Amusing doctors visit...

[Tom Messy]

Just had a nice trip to the doctors for an unusual reason. I was cleaning my fish tank which houses a pufferfish, and he lunged at me. I've had him 2.5 years now and he's never gone for me. He usually just follows my hand round the tank. But anyway he missed me and I pushed him away. I carried on cleaning and he snuck up on me and got me this time. They have teeth like a birds beak which they use to break fish bone and mussel shells normally. Well he got me on the tip of my middle finger and did his little wriggle he normally does to fish, getting a bit of flesh :doh: Lots of blood!

Just back from the doctors where they didnt have a clue what to do and ended up ringing the dept. of poisons (they are poisonous in their skin, not teeth! I did tell them I'd be dead by now if I was poisoned!) and nurse came back in the room 20 mins later saying it's OK I can patch you up now! Bout time! But yeah Long story short don't mess with puffer fish :wasntme:

The fish in question (actually mine)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ln-W5zsDioM&feature=channel_page

 

[Scouse boy]

that fish is pretty immense.... never knew they were poisonous though. Where about do they come from mate?

 

[Tom Messy]

This one's from Thailand. Three years ago he was swimming in the Mekong They're poisonous with saxitoxin/tetraodotoxin in their skin which naturally comes from eating shellfish/algae I beleive. But its generally only deadly when you eat it.

 

[Low Rider]

Perhaps you should call him Hannibal from now on

 

[Scouse boy]

haha good idea low rider.

Woah, so he has come from quite a distance. Snappy little fella he is

 

[Craig]

What are they like to keep? I've been thinking about getting one, but you can only have one a tank can't you?

Good job you don't have any piranahas in there!

 

[Tom Messy]

They're pretty easy as long as you have good external filtration. They'll need live or frozen fish/shrimp/shellfish to eat. Yes you can only have one of this species, but stuff like the dwarfs or south americans you can have multiple with care. With this one though the price and availability are the main concerns. I went to london to get him and paid £80.

I would much rather it been Piranhas - they would do much less damage tbh! They never live up to their reputation having looked after several 12" Piranhas at college. Very docile, scatty and cautious fish!

 

[MicraFish]

They never live up to their reputation having looked after several 12" Piranhas at college. Very docile, scatty and cautious fish!

I'd still skip on putting my hand in tank with some, mind
That puffer fish does look like quite a wee beasty!

 

[Manny]

them things are massive and mean wouldn't dare sticking my hand in a tank with one of them in lol.
youre lucky youre not missing a finger or a a hand.

 

[BG101]

So, fish DO have fingers then



BG

 

[NeX]

i thought they were yellow?

got any video of him puffed up or is he not into that kind of shizzle?

 

[mullet]

lol i was reminded of finding nemo there
pretty quick though

 

[Tom Messy]

Theres dozens of species. Some can be yellow though