The Puffer Forum

Good or bad?

usually means boredom.

they say it's boredom

but at the same time, if it's surfing the glass nearest to you, maybe it's just being as close as it can be to you without sitting still. Maybe that's it's way of hangin out?

Are you talking about the F8 you just bought? If so mine paced solid for the first 3 or 4 weeks. He still paces the back of the tank half of the time but more and more he's floating around everywhere else. I'm still a little worried because he is pretty mature and I wonder if he got to experience the wild too much to completely adjust to tank life. I figure time will even things out.

It's a little funny because my background has some blue areas between the foliage and he tries his best to swim through them. I'm thinking about trying a nerite snail to do some cleaning and maybe keep his attention a bit. I've read some other posts from people that have kept them with success.

This behavior DOES NOT automatically equate to boredom. Especially if it is new to its surroundings.

my GSP does this too, but usually its when i walk in the room. lol hes like a dog that wants attention

Chronic glass surfing is boredom and exercise. It reflects any or all of: insufficient space, insufficient visual complexity, insufficient current. The hunter-predator puffers tend to be active fish and they need exercise - part of the issue with the big cats in old-fashioned zoos, where chronic pacing of the cats reflects similar deprivation of the animal's environment.

Pacing in newly acquired puffers is less serious, and can just reflect part of the adaptation to the new home. If it does not pass in weeks, it need attention.

Ok, good to know all this, thank you all so much.

I have sufficient current and, I would think complexity, (see photo) in the 20 planted with the irrubescos, and she seems to be pacing less than she was. The new male is a couch potato!



I will wait for the F8 to settle down. I bought another rock for that tank yesterday since I've run out of good calcareous rock (all in my SW reef) and it's got a couple cavelike holes. Maybe he'll enjoy that.

Boredom, though? How to deal with that? Last time I was at the pet store there weren't many toys for fish

could also be the fishes way of trying to get past the glass, and closer to us, out in the open.

Wow, is that your tank reefchik? That's fantastic!! I love it. I am a big fan of live plants in aquariums and yours is really nice. I would think any puffer in that tank is going to be a happy one. Good job and well done!

Yes it is, thanks PPG

Love the tank

Wow that tank does look good.

Ive had my puffer for about a month to two months and he still tends to pace, like i said tho, seems like its when i enter the room. i feel like there is plenty room for swimming/exploring. what could i add to the tank, if bordem is the case?

I just got a little spotted green puffer who is a glass surfer. I use the mega float algae scrubber and I left it in the middle of the side glass cocked a little. That little puffer "Flash" circles it around and around. Very cute.