Calling Puffer Owners

[reefergeorge]

My puffer is driving me nuts.
He is a porc, and around 6". I come home to saltwater spots on my hardwood floors every day. Also every time I walk close to the tank he spits water at me. I know they are known for this, but today he made it all the way to the couch, and it was maybe a shot glass full. I know it will only get worse as he gets bigger.

Do any of you have any methods of dealing with this?
I was thinking maybe a 6" plexi rim around the tank. A canopy is not an option.

 

[Recty]

How about glass tops, you dont need a full canopy.

 

[T-T-Trigger]

muzzle? like hannibal lecter? :strooper:

 

[LisaD]

there must be a way to train/encourage him to spit elsewhere... puffers are smart and will do anything for food. target in the tank, to release food when he hits the bullseye?

 

[reefergeorge]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13323840#post13323840 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Recty
How about glass tops, you dont need a full canopy.

I started with them. Too much heat, they block light, and get really nasty. I use eggcrate now. The only prob is EC doesn't block water.

Edit- I forgot to mention that I have a few corals. So light being blocked is a bad thing.

 

[reefergeorge]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13324975#post13324975 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LisaD
there must be a way to train/encourage him to spit elsewhere... puffers are smart and will do anything for food. target in the tank, to release food when he hits the bullseye?

Are you serious? If so I'm willing to put some time in to have a trained fish . What a conversation piece.
How would I go about this, and have you been successful?

 

[AneesasMuse]

Awww... now I want a Porcupine even more than before ..so I can train him to spit on people that visit without proper notice ..LOL ..and the DH when he tells me "no"


Good luck getting your baby to spit on cue ...or in a designated area only!


I have spitting goldies ..fortunately the fresh water is not as damaging to furniture and such..

 

[LisaD]

Are you serious? If so I'm willing to put some time in to have a trained fish

I was kidding, but I'll bet it could be done. When I lived in Minnesota in the '90s, I met a guy that ran a fish store out of his house. He has all kinds of exotic freshwater fish. I think he was in Chaska, MN. He had this huge Oscar (FW fish) he had trained to respond to hand signals. It would spin around, chasing its tail in whatever direction he signaled, go in a corner and "stay", come to the surface to have its head rubbed, and swallow his thumb on command (that was kind of weird). For real... If an Oscar could learn like that, why not a puffer?

 

[reefergeorge]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13328678#post13328678 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LisaD
I was kidding,

Sounded to go to be true. I could imagine the look my GF would give when I said I was training the fish.

I think I'm going to build a 6" plexi wall around the top of my tank. Kind of like a sneeze guard.

 

[Mike5252]

I found with my puffer, that if I ignored the behavior, it usually stopped.

I have a similar problem with triggerfish moving rocks. I don't know if they associated that with me watching them and then feeding them, but now when I stand in front of the tank, they carry rocks back and forth. It's really cute until they start dropping them...

Thank god I don't have a BB tank!

 

[rainmkr07]

Re: Calling Puffer Owners

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13323424#post13323424 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefergeorge
My puffer is driving me nuts.
He is a porc, and around 6". I come home to saltwater spots on my hardwood floors every day. Also every time I walk close to the tank he spits water at me. I know they are known for this, but today he made it all the way to the couch, and it was maybe a shot glass full. I know it will only get worse as he gets bigger.

Do any of you have any methods of dealing with this?
I was thinking maybe a 6" plexi rim around the tank. A canopy is not an option.

lol. this is too funny. i have a valentini puffer, and luckily don't have this issue with him. i am sorry, but i am totally laughing right now.

 

[ghettoeffect27]

i had the same exact problem with my porc puffer. hes about 10-11" right now. he used to do so, but after i started feeding him raw clam shells me stopped. i think he would like to grind his teeth or so. idk but it worked for me. never another problem.

 

[reefergeorge]

Thanks for all the comments.
Ghetto, What size tank do you have for him? I'm upgraging before the end of the year, and am stuck between a 210, 155 bow front, or 220. As far as feeding. He gets fed clams, mussels, crab legs, ect... So I don't think his teeth are a problem. I may also just not feed him if he spits water at me.:lol: