New puffer biting tank

[rnelson]

I put a new puffer in my FOWLR today....it's a 7" Stars and Stripes puffer. He's really fun to watch, I think I'm going to like him....except for one thing. Every once in awhile he will bite the side of the tank. You can hear his teeth scrape. This wouldn't be a big deal, except it's an acrylic tank. Is this just a habit of puffers, or is it just an acclimation issue and will go away? He may be seeing his reflection and trying to bite it.

[rnelson]

Here's a few pics of the little guy:
http://rcn.clearwire.net/pics/Tenecor/puffer1.jpg

http://rcn.clearwire.net/pics/Tenecor/puffer2.jpg

http://rcn.clearwire.net/pics/Tenecor/puffer3.jpg

http://rcn.clearwire.net/pics/Tenecor/puffer4.jpg

http://rcn.clearwire.net/pics/Tenecor/puffer5.jpg

[b_rabun1]

i don't know about the glass, but that snail is gone for sure.i love mine.good luck with yours!

[rnelson]

Thanks.....he's settled down some and hasn't bit the sides in awhile.....

I figured the snail was too big for him to eat, at least right now....maybe not though....it's really hard to get any kind of cleanup crew in an aggressive tank.....I added a 5" goatfish today that hopefully will help with cleanup. What do you have as a cleanup in your tank, or are YOU the cleanup crew?:D

[soundgeek]

I got a dog face on saturday and he is doing the same thing with the glass. I figured he was seeing his reflection.

[flyingace2005]

I dont actually own a puffer, but I have seen alot of them do it. I was told that they all do this and they are trying to wear down their teeth. But that was just what I was told.

[rnelson]

He's not doing it anymore.....maybe he was just nervous.......

I tried feeding him a piece of krill a few minutes ago....he ate it but then spit it back out, in about 20 pieces.....I tried a piece of clam, same thing. I guess it's too early to expect him to eat. At least he tried.

[soundgeek]

that's how they eat. He will always do that. I have seen several puffers and they all eat chunks and spit out a most of it. They are really meshy eaters.

[rnelson]

Well, he's a little pig then.....don't know how I'm going to keep the tank clean.....

[b_rabun1]

it is not easy, i don't have one.

[Petstorejunkie]

it is a really funky habit of puffers, but most of the outgoing ones do it.. my golden likes to bear is teeth on the glass and wiggle foreward vigoriously, and then splah about a quart of water , through the glass tops,
he will certailnly make a mess of your acryllic tank and in fact, i would start looking at glass options, because all of those scratches he has made are going to fill with impossible to remove algae and look terrible in a few months.
enjoy him!
puffers are awesome, and totally worth it

[rnelson]

Well, glass is not really an option for me at this point.....I don't know what my options are except to have to give him up if he keeps doing it......I have 2 240 tanks in the fishroom, so there's no room for another tank, and it would be kind of crazy to take down the acrylic, sell it, then buy a glass one.

Now I'm starting to get a little worried.

[capt. insano]

I have my 13" S&S puffer in with hermits, turbo snails, and cleaner shrimp.....he's never killed any of them. He tries to take a swipe now and then at the snails and hermits, but their shells are just to tough for the puffer. Kind of surprises me, because I have seen him take chunks out of the LR wittling down his teeth

I also feed mine raw shrimp with tails on, spirulina discs, nori sheets, silversides, and raw fish (as well as the krill and clams you mentioned)

[capt. insano]

http://members.cox.net/michelle.erikson/puffy&french.jpg

[stevebydac]

Check out my old puffer in my avatar -- caught in the act!:hammer:

He'll do it forever. He'll do it especially when you come near the tank, as he will expect he is going to get fed. It's the puffer equivalent of a dog wagging its tail. That's why it's always better to put puffers and triggers in glass tanks. (All 3 of the clown triggers I owned "bit" the front glass when they wanted food or were annoyed with me).

Just clench your teeth and prepare for scratches -- they're coming. :o

[rnelson]

I fed him a piece of shrimp a little while ago....he liked it.....I'm surprised he's eating already, he's only been in the tank since noon.

I tried mussels but he didn't like it much, neither did my Zebra Eel.



Yeah, guess I'll just have to put up with the scratches.....I've kinda got attached to the little pig already.

[nataz]

a rnelson could u post pics of full views of both of ur tanks? please:)

[Lakeside518]

I'm sure he was just feeling out your tank and seeing his reflection. All though mine will swim up and down the glass and circles around my algae clip. Little game of his.

When i first got mine he did the samething you descibe.

Puffers and acrylic can be a bad idea. He will scratch it quite easy!..

They do have a freat personality, canbe interesting.

Nice puffer;)

[soundgeek]

I have a question with inverts with puffers. I read that it can be done and that it is impossible. Is it just temperment of each fish. Also can a brittle sea star work our is that out also. Not trying to hijack, just want to know more about there behaviors

Thanks

[Jasonanatal]

The scrapping against the glass seems to be natural with Puffers. I have a Stars & Stripes and a Porcupine Puffer and they both do it. As for an acrylic tank you may want to watch out that he doesn't eventually scratch the inside with its teeth. This is why I went with glass. Funny thing is I have a ton of Turbo Snails and I haven't lost one of them. Good Puffers.

[DesertBandits]

You see your fish reflected in the tank's glass because you are looking through two pieces of glass (through the front pane onto the side pane). The fish who looks through one pane of glass does not see its reflection like you do. Whatever the fish could see of itself would be very faint if anything. Go into a well lit area and look into a single pane of glass for proof.

