Do Puffers "puff"?

[stars4105811]

I reciently bought a valentini puffer fish and I have never seen him "puff". Do they ever puff on their own? I think he was a bit puffed out when he was in the bag, but that is the only time I ever saw him do it. Any suggestions?

 

[flower]

I believe puffers puff when they want to make themselves look bigger. It is a defense against other fish or presumed threats.
Your puffer is happy.

 

[fishlawyer]

Sounds like you have a happy puffer...

 

[kjlondry]

Try poking it with a stick....maybe it will puff up for ya!

Take a pic!

 

[stars4105811]

Can I add more than one puffer to a tank? I wonder if I add another if he will puff.

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by Stars4105811
http:///forum/post/2970795
Can I add more than one puffer to a tank? I wonder if I add another if he will puff.
Why do you want to stress your fish?

 

[stars4105811]

I like the puffer family. That is the only reason I want to add another. Not to stress the fish...

 

[bang guy]

Oh, OK, I misunderstood. I thought you were trying to stress your puffer so it would puff up.

 

[woody189]

Originally Posted by Stars4105811
http:///forum/post/2970795
Can I add more than one puffer to a tank? I wonder if I add another if he will puff.
Adding another may cause him to puff, but if he does it's a bad thing. They puff when stressed, so like everyone said, it's good that you've never seen him puff.

 

[aquaknight]

Dwarf/toby puffers, unlike their full-sized cousins, very rarely, if ever puff. The only time my Hawaiian Blue spot puffer has puffed, was when I added a new fish, that swam right to him, and spooked him. Even then it really only just barely a puff for a second or two.
The larger puffers, dogfaces, porcupines, burrfish, golden puffers, etc, will puff semi-regularly.

 

[leftyblite]

I only saw my porc puffer puff up twice. The first time was when I first got him and put him in the QT tank. He immediately puffed to the size of a large golf ball. The next time was about a year or so later. Not sure what happened but walked into the room and jumped back because he was the size of a softball. I never did figure out why though. Not a good idea though to make them puff from what I've read.

 

[pete159]

buying a puffer so you can see it puff is like buying a pit bull to watch it eat kittens.
only unhappy scared puffers puff, but sometimes they will puff for no apparent reason, so when they do that and your lucky enough to see it, enjoy it while it lasts but don't try and scare it into puffing or you might kill it.

 

[flower]

Do puffers give off a toxin that poisons the tank if they are frightened?
Someone told me this a long time ago, when I had a fish only tank. so I never got one.
I never got a cucumber or a sea apple for the same reason.

 

[pete159]

the Pufferfish has a very potent toxin named tetrodotoxin (anhydrotetrodotoxin 4-epitetrodotoxin). The eyes as well as most internal organs of a Pufferfish are filled with high levels of this neurotoxin. The liver and ovaries are especially toxic, while skin, muscles, blood and intestines only contain smaller amounts of toxin. This is why Pufferfish can be consumed by humans, as long as the fish is prepared by a skilled and very careful chef. The meat is especially appreciated in Japan and Korea, even though cases of lethal Pufferfish poisoning occur each year in these countries.
I do not think when they die they release this toxin the way a sea apple does, it it only harmful if you decide to eat your pet fish.

 

[stars4105811]

I did not buy the fish to "watch" it puff. I was just curious as to if they actually puffed for no apparent reason.

 

[red crab]

bad idea kjlondry. do like gators