The Puffer Forum

We have just got our little Mbu (called boomer). When we got him home after a very nervous 3hr car journey, he settled in fine (wife reckons like a fish to water)

He was very active and ate a meal of mussels. This morning he was exactly the same, up and down the glass with his little nose pressed against it, saying hello to all his visitors and eating fine. However late afternoon/early evening, he sat down at the back of the tank and hasn't moved for about 3-4hrs. He also seems to be camoflaging himself with light and dark colouration patterns.

Is this normal? or are we just nervous new parents?

Chances are he's napping and/or still adjusting to his new home.
Keep an eye on him...if he does this every day at round about the same time, then you'll know.
Just to be on the safe side, though, can you give us the water params?
Pami.

Sorry, sorry. Tank details as follows

405l planted tank (405l with substrate in, 450l without), sand and gravel substrate, cycled for 8wks with pictus cats and bristlenose plecs (4 fishless wks and 4 with fish)

2x rena XP3 external filters, an airstone and a U.V steriliser.

Mbu is approx 4ins inc tail.

Water params reading Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite 0ppm, Nitrate 5ppm, Ph 8.0.

Tank buddys are 2 pictus cats borrowed from my community tank

I like the sound of napping. He has been really busy exploring and showing off to people coming round to visit him, don't you know.

We will definately keep a close eye though.

Thanks

Are the other fish giving him any hassle? He is only little, and I believe Mbus are not as aggressive as other big puffers.
How's he now? The napping period - my F8s rest between 1pm-ish and 4 - 5pm. Their colours fade - till you approach the tank and they think there might be food in the offing!
Does he show interest in you at the mo? When you approach the tank does he show a bit more alertness?
How often are you feeding him?

No the pictus's don't bother him, I think he scares the c**p out of them, so they give a wide berth.

Right now he is resting in the same place, and doesn't do anything when you go near.

We are giving him 2 mussels in the morning and 2 in the afternoon/evening, but he never seems to sit and digest, his last feeding was hours ago.

How's his breathing? Laboured/fast?
I wouldn't panic just yet..see how he is tomoro, and tomoro get us some more readings.
I think you may be overfeeding a bit, so one mussel twice a day...that's why I'm asking about the water. It could lead to him seeming lethargic as well..think huge Sunday dinner.
Keep us posted..I'm still thinking sleep, but it's worth monitoring. He might not react to your presence as he's a bit freaked and hasn't learnt to associate you with food yet.
Pami.

I'm not too sure how fast his breathing should be.

Whoops we'll call that sunday lunch then (minus gravy/yorkshire puds of course) and reduce the feed as of tommorow.

Thanks, will keep you posted

You were spot on Pami. Same time, same place, he has just sat down and settled.

He must have associated us with food now as when we go near him in the morning, he comes screaming over and starts pressing his nose against the glass. He takes the food from our fingers too.

Readings are the same as yesterday.

Thanks for all your help

Boomer

He sounds very happy. Yea, my fahaka used to nap like that and my stars and stripes does that too. Big meals to make for a slower fish.. just like people. Hungar makes them very active.

I think hand feeing is okay.. when he gets bigger it may or may not be important to use forceps or wear metal butchers gloves.

Wearing metal gloves that butchers use to prevent their sharp knives from cutting them should me okay. Forceps can be very long and I have enjoyed using them with no chance of getting hurt as my hand is not in the water or close to the surface.

With hand-feeding, my concern would revolve around the presence of my fingers - aka "food factories" - being in the tank during routine maintenance.

I've never hand-fed any of my fish, but rather prefer to drop the food in and let the current take it where it may... Finger-nibbling issues aside, the chase is more entertaining.

I do "hand-feed" many of my fish, and certainly all of the larger puffers. But "hand-feeding" does not in any way mean "finger-feeding". IME and IMHO, anyone who trains a large, toothy, very strong-jawed predator to associate fingers and food is, well, can I just say misguided?

I have a collection of forceps (all surgical stainless) and plastic grabbers (all aquarium-safe) which are used for feeding large fish, and even not-so-big fish which require target feeding to avoid tankmates absconding with another fish's food.

It is never harmful to consider the potential future consequences of your actions. The finger(s) you save might just be your own.

puffer_archer wrote:Not only that, but I read an article about a man who lost a finger to a puffer, they recovered it, but it couldn't be reattached because of the crushing motion that puffers use.

Ewwww… I remember that article… and the accompanying photos!

Found it! Warning to the faint-of-heart — VERY GRUESOME PHOTO! http://www.cdnn.info/eco/e031123a/e031123a.html