The Puffer Forum

Hi Everyone

Just joined the forum as I've recently bought a Puff, I did have lake malawi cichlids and bred betta fish (show type) and wanted something new. I believe I have an Abei Puff and although I was given advice at the aquatics store thought Id post and see if anyone had any general care advice. He seems happy in his tank, he's on sand and there's a little smooth edged pebble style rock in with him. Im feeding him 1 live shrimp a day which he is gobbling up. He's always swimming around the front of the tank but he's a bit shy when you get too close. He's called Percy and lives alone as Ive been told abei are aggressive and like their own space. Anyone got any advice as to how to keep him happy?

It would help to have a pic for proper ID.

Does this look like your guy?

ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Freshwater/T_abei/

Yep that looks like him - he definitely has a red dot on his side, I just tried to take a picture of him but he was not a massive fan of the camera and the camera isnt so good either! sorry these are rubbish photo's

Hi PuffS and welcome to The Puffer Forum here is a great artical in our library on feeding.


library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/

Thanks for the welcome and thanks for the link I will have a read of that!

Yes, that's a nice M. abei.

Thanks I'll try and get better pics of him soon, he's eating his live shrimp which I bought when I bought him and seems happy but he keeps going up and down the front of the glass of the tank, he's not really exploring he's just at the front of the glass the whole time, does that sound normal? just want him to be happy and relaxed in his new home.. I thought he'd explore more because at the pet store he was in a tiny tank about 5 inches by 5 inches and now he has all this space and he's not using it

Puff8 can you tell us how your tank was cycled and what the water parameters are? Does your tank have lots of decoration, plants, caves and background?

Ok Im moving this to the hospital section too, I know this sounds bad because its my first puffer and I already have problems but I dont want to lose him so here goes:

He is an Abei Puffer I have had him a week
He lives in a fully cycled freshwater tank with sand on the bottom and caves - no live plants
new additions - I put a new piece of washed (with water nothing else) rock in his tank yesterday
Water - PH6.5 - I am doing water tests on nitrate and amonia tonight I noticed this morning he was bad and I am now at work ( I know you said you need figures but last time I checked they were normal)
I did a water change this morning before I left for work
He has eaten 3 river shrimp this week and was totally fine until last night he was at the bottom of the tank and I thought he was resting because he'd been active all day but this morning he was in the same spot breathing heavily

Please help