The Puffer Forum

In the title!

I have never seen any DPs I have kept puff in my tanks, but then I can say the same for a number of puffer species. But, puffers can puff, it is part of their physiology and structure. Other than "practice puffing" especially when immature, puffing up is a last-ditch effort against predators threatening to eat them, puffers rarely puff in the wild or in captivity.

Obviously I would not want to stress my dwarf puffer, but I have to say, it would be rather interesting to see a DP inflated. That's not saying I would try to make one inflate -- just that I'm sure it's an odd sight to see.

I was just wondering see. If I buy some from a lfs, would they puff at being caught? Would be very cute seeing such a little guy like that! Obviously not stressing them out on purpose

Dont let them net them out. Use a plastic container in side a tank and use a net to trap a DP in a container. Just try to keep them submerge

I just tried to find a video i saw a while back on youtube of a DP being kept with some sort of freshwater eel; the eel attacked him and he puffed up and escaped. In the process of failing to find it I found a really nice video of a GSP doing a practice puff whichIi have never seen before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mczPnVkTCFQ

RTR wrote:I have never seen any DPs I have kept puff in my tanks, but then I can say the same for a number of puffer species. But, puffers can puff, it is part of their physiology and structure. Other than "practice puffing" especially when immature, puffing up is a last-ditch effort against predators threatening to eat them, puffers rarely puff in the wild or in captivity.

I dunno, some people have reported seeing their puffers puff up for no apparent reason. And some people have puffers who puff at the sight of random things - didn't Myaj's burrfish have a thing about cell phones and her mom?

Practice puffing is likely universal - it is essentially testing the equipment. But who watches their fish 24/7/365?

I have seen many puffers practice puffing, but that number that I have caught in the act is still a tiny percentage of the number I have kept. I've never has one who puffed in response to an external stimulus, but I have had puffers who did not like certain things outside their tank.

Durrrr, I didn't see where you said "Other than 'practice puffing' especially when immature." Durr.

i've seen my male DP puffer before he was killed. he would puff when ever juliet (my female) attacked him. sadly it was juliet who killed him, but its proof they do puff, just like every puffer.

my last fahaka puffed... then he got sucked to the filter...

I finally saw Filbert the fahaka puff! I had captured a particularly aggressive crayfish (they let me pick my own). The employee even had to help me get it into the bag, it was fighting so hard. I remember thinking, this one's gonna give Filbert a run for his $$$. As soon as Filbert saw him, he slowly snuck up to it & before he knew it, the cray had his face by both his front claws & Filbert looked like a spikey basketball. I grabbed my camera & heard Hubby say, "Don't bother". He was deflated as quickly as he had blown up. The cray still had him by the face though & he blew up again but I still hadn't bothered to PU the camera. The stand off between the 2 after that took so long, that we both walked away & within minutes, Filbert had a big belly & there was just a piece of shell left from the cray.

Haha!That must have been great! It reminds me of Dadof4's Leon/crab faceoff narrative...

I've seen one of my DPs puff... Two of the little girls were fighting and one latched onto the side of the smaller. The smaller puffed up into a little marble, but they continued to swim around in circles until I got my hand down in the tank and scared them off. The little one has a small scar on her side, but it's not as bad as I would have expected... They have tough skin.

I've also seen on puff at an LFS when the employee out the net in. Hadn't even touched anything yet, but i guess the net is a thing of terror. That puffer also looked like a little marble.