Trimming puffer beak??

[drstardust]

Has anyone done this before? My dogface puffer has significantly overgrown beak to the point I'm worried about his ability to eat properly. Any tips/recs appreciated. Thanks!

 

[S.Pepper]

I assume ur feeding him with food such as shrimp with shell on to help with the beak?

 

[NanoDJS]

clams on the half shell will give them cuddle bone to gnaw on

 

[Eagle_Steve]

This is a great read and keeps me from typing how to trim them down. I have done this numerous times with puffers we have taken in.

IV. Puffer Dentistry – The Puffer Library

After trimming, be sure to feed little neck clams with a small hole poked in the shell or mussels with a small hole for smaller puffers. This will help keep the teeth filed down naturally.

 

[User1]

Never owned one but was going to suggest what the others have already said. Let mother nature take care of it by adding natural food. It should hone it down pretty quick. Otherwise I do not believe it is something you should do. Or at least I'm not sure how you would...

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Never owned one but was going to suggest what the others have already said. Let mother nature take care of it by adding natural food. It should hone it down pretty quick. Otherwise I do not believe it is something you should do. Or at least I'm not sure how you would...

In regards to trimming them, depending on how bad they are, it can be required. Their jaw, so to speak, can only open so far. If they are too overgrown, this is a must.

After that, a proper diet will keep them down where they need to be.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

Maybe this?

 

[Eagle_Steve]

@drstardust

can you get a pic for us to look at? That will show if they actually need to be trimmed or not.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Maybe this?

That causes the teeth to get too hot. Cuticle cutters or a good pair of straight edge bone cutters work great. Nail clippers work well, also. Only on smaller ones though.

 

[User1]

In regards to trimming them, depending on how bad they are, it can be required. Their jaw, so to speak, can only open so far. If they are too overgrown, this is a must.

After that, a proper diet will keep them down where they need to be.

Yeah, I see that now. I saw your post and was like hmm....and off to reading I went. I found it interesting even though I've never owned one. I probably never well but it doesn't hear to learn new things Thanks for posting that btw.

 

[Mical]

That causes the teeth to get too hot. Cuticle cutters or a good pair of straight edge bone cutters work great. Nail clippers work well, also. Only on smaller ones though.

There's always Dremel tools..

 

[drstardust]

I assume ur feeding him with food such as shrimp with shell on to help with the beak?

Yes

 

[drstardust]

clams on the half shell will give them cuddle bone to gnaw on

Yes, had been doing that, doesn't seem to have helped and now he can't really open his mouth even enough to take a bite of anything

 

[drstardust]

This is a great read and keeps me from typing how to trim them down. I have done this numerous times with puffers we have taken in.

IV. Puffer Dentistry – The Puffer Library

After trimming, be sure to feed little neck clams with a small hole poked in the shell or mussels with a small hole for smaller puffers. This will help keep the teeth filed down naturally.

Awesome, exactly the sort of thing I was looking for, thanks

 

[Gw2kpro]

I have done the clove oil dentistry on several green spotted puffers I have had over the years. It's simple and works great.

They're smaller than a dogface, but the procedure is pretty straightforward.

Do not use a Dremel. Use either a large toenail clipper or a small bonecutter depending on the size of your dogface.

Just be sure to have everything in order prior to putting them in the clove oil solution.

I now raise some ramshorn snails to feed them periodically so I haven't had to do it lately.

 

[lion king]

No way I'm trying that: I've always had a dogface puffer and never worried about it, until now. My current dfp is a lazy bum. My other puffers used to crunch around the rocks and such, along with its diet, I never had an issue. This guy gets shell on shrimp, tiny shrimp from the asian market(krill), clams, silversides(bones); so he should have plenty to grind them down.

 

[Smarkow]

Recently acquired a dogface puffer. Wife fell in love with his ugly mug at the LFS. He is probably 5” beak to tail, or at least within an inch of that either way.

I have been feeding him 3 clam half-shells per day. Think I should do more? I tried to offer him some squid and large mysid, but he did not go for them. His tank is plumbed into a large system so I am not worried about ammonia, but the sand is fresh so I don’t think he has any snails to forage for yet. Have put some macro and turtlegrass in the tank. We’ll see how much he picks at them.

How does his beak look? He seems to have no trouble pigging out on the half shells, but I really don’t have a frame of reference.

Any advice appreciated.

“Cujo”

 

[lion king]

⁷

Recently acquired a dogface puffer. Wife fell in love with his ugly mug at the LFS. He is probably 5” beak to tail, or at least within an inch of that either way.

I have been feeding him 3 clam half-shells per day. Think I should do more? I tried to offer him some squid and large mysid, but he did not go for them. His tank is plumbed into a large system so I am not worried about ammonia, but the sand is fresh so I don’t think he has any snails to forage for yet. Have put some macro and turtlegrass in the tank. We’ll see how much he picks at them.

How does his beak look? He seems to have no trouble pigging out on the half shells, but I really don’t have a frame of reference.

Any advice appreciated.

“Cujo”

Dang he's fat, hahaha

 

[Smarkow]

⁷

Dang he's fat, hahaha

Right? I am seriously so concerned that my wife found him so cute... I know exactly what that says

 

[ReefHog]

I've kept porcupine puffers for about 20 years. Three of them to be exact. I always feed with tweezers.. Years ago I came up with a very simple hack on a standard set of tweezers. I purchased some diamond dust coated files and cut them about an inch long. I then epoxied them to the ends of the tweezers. When the puffer grabs the food he is biting down on the files thus grinding down his beak/teeth. I've been feeding this way for well over a decade with zero issues. I rinse them in fresh water and dry after feeding. I'm actually surprised no one makes something like this. There will be a tiny bit of rust at the cut ends but it doesn't cause any harm. I'll try and grab