The Puffer Forum

Had a strange thing happen today. I had been feeding my puffers some snails and had just given Obie, my Fahaka some when the husband came home. Well we've got a very excitable little dog that becomes very happy when someone comes into the house and especially so with the husband. So my little dog was running back and forth on the sofa and Obie's tank is right against the wall, near the sofa. As I had been giving Obie snails, I had the sliding glass top open a bit, but maybe only by 4" or so. Next thing I know, I'm hearing this "clicking" noise and I just happened to look behind the sofa to see where the noise was coming from and there's Obie, on the floor, huge as a basketball!!! So naturally I run over to get him, to put him back into the tank and it wasn't easy picking him up because he's huge and round and all spikey. But I get him into the tank and I'm trying to get him to deflate and he's not doing it, and of course I'm starting to worry at this point. But then I grabbed him by the tail and before I was able to do anything, it must have scared him because he burped all the air out at once and went back to normal. I suppose my dog running around frightened Obie, as he's been very skittish lately.
It was only once all the action was over that I noticed that my hands were red and stinging. Now I know that puffers have spikes on their body .... but do they also have something that would cause a stinging sensation? My hands are still marked up and it's almost as if I've been stung by nettles.
You can believe I will make sure to keep those glass sliders closed now!

ouch - sounds well nasty -

i didnt know that all of them had spikes -

im yet to see moob excercise her puffing but im sure she doesnt have them. or does she?

Yes, ALL puffers have spikes.

I know they all have spikes ... but do they possess something to make you itch when you've been poked by those spikes?

Ouch, that sounds unpleasant!

wow that sucks

I never would have thought the fahaka would have spikes, their skin just looks so smooth

You will see the spikes when they inflate, and you can't imagine just how big they can get!

How big is Obie?

I'd take a guess and say between 7-8". It's amazing how large they can get when they inflate though. And how strange they look when they do it.

Yeah, I could see him getting to be basketball size How are your hands now?

Still red, scratched-up looking plus still stingy and itchy.

I have found tiny pin prick wounds or small scratches may present with stinging and itching, rather than outright pain. I recently acquired quite a few while squeezing through a rather sharp mass of stone. As my body is in a state of equilibrium with my surrounding waters, I do not believe their salt content to be responsible. My slime coat quickly acted to cover them, relieving some of the sensation. Perhaps covering your own injuries with a soothing gel would be beneficial; I believe you have available formulations with bacteria-killing constituents so you will not have to rely on your immune system alone for protection from atmospheric pathogens.

I hope the future finds you well, the heroic rescue of your beached friend is immensely commendable.

eh?

LOL

He wants you to put some cream on your hand (preferably antibacterial to be safe) as that should help with the stinging. Also suggests that the stinging/itching are simply due to the size of the abrasions and nothing more.