The Puffer Forum

ive read that some people stroke there puffers but some say it isnt good for the puffer due to there slime coat??

whats your opinion on stroking them??

I'd only touch my puffer if there is absolutely no other way.

At first I thought "stroking the puffer" was something more naughty... if you know what I mean...

No, don't touch the fish, it's bad, mkay.

I do touch ours, to herd him out the way when I am scrubbing the glass or whatever but as a rule, feel it's not a good idea to be handling fish unless absolutely necessary. Pretty soon, it would be like "Oh, friends are over. Everyone, see how I can touch our pufferfish", and you forget about perfume, hand lotion, or whatever.

Just my opinion.

Human skin contact can easily damage their slime coat opening them up to infections

I have to push my Fahaka into his cave using the gravel cleaner or net during water change and that´s about the only moment of intimacy he gets from me. I also tell my friends to not attempt playing with their fingers at the front glass as I definitely do not want this animal to get excited by finger movements...I tend to give them my orange colored feeder stick to play with which makes him go nuts, and this is a controlled stimulus favoring both my guitar fingers and the show. By the way I do not think any puffers actually like being stroked even though it looks like it when they turn their belly to both sides and so on. I believe it´s more of a matter of supressing natural instincts which I do not consider a good thing. However, these are only my opinions based on observing my own puffer and I am not an advocate of universal rules. Perhaps you´ve adopted one of the few puffers out there craving for a massage:)

Give your puffer some live shellfish to hunt down now and then instead to give the natural instincts a boost.

I don't agree with touching fish.

I see no reason to ever touch a fish unless you are cleaning it for cooking it for dinner. It is harmful to them and hazardous for you. D0n't kid yourself.

i agree i just wanted to see what your thoughts were on people who did.id never touch my puffer.doesnt seem right to do that

The closest I've ever got to touching my puffers is when they have taken food from my hand. The food was dangling in the water and my mbu, fahaka or oblongata would out the submersed end.

i would never actively touch them though.

I petted mine a few times. I was advised here not to. I did some research and yes it makes sense not to. Hes a scaless fish kinda unfair to do it. Its like licking door knobs, sure the metal surface tastes good, sooner or later you may share your door knob with friends... But sooner or later someone's dirty tounge will lick your door knob and your door knob may get infected. Lets just stop the temptation before it progresses into a habit. Dont lick the door knob.

Lmao that is hilarious

Yes that is hysterical!

FYI, scaled or scaless does not matter - the slime coat is basic protection for any fish, leave it alone.

Its amazing that this thread has maintained a "PG" rating.