The Puffer Forum

My mollies had babies today while I was at work. My little F8 has apparently stuffed himself with them....almost all of them!

I don't care about the babies but my puffer looks so uncomfortable and is not swimming like he normally does. He is just so stuffed! He seems to be hanging out near the bottom of the tank more and it just sluggish.

Is there anything I can do? He has just had a bowel movement but I am afriad that he has just eaten too many. Is this just a case of 'food coma' and he will resume regular swimming after a few more BM or should I be really frightened.

Next time those mollies have kids, I guess I should scoop them out as soon as I see them.

Advice?

Puffers do not have an automatic shutoff on their appetites - they will eat and eat until they cannot move. Your puffer should be okay and now you know!

Here's a nice little related post: http://www.thepufferforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=535

He is doing better this morning. Still had a big bellie but he does not look like he is going to pop anymore.

But boy, you are right -- they do not know when to stop!

There is only one lonely baby mollie left this morning. I think Farouk (my f8) is going to go to bed tonight with no supper! He has eaten enough for three days!

I get mine clams, and the size of the clam is not always related to the shell size, and a few times I've given them what looks like a small to medium clam...
Ten seconds later they look like they've puffed, and they hide behind plants...in shame, I presume!
Pami.

Ha. That's great.

Yes, I guess that was shame in Farouk's eyes. He tried to show me that he could still swim even though he looked blown up like a like a peanut, but his "swimming" was a sad affair... it was kind of like a cross between floating like an astronaut (without much control) and trying to steer a boat with an oar only on one side.

What kind of clams do you get them? Where do you get them?

The fishmonger in Oxford. They used to laugh at me, as I'd get four, five or six at a time, and ask for broken-off crab legs.
Then one guy asked what they were for, and it turns out he used to keep pirhanas. This is after they asked if the clams were to be eaten WITH the puffers, rather than BY the puffers!
I think PP took a pic of her fish in to show the fishmonger dudes, and they became a bit of a celebrity feature, and the guys hung up the pic in their shop!
So, make friends with your fish guys, it works wonders.
Pami.

Nope, that was RTR. He has all the good stories!