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#1
04-15-2009, 12:23 AM
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^^
Not true. I am not sure where you heard this but there are soooooo many rumors about why puffers puff. They do often tend to inflate in captivity for little to no reason but thats not to say its stress free. Puffing puts so much strain on their body and does not feel good. Most likely he is indeed scared of something or was startled. Thats not to say its horrible but it does stress them. Inflating is a defense mechanism and can decrease a puffers immune system and life span. It puts a great deal of pressure on their internal organs. They don't actually "puff" up per say, they actually pump water into their stomach which expands to nearly a hundred times its original volume. This is possible because the puffers stomach is pleated, like a skirt. They have so many pleats in their stomach that you need a microscope to see the smallest ones. As the puffer fills with water its spine bends into an upside-down U and the liver, intestines, and other internal organs get very tightly squeezed between the fish's backbone and its now huge stomach. They have two layers of skin too. The outer layer is elastic and stretches when they inflate. The inner layer is fibrous and actually pleated like the stomach. So if they did not have the outer 'stretchy' layer, they would look hilarious (all wrinkled up) once they deflated  The outer layer of skin also works to raise the spines of the puffer up...Another interesting fact about puffers is that their stomachs have lost all digestive function. A few biologist actually believe Puffers have evolved from Triggerfish who can do the same 'pumping' of water with their stomachs. But if you watch triggers do it, they simply pump water in a bit (not to the stomach) and then blow it right back out to move sand around and flip urchins over. But its the same action. Anyways, a bunch of random stuff here but the bottom line is that they do not have 'fun' puffing up and its certainly NOT stretching. You say try keeping your arms at your side for a few weeks and then see if you want to stretch--try this instead. You feel normal and loose but then you suddenly get startled and react by filling with air like a balloon as your internal organs squish up into a fraction of the area they usually occupy and press against your spine which is now also bending with great strain...I bet you will like to deflate as quick as possible and never want to inflate again  They are not stiff and need to stretch. In fact, after inflating I bet they do not feel too well. There is just so much pressure put on their body when inflated. Their skin stretches so much that the collagen fibers are stressed directly and the skin becomes stiff.Last edited by GreenSpottedPuffer; 04-15-2009 at 12:28 AM. 
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#2
04-15-2009, 12:58 AM
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This was one of mine just over a year back after he was bitten by another puffers while eating. Check out the strain on that skin!
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#3
04-15-2009, 04:50 AM
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saying your puffer puffs up for food and its hilarious? So hilarious you were laughing so hard that you were almost crying? link below: http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=37420
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#4
04-15-2009, 05:43 AM
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This is why I said a lot of myths about why they puff up are out there and unfortunately not true. Like stretching. A year and a half ago I would have believed that. I have kept puffers for 12 years now, 6 years saltwater and never knew these things until I was told. I tried to pass on the knowledge and basically got the 'doesn't apply to my puffer, hes just got personality' answer. No problem...I am learning (maybe too slowly) to just keep my mouth shut and not bother giving advice unless its asked for around here. Last edited by GreenSpottedPuffer; 04-15-2009 at 06:01 AM.
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#5
04-15-2009, 05:46 AM
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But in the picture you mentioned he puffed up for food, and then in this post you said he was bitten by another puffer. If you were standing right there laughing, would you not have seen the bite happen and know why he puffed up?
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#6
04-15-2009, 05:49 AM
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#7
04-15-2009, 06:05 AM
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Well I can honestly say I have provided Grffie with all that I possibly can give him. I have went through hell with this fish, and am very happy to have him with and he will always be with me for the rest of his life.
There is nothing I can do more I possibly do for him, and I know in my heart I have done more then anyone else would do. I hope he has a long and happy life for however log it might be. As sad as I would be to lose him, I will be in peace with myself knowing he had a wonderful and was the king of my tank. I didn't post pictures to have a thread about puffing being bad for him. He just does it and my friend at the LFS says it is very normal and not to worry about it. This is not the store I bought him at obviously. I do not see anything stressing him out, he eats well, he is ich and disease free and his eyes are clear and bright... I can see him hunting my reef now after the lights are out, but he will have his face sucked against the glass when I come down in the morning. I have done all I could and know I did and I am not going to constantly worry about his puffing. He does what he needs to do and I see no stress in him afterwards. Their skin is make to do this and I am not about to worry about him now... He is happy so I am happy. Quote:
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#8
04-15-2009, 12:58 AM
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I can honestly say that Griffie is not at all stressed when he blows himself up. I also read that puffers do this in the wild to make sure everything is working correctly. This fish does not get scared of anything and swims into my hand for belly rubs. I cannot say he looks bothered by blowing up unless a powerhead kicks on while he is inflated...
I don't think he does it for fun, but I do think he does it because he can. When he is done he comes up to us and starts doing blowfishes on the glass, begging for a treat. NO fish in my tank has ever bothered him or ever will. When we turn the lights on he is the first one out begging. Nothing scares him at all. I do at times think he blows up to align whatever he should not have eaten... for example snails. He will usually just suck them up and spin them to find soft spots... then spits them out again. I have never seen him find one with a soft spot and eat it, but I am sure it has happened.
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#9
04-15-2009, 01:03 AM
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I wrote out a long response but its not fair to start a debate in your picture thread about why puffers puff. I would stop reading the source that says they do it to make sure 'everything is working properly' though. You know best. Last edited by GreenSpottedPuffer; 04-15-2009 at 01:07 AM.
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#10
04-15-2009, 01:36 AM
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It's all good, he is my fish and I know him very well. I think it all depends on personality and such, Griffie pitched a fit at me for ignoring his begging once and blew himself up (that sounds funny). I dropped in his cube and he deflated right away. He still does it to this day if I am not feeding him fast enough since he knows it gets results. He probably did it this morning to my husband since he was hungry and Frank was not feeding him I (my job and I was not out of bed yet). Perhaps I taught him a bad habit with positive reinforcement... He blows himself up and I give him food. People train animlas with this method all the time...
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