Tips please!

[daenja]

So, I've been reading lots and lots of threads. It seems like everyone's puffers are more personable and social than mine. I've held food in my hand and fed him before, food in water and hand out of the water. Everytime I put my hand in the water with the food he swims away.

Alot of times I will sit and watch him in the tank and he's hanging out and will see me and move forwards or backwards to hide from me. He hasn't really ever come to the glass to greet me as so many other puffers I've read about on here. Also, eventhough the tank is heavily planted with fake plants he still paces up and down the glass alot...

I'm just wondering if you guys had any tips for getting your puffer more social, which I think might help with the pacing as well.
Thoughts, comments, suggestions?
Thanks!

[pufferfreak]

Well i had to feed my puffer a lot before he recognized me as the bringer of food. Well actually 2 weeks but it seemed like forever. He would run away at first but now when he sees me he comes to the front of the tank asking for food. I also find that if you put your hand in the tank a lot(i am finally done rearranging my tank) he will sort of get mad at me. But once i feed him a few times he sort of forgive me. He also had toget used to people looking at him. He would run away at first.

[daenja]

That's good to know, thanks pufferfreak!
Porkchop does come to the glass in the morning when he knows or thinks he's going to get fed.
But in the afternoon or evening he's usually hiding out or pacing. I'm not worried about his
health, btw, cause he looks good and eats plenty!

[SpockthePuffer]

I'm sure he will come around. If his tank isn't in the same room that you spend most of your time it might make more time

My gsp milton lives in the same room that I live in so he is too used to me. I think he gets bored if no one is home.
I'm pretty sure if I tried to catch him with my hand he would have no problem with it, not that I would do it but he just seems to be very friendly/he thinks I'm food!

[DRRT]

Well, I've had one of my puffers for between 2 1/2 and 3 years, but it doesn't greet me or eat from my hand. (Actually I think it hates me ever since I trimmed its teeth). The other puffer will only greet me when its feeding time and sometimes will eat from my hand. Both of them are tobies, I don't know if that changes anything.

[pufferfreak]

Mine eats from my hands but i have to watch out for my fingers. ^_^

[daenja]

porkchop did nip one of my fingers once, but he's so small i didn't hurt! thanks guys... it seems that he's doing okay... he is in the living room of the house... but has only been in the living room of this house for a month so far! so i'm thinking that he'll come around at some point!

[DRRT]

Do you walk in front of the tank a lot? The more the fish sees people shapes the more it will be sociable. The guy at my LFS said if you wanted your fish to be less scared of people and come out more, put a manikin (?) in front of the tank. You know, those people body things that they use in the store for displaying clothes and wigs. I think just a person's head would be good enough.

[daenja]

that's a good idea... so DRRT.. i see you're moving out here soon, what are you going to do with you fish? Your valentini and hawaiian might be okay, but hawaii has strick import rule/laws.

[DRRT]

eh

My dad is going to move it to his office and maintain it for me. I hope it will be ok, after all, he got me in the hobby. He does have a tendency to overstock and buy me stuff to add to it without asking me whether I think it would be a good idea. I work at Fedex so I might find some loop holes or something. I will be at least 4 years till I find some sort of a resting place. I would love to stay in Hawaii, but I want to travel. I don't know yet. I'll miss having such a great tank while stuck in a dorm.

[daenja]

the limitations of a dorm is defintatly a minus... where are you going to school UH?

[DRRT]

UH Manoa

[daenja]

awsome... i hope your tanks do well under your pop's supervision

[DRRT]

me too. I was thinking I might be able to get a really small <5g tank and keep stuff I find. No fish, and I would return everything at the end of the year. I don't think things without a brain can become tamed like fish, which except for maybe mandarins, can't be turned loose.

[StormySkiez]

...I'm just wondering if you guys had any tips for getting your puffer more social, which I think might help with the pacing as well.
Thoughts, comments, suggestions?
Thanks!

Spend more quality time with Porkchop! lol, sorry I had to say it. Didn't you say you moved him recently? I think he might come around or maybe he is one of those types who does his own thing.