The Puffer Forum

Last week i noticed my gsp going up and down the side of the tank and sticking his beak up above the water. My tank has been fully cycled for a long time so I didn't think much of it but after a while i did a water test, and the nitrates were a bit high. I did a water change to get all the parameters to zero and my puffer is still going up towards the top of the tank sticking it's beak area up above the water. I've had other freshwater fish before and i've seen them go up for a breath when the water was bad but my puffer only seems to be sticking his beak out and not really opening his mouth like my freshwater fish used to do. Is this normal behaviour?

That is very strange... Part of Shakespeare's "rounds" of his tank do include occasional breaches of the surface in his two favorite corners, but not as a continual behavior. Could he be bored with this tank?

Hey hey, reminds me of Buffy when I first got her....
she used to beg for food doing that

Nick wrote:That is very strange... Part of Shakespeare's "rounds" of his tank do include occasional breaches of the surface in his two favorite corners, but not as a continual behavior. Could he be bored with this tank?

Yeah, i forgot to add, he would only do this when he was up against the glass or in one of the corners...

Shakespeare definately does that - I think he is trying to get "over" the reflections into the rest of the room. More so than any other puffer in the tank, he makes a go every now and then of trying to explore the regions beyond the glass wall.

Nick wrote:Shakespeare definately does that - I think he is trying to get "over" the reflections into the rest of the room. More so than any other puffer in the tank, he makes a go every now and then of trying to explore the regions beyond the glass wall.

Yeah, mine tries to jump up in the air as well. I've noticed this behavior to be more frequent lately, at first i thought it was the temperature of the water that was the cause of it.

Be sure your tank is covered well.