[Jasonanatal]

Soundgeek I once had a Brittle Sea Star in the tank and the puffers would nip at it every chance they got. I would no recommend it but depending on the temperment on the Puffer you might be able to get away with it.

[sean48183]

RNelson you were asking about a cleanup crew? Get a large hermit. You have never seen the kind of scavenging these guys can do. If your rocks aren't that big you might not want one. They can move some rocks around but will go through your substrate continously. And when I say go thru it I mean go thru it. And best of all your puffer won't go near him.

[rnelson]

sean48183,

Good idea.....do you know where I could find one?

BTW, my puffer is eating like crazy.....I was trying to hand-feed my Zebra Eel and my puffer would swim all the way across the tank before I could get my hand down to the bottom to feed the eel. These puffers are amazingly fast! They don't look that quick, but they really pick up speed when there's food to be found !:eek:

[zemuron114]

Puffers do this to try and file down their teeth. Feed him clams WITH shell or anything with a hard shell (crabs to) If their teeth get to large for their mouth they will starve them selves and slowly die and manual filing is a must!

[stevebydac]

I second the hard-shell feeding idea. I got away with large supermarket shrimp still in the shell. That kept my puffer's teeth down. Plus I noticed he munched on the rock I had in the tank. I don't know if he was getting food off the rock or just trimming his teeth. Whatever, it worked.

Gorgeous puffer, BTW, I forgot to say that before. :)

[Jasonanatal]

I personally like to drop in live Fresh Water Fiddler Crabs to help grind down the teeth and to give my puffers alittle bit of exercise in the process. It's like watching my own personal Animal Planet show.

[Dubbin1]

My S&S never once tried to take a bite out of the tank. Just make sure you feed him things that will keep his teeth filed down.

[rnelson]

DesertBandits, good point about the glass. Maybe he was either grinding his teeth or just testing the sides to get a feel for what he's now living in. He's got 8' to swim in, so hopefully he'll be happy.

zemuron114, thanks for the feeding advice.

stevebydac, I fed him several pieces of unpeeled shrimp last night....he loved it. Thanks for the compliment.

Jasonanatal, is the fiddler crabs just a treat or is that his regular menu item?

Dubbin1, he's quit doing it now.....hope it stays that way!

[Jasonanatal]

Rnelson, the fiddler crabs are just a treat/exercise. I usually feed them Frozen Krill, Silver Sides, Squid. The live food are just treats to make them feel like their back home in the ocean.

[rnelson]

I fed him about 8 pieces of krill tonight....he really has an unbelievable appetite...I hand-fed him, he doesn't seem to mind my hand and hasn't tried to bite it (yet );)

[LRS078]

This is why puffers and acrylic don't mix

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d150/lrs078/Quadipon2010.jpg

My golden giving everyone a "smile"

[stevebydac]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6768376#post6768376 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rnelson
I fed him about 8 pieces of krill tonight....he really has an unbelievable appetite...I hand-fed him, he doesn't seem to mind my hand and hasn't tried to bite it (yet );)

He's always going to want to eat a lot because he is growing into a big fish. And you usually don't see puffers biting as a sign of meanness. Usually they get you while pulling the food from your hand. But even if it is an accident, it gets your attention. My big boy was 11" when he got me on the finger and it wasn't pleasant. :eek1:

[LRS078]

Also keep in mind growth/size in a puffer is at least 2.5x the caloric intake of other fish like tangs/angels/etc as they are so thick...think mass versus just length. Also explains why they make such a mess of a tank so quick.

The "teeth" thing is almost never aggressive, its just how they express excitement. Also, being a puffer, they experience the world via their mouth so think underwater infant in that respect...

Oh, one thing I found helps keep them occupied and is VERY good for them...fresh mussels. Get him a pound of those and drop at least one in the tank daily. Depending on puffer size either open it up totally and let him pick it out or just get it started and let him finish it up. The shell will also help keep beak worn properly (way better than shell on shrimp)

Congrats on a very cool fish...

[Jasonanatal]

Lrs708, beautiful Puffer.

[LRS078]

Thx Jason...we are quite fond of him.

[rnelson]

Last night I was feeding shrimp in my FOWLR tank.....I have a Blue Head Wrasse in there, so I shred a few pieces of shrimp for him, since he has a smaller mouth. I hadn't fed anyone in the tank the day before, so the inhabitants were a little hungry. I was on a stool, shredded the shrimp and then stuck my hand into the water to release the pieces. Well, I forgot to account for Puffy, my 9" Stars n Stripes puffer. He must have been really close, because my hand was in the water for maybe 2 seconds and he bit the everloving crap out of my finger. He's usually very gentle when I feed him by hand, but I guess he was just really hungry. It bled for about 10 minutes. The worst part was the surprise about getting bit. I never saw it coming. Hopefully I won't make this same mistake again. He left a pretty good set of marks on my finger, OUCH!

[I like Triggers]

about how long are the teeth on that guy?

[rnelson]

I don't really know....his uppers extend down past his upper lip, but not by alot....maybe by 1/8" at most. Like I mentioned earlier, he is usually pretty gentle about taking food from my fingers. I've hand fed him from the first day he was in the tank. He's been in there about 3 weeks now. Do they file their teeth down on the live rock, or if not that, do I need to give him something to eat that has a shell on it?