The Puffer Forum

Hello I have a problem and it might be health related?

I have a 60 gal with two congo puffers inside. They have a divider seperating them and two seperate waterfall style filters both rated at 50 gal. I change about 30% of the water once a week.

One puffer is just as it always has been. He almost loves coming to the glass to beg for food... If i put my hand in he would love to bite it.
The other puffer used to be that way but in the last say 2 months of my 9 month time with him. he has become very fearful and starts racing like crazy to escape me when im anywhere near the tank.
So i basically wanna know? why is this happening... Why is one congo crazy and the other tame?

-Jeff

The first thing I'd like to ask is how old would you guess these Congo puffers are? I mean, have they gone from being very small to getting bigger, maturing? Because puffers can change behaviour dramatically when they mature, and usually they become a bit more aggressive.
I know this has nothing to do with the question you're asking Jeff, but if I were you, I'd be changing out 50% of your water weekly, especially with the way you have the tank divided. Is the divider a full glass divider, or is the type that's got perforated plastic?

sorry for my laggy response.. He was very small when i got him. Very small indeed and now is large... I would put him at 3 or 4 months when i got him.
the divider is plastic with holes. and although I have not seen the two attack eachother through the divider in a while, im reluctant to drop the divider.
You might be right maybe he is just aged and has become what he is. The other congo i have (the calm one) i got a bit bigger so i would guess he is a bit older. he has not changed one bit. he is so calm that i think i could take him out of the water, play football with him, put him back in, and he would have no trouble with it

Ill consider doing 50s ... I do like 25% - 40% in reality... depends on how much im paying attention.
-Jeff

Since you've said the divider is the kind with holes, I would say that possibly what you are seeing is the aggression your one Congo feels for the other. Just seeing each other can cause aggression outbursts, but to be able to see and smell the other Congo, well it might just be too much for the one. Definitely whatever you do, DON'T take the divider down, that would be very bad indeed.
Keep in mind that some puffers are like people -- some are calm and laid back, and some are a bit on edge and a little aggressive. This could be the case with yours.

In addition to what was said above.. some puffers are very sensitive to bright colors, especially reds.. so if you are wearing a certain hat, or shirt.. that *might* have something to do with it.

But I would agree, its probably just them hitting maturity and the one being very aggressive and territorial, the other one can tell and is nervous.