Trimming a Puffer's Teeth?

sappho · 01/09/2017, 01:01 AM

Are my puffer's teeth too long? Should I attempt to trim them or will snails be enough? I have given her clams and some other hard shelled foods but after a couple bites she gives up. I have a couple snails in my tank now, and she has never bothered them. Is she likely to eat additional snails?

seabeesreef · 01/10/2017, 10:43 AM

I trimmed my puffers teeth. It was fairly easy. I found some article how to do it and luckily I've only had to do it the one time. I find I feed the puffer frozen food now and he keeps his own teeth down. Good Luck if you decide to go that route.

billdogg · 01/13/2017, 02:39 PM

There is some good info on the procedure at www.wetwebmedia.com I was lucky - Mine loved to crunch stuff up so I never had to do a dental on him.

cougareyes · 01/13/2017, 09:58 PM

I have my 4th puffer, kept them for many years. 2 of them before the internet, and 1 before I ever read anything on the internet about this. And I've never had an issue with their teeth, and yeah they all did and do seem to like to crunch stuff up.

01/09/2017, 01:01 AM	#1
sappho Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 42	Trimming a Puffer's Teeth? Are my puffer's teeth too long? Should I attempt to trim them or will snails be enough? I have given her clams and some other hard shelled foods but after a couple bites she gives up. I have a couple snails in my tank now, and she has never bothered them. Is she likely to eat additional snails?

01/13/2017, 02:39 PM	#3
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	There is some good info on the procedure at www.wetwebmedia.com I was lucky - Mine loved to crunch stuff up so I never had to do a dental on him. __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

01/13/2017, 09:58 PM	#4
cougareyes Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 713	I have my 4th puffer, kept them for many years. 2 of them before the internet, and 1 before I ever read anything on the internet about this. And I've never had an issue with their teeth, and yeah they all did and do seem to like to crunch stuff up. __________________ 30g wartskin angler with living color corals::: 125g juvi tank with blueline, clown, niger triggers; passer angel, and jeweled moray eel Current Tank Info: 210g fowlr: yellow belly dogface puffer, harlequin tusk, pinktail and pair of bluejaw triggers, majestic angel, orange shoulder and scopus tangs. one spot fox: 90g lps reef with an antennata , zebra and fuzzy dwarf, fu manchu lions, yellow mimic tang

01/10/2017, 10:43 AM	#2
seabeesreef Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 43	I trimmed my puffers teeth. It was fairly easy. I found some article how to do it and luckily I've only had to do it the one time. I find I feed the puffer frozen food now and he keeps his own teeth down. Good Luck if you decide to go that route.