do puffers puff up often?

[rosierabbit]

not that i've ever kept them / keep them, but do puffers often puff up??

 

[Pufferpack]

Puffers puff up as a fear/defense mechinism, if they are comfortable and healthy you may never see one puff.

 

[rosierabbit]

oh ty for replying!! has a puffer ever puffed up for you (not saying you make them scared or anything - just wondered) puffers are so cool. in the future, id like some.

 

[Pufferpack]

Yup, scared the bejebers out of me too. I looked in the tank one day and there was one of my little South American puffers all blown up to the size of a golf ball (which is pretty impressive considering he was only the size of the end of my little finger normally) I thought he was dead and all bloated up, but when I reached in to pull him out he gave a little wiggle, shrunk back to his regular size and swam away.

 

[missyintx_99]

I guess that means mine are some pretty happy campers. The only time mine look bigger is after eating! Its so funny watching their bellys pouch out as they eat.

 

[MountGuppy]

whta do/can you feed them?

 

[Pufferpack]

I feed mine frozen Boodworms and frozen Mysis shrimp. The Dwarfs prefer the worm, while the S/A's prefer the shrimp, as well as a steady diet of pond snails for their teeth. Most puffers won't eat dried or flake food, but once in a while I catch mine nibbling a piece of flake they stole from a guppy.

 

[MountGuppy]

thanks is s/a or dwarf easier to find and which one is easier to handle have you ever breed them

 

[Pufferpack]

I managed to find a pic of a S/A puffer puffed on a Japanese site. Weird lookin little thing

thanks is s/a or dwarf easier to find and which one is easier to handle have you ever breed them

I'm lucky, there are at least 3 good lfs in my area that carry various puffers most of the time. I believe that the Dwarfs are more widely available in most places. I have not tried to breed any of my little pack yet, I figure I'll let nature take it's course, if they breed they breed (although I have seen them doing little love dances occasionally, no babies yet).
S/A's are probably the most mellow of the puffers, but the highest maintenence. Dwarfs can be little terrors at times, but are hardy little guys.

 

[smb]

Whoa great pic Pufferpack. I've never seen that before cept maybe on The Discovery Channel.

 

[missyintx_99]

What an impressive picture Pufferpack. Kinda frightening to see to. I hope that puffer was taken care of. Poor thing!

 

[fish&chips]

its scary lol

i staird for few mins straight at it tho

doesnt look real hehe

 

[Whisper Odinsky]

I managed to find a pic of a S/A puffer puffed on a Japanese site. Weird lookin little thing

dear lord! are you sure thats a fish? it looks like a half - bat... half.. thing!




wow.

 

[Pufferpack]

Yup that's a South American puffer...creepy ain't it, looks like someone glued silicone ears on him

Kinda frightening to see to. I hope that puffer was taken care of. Poor thing!

Although it is not good for the puffers to puff up out of the water he should be Ok as long as he could expell all the air, otherwise he would need to be burped

 

[pondfreak4365]

I'm almost afraid to ask, but how do you burp them?