Stop puffer from 'chewing' on the glass...how?

[Anonymous]

He's scraping the glass with his teeth, and causing scratches on the inside. This is a regular dogface puffer, around 7" long.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

I can't help but think of rodents. Maybe he's needing to wear down his teeth, I don't know.

If it's at all possible, I'd use the same training techniques I use with dogs and horses: distract, then the instant they stop you reward. Are you giving him crunchy shrimp shells and stuff to munch? Or, the fish is bored, try something like a dog-toy that'll float on the water that he can play with. (Yeah, I know, but I think these fish are friggin' SMART, and if he were a dog, I'd do these things.)

 

[Anonymous]

Try feeding him some whole clams or crawfish in the shell, or something crunchy for him to chew on.

 

[EmilyB]

I had a pair of stars and stripes puffers and they proceeded to remove the silicone from the tank.....they were fed lots of shellfish and I even made toys for them.....

Good luck..... :wink:

 

[Minh Nguyen]

There is somebody at the Louisville Aquarium Society, a Physician Assistant, who keeps Puffers. She uses anesthesia to sedate them and trim their teeth every so often.
I think she was the one who originally promote the use of garlic for treatment of ich, and keep fish healthy and... .... .....
Maybe you should get in touch with her. I would look her up though the Aquarium Society
Minh Nguyen

 

[dizzy]

Minh,
You must be referring to Kelly Jedlicki. She is on the commitee for MACNA XV that will be in Louisville in good old KY. (Actually Indiana) She can be reached at [email protected] Go ahead and book early for MACNA XV when you get in touch with her. Kelly is known as the puffer lady.

 

[Reefguide]

I say punch him in the mouth ! :lol:

 

[John_Brandt]

Minh,
You must be referring to Kelly Jedlicki. She is on the commitee for MACNA XV that will be in Louisville in good old KY. (Actually Indiana) She can be reached at [email protected] Go ahead and book early for MACNA XV when you get in touch with her. Kelly is known as the puffer lady.

You are talking about the Puffer Queen! She lectured CMAS-Chicago this afternoon about pufferfish. I snapped her picture after the talk

 

[John_Brandt]

Owning 53 puffers can get to you :roll:

 

[teevee]

I can't help but think of rodents. Maybe he's needing to wear down his teeth, I don't know.

If it's at all possible, I'd use the same training techniques I use with dogs and horses: distract, then the instant they stop you reward. Are you giving him crunchy shrimp shells and stuff to munch? Or, the fish is bored, try something like a dog-toy that'll float on the water that he can play with. (Yeah, I know, but I think these fish are friggin' SMART, and if he were a dog, I'd do these things.)

classical conditioning at work :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

Heh, I used to have a gelding who was too damn smart for anyone's good. I had to give him old tires, balls, road cones, whatever I could for him to entertain himself when it was show season or he'd crib. I remember I had once made the mistake of leaving my prized down jacket in his stall after cleaning, and I came back after about two hours. It looked like he'd murderlated a chicken! WHAT A MESS! And here's this horse, looking for all the world like he'd eaten the canary. :lol:

 

[John_Brandt]

I suppose it's time for me to offer my experienced opinion on this issue. Knowing the underlying "motivations" for pufferfishes swimming into the walls of aquariums, my opinion is that attempting to train a pufferfish not to bite the sides is a complete waste of time.

The idea that the fish is trying to wear down its own teeth with this activity is a red herring.

Regardless of how smart pufferfishes seem to be they do not approach mammalian intelligence.

John Brandt

MASNA
MAC
CMAS-Chicago

 

[Anonymous]

I dunno...I've known some pretty stoopid mammals...:lol:

So, you're saying too bad so sad?

 

[tlc]

put a picture of a japanese sushi chef in front of it. tough call on that one.

 

[John_Brandt]

I dunno...I've known some pretty stoopid mammals...:lol:

So, you're saying too bad so sad?

Yes, that's what I'm saying.

The underlying motive for the behavior is to get food. Pufferfish are bottomless pits for food. Sometimes they will swim against the sides only when they can see someone. Keep in mind that fish can see out of an aquarium as well as you can see in. They quickly arrive at the association of people and food. They are literally trying to swim right up to you. There is no way to stop this association unless you never allow the pufferfish to see you when it gets fed. If you can somehow seperate the feeding from human presence you might stop that behavior. But if it's already "ingrained" then it may not work.

Pufferfish will sometimes do this even without human presence. They are almost certainly still looking for food. They search the aquarium for food. When there is none to be found....where do they look? Outside the aquarium. How do you get there? Through the glass.

"Somewhere in that living room there must be some food for me!" :roll:

John Brandt

MASNA
MAC
CMAS-Chicago

 

[tlc]

i would try to feed the fish from the rear. if fed from the rear hopefuly it will only try to scratch the back of the glass if it gets accustomed to being fed from behind...

 

[John_Brandt]

i would try to feed the fish from the rear. if fed from the rear hopefuly it will only try to scratch the back of the glass if it gets accustomed to being fed from behind...

tlc,

That won't work.

John Brandt

MASNA
MAC
CMAS-Chicago