Quote:
Originally Posted by geopod
correct me if I am wrong but the puffer fish ussually puffs when stressed.I thought this was a bad thing to do if they keep puffing that they can die.Yes...No...?? george
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Yes, it is extremely stressful on the fish, hence the PUFF reaction. But all reasons I gave above are why "NO NETS PLEASE" with these creature and "DON'T EXPOSE THEM TO AIR" are good tips. Any encounter I have had with puffers they only puffed when frightened or scared by netting or capture. Again why I mentioned tips above to prevent the stress. I have never heard of a puffer dying from puffing up. Although if they were exposed to air, air can get trapped, making it hard for them to puff down, causing serious buoyancy problems then resulting in death. Regardless it would be very mean to try to make your puffer frightened just so you could see it puff. I was surprised when it happened to me.
Recap of tips... "DON'T EXPOSE PUFFERS TO AIR" & "NO NETS PLEASE"
I actually purchased a porcupine puffer on the weekend...adorable little guy. I asked the LFS if they can NOT use a net but a container to catch him and NOT to expose him to ANY air. The guy looked at me like I was crazy at first but did it. It took the guy little time to catch the porcupine puffer but by coaching it with a net into to the container. Once the puffer was in the bag it didn't freak out like it would have if it was netted & exposed to air. It didn't try to bite the bag to get out. Instead the travel was darkened to ease stress & before the new puffy new it, he was acclimated and in his new home.
I hope this info helps when purchasing & catching your puffy.