injuries.

Nick, I never even thought of it that way.

I would believe that is most likely what occurred.

Before hand, he showed no signs of stress or illness. I wouldn't be shocked at all if it surprised him and he puffed right away and fell victim to the filter. Too bad really.

Wow, how ironic...as I'm typing this, I glanced over at my tank to see my surviving puffer try to swim behind the bottom of the filter tube and get stuck to it, he just wiggled free. Well... It's time to move that plant closer to the filter and prevent another dead puffer from showing up in my filter.

29G, only habitant is my surviving Puffer. Should I get 1 puffer or two more? I'm going to completely re-arrange the tank when I get the next Puffer(s) to help prevent territorial fighting, good idea or not?

I'd get one, two would be pushing it on water, and the remaining puffer is used a single companion and may reject a second.

Very good information.

I appreciate all the help from everybody!

I just ran out and picked up some more plants, just enough to keep them away from the tube.... I also placed an order for one F8 Puffer.

I don't believe a 30-60 Whisper filter could easily trap a healthy F8 puffer. My Dwarf puffers, guppies, modestus puffers, etc all pick at algae on filter intakes with much more powerful suction than that. No fish would be safe if filter intakes were really this dangerous. There's got to be something else going on here...

In the pic on the first page showing the puffers a month ago, it looks like they are both very skinny.

Dinsdale wrote:I don't believe a 30-60 Whisper filter could easily trap a healthy F8 puffer. My Dwarf puffers, guppies, modestus puffers, etc all pick at algae on filter intakes with much more powerful suction than that. No fish would be safe if filter intakes were really this dangerous. There's got to be something else going on here...

In the pic on the first page showing the puffers a month ago, it looks like they are both very skinny.

i was gonna say actually that in that pic the puffers look very underweight

I hadn't owned the puffers for very long in the 'month ago' photo.

After that, they had 'plumped' up a bit. My remaining Figure 8 is looking good. I honestly don't think anything was wrong with my Fig8's, I think the filter caught him by surprise and he puffed into the slot and lost the war. Oh well, I guess I'll never know, my surviving Fig8 looks & acts healthy?

I am surprised that this could happen to a puffer. But I did have something similar happen to a ~1.25" long zebra loach. When I found it in the intake strainer of my Maxi-Jet 900 powerhead it was wedged in a slot right behind the gills. His head and gills were on the inside. I couldnt even get him out without spreading the slot open with a flat screwdriver. He was the smallest loach though, and very slender. Was already dead when I noticed.