Congo Puffer..Bizarre?

[teslenko]

After a long wait due to cycling etc.... On the 20th January I finally gots me the Congo puffer I had driven 60 miles (3 times!) to attempt to buy previously....

I named her ree-ree.

Now, in the shop, I never once saw ree-ree, she was in a dimly lit tank on her own, wit black gravel and nothing else. I never saw her because she was in the gravel the whole time. Everything ive read tells me this is normal.

Upon getting Ree-Ree home, she instantly lightened to the sandy coloured fine substrate in my own tank, and low and behold, she has been swimming around like a rainbow fish or something ever since.

She swims, mainly at the upper levels, up and down, round and round, exploring, picking at things....she never sits still and has only made 2 very half hearted attempts to burrow.

Whenever I walk in the room, she dashes to the front of the tank, and even pokes her nose out of the water when I open the lid. She even just let me stroke her....

She settles in full public view at night, (her tankis quite heavily planted, with slates, a pot, and open swimming space in the middle) usually on her rock where she flattens and sleeps...but as soon as she sees me.... she dashes up and swims all eagerly around..

She is SOOO cute... But has anyone else EVER heard of a Congo behaving like this? ?????esp. when at the shop her behaviour was more typical.

She genuinely looks happy and content.....

Also, they said they fed her whitebait and cockles in the shop, but with me she wont take anything except blood worms.... Any suggestions on what to do?

Many thanks guys

[Nick]

Earthworms are a pretty sure bet for a puffer big enough for them. It's possible she's just more comfortable now, and feels less need to hide, than in the pet store. She was in a bare tank, so she felt the need to be hidden... but with dense decorations, where she can swoop out of sight at any time, she's more relaxed.

[ryverrat]

Don't worry too much. My Congo Hoover like to swim around too. He is very relaxed and comes to the glass when I get near the tank. He does spend some of his time buried or resting on top of some of the plants in his tank. Is the sand you bought really coarse or super fine? I am using a sand that kinda falls in between- too course may be rough on their skin and the sugar fine sand that is sometimes sold I think could stick too much in their eyes and gills. If you think the sand may not be to her liking, try size 0 filter sand- clean and easy to find- my flounder love it. Drawback is it is only available in a natural color. Also try feeding raw shrimp soaked in vitamin water (freeze or buy the shrimp frozen to prevent parasites). Hoover loves shrimp- in fact that's how he got his name by sucking down half a shrimp at once- husband asked if I bought a fish or a vacuum cleaner.

[LilGreenPuffer]

Try soaking the rejected food in garlic.