The Puffer Forum

I am very upset right now because I googled and it told me terrible things about puffers dying when they puff, but just now Roast Beef got caught in the siphon tube (he loves to attack it and I'm always careful to avoid him but he launched himself up it like a rocket) and when he hit the top of the tube he puffed up (and I will be honest it was the most adorable thing I've ever seen him do although it was also terrifying) for about a second and a half, then unpuffed and floated back down and darted away.

He is swimming around now and looks fine (maybe slightly nervous but I could be anthropomorphizing onto him) but i am very worried about him, is there a way for a puffer to puff without air??? All the google pages said it's bad to puff with air, but he was underwater at the time of the puff.

He is a small figure eight puffer if that matters. Is there anything I can do to help him or will he be fine and am I just completely overreacting? He has never puffed before and I love this guy and would be heartbroken if a terrible encounter with the siphon tube ended our relationship.

No need to worry he will be fine.
Elvis puffs just for fun sometimes. Just as long as you don't take him out of the water. If he puffs while out of water he can puff with air and that could be tragic. As long as they puff on their own, for fun or just because they feel like puffing it's not a bad thing. Puffer's will puff because they are scared or stressed. If your not making them scared or stressed then it's fine.

Oh my gosh I was so worried about him. He is swimming around like usual and looks fine but he scared me, puffing up like that!

Thanks for your input!

Puffers are made to be able to puff with water. If he didn't puff, he'd be in your drain right now!

Yay for defense mechanisms! He was probably a little freaked out, of course, but I agree - no worries. I bet it was really scary for you, though.

Welcome!