The Puffer Forum

Hi all,
As you know, I have a 6" Suvattii Puffer.
I managed to get him to eat last week after Pufferpunk advised me to offer him an earthworm.

I've noticed however that he very rarely moves. If he does, its only to re-bury himself in the sand. I noticed looking through the threads that some of the Suvattii's come out and beg for food. I've only had mine for 5 weeks, but he isnt coming out at all other than to rebury. Is this normal? Also, is there usually a certain amount of time before they tend to feel comfortable enough to go for a swim or beg for food?

I remember a member's husband calling a Suvattii a "lump that never moves". My own suvattii hides behind a root all the time, and only comes out when I bow down and wave with my hand outside his tank (he thinks it's food I'm waving with). It took a little while before he found out I meant food, but I can't remember how long it was. Puffers have much personality, and that gives quite some differences between specimens. Some are more calm than others.

Mine has a hollow ceramic stump that he stays in. I rarely see him come out except for feeding time and occasionally in the morning I catch him out an about when I turn the lights on. He will poke his head out of the stump to great me but he goes right back in after he discovers I don't have food....For mine it took about a month before he discovered that I was related to his food and a about 2-3 months before he got comfortable enough to come begging for it.

Another name they've been called: a "Floating Turd".

I have 2 suvattii, one is rather old and big, and the other is very young and small. The old one lives by himself and basically spends his time hanging out of a terracotta pot, only to come out when I feed him. The younger one lives with a young Palembang puffer (also called "Humpback" puffer), they get along rather well and I've never witnessed any aggression, although they did puff up and broaden out when I first introduced the Palembang to the tank, but since then everything has been good. The younger suvattii and the Palembang do move around, but it's only to steal the prized position from each other (under the Fluval filter). Basically, under the filter is the Palembang's spot, but I've seen the suvattii sort of nudge his way in and the Palembang is very non-confrontational so he will move along to the other end of the tank, but not for too long, and will usually glide back into his spot, nudging suvattii out again. I have PVC tubes in the tank, along with bogwood on top of rocks to make little hideouts, and they do actually move between them, so I am always looking to see where they are when it comes time to feed them. Obviously they aren't very active compared with some of my other puffers, but they do have personality and I was very upset when my other young suvattii died about 3-4 months ago.
Whatever you do, watch your fingers with these guys!! I've been bitten more times by my suvattii than any of my other puffers (a close 2nd by my Congo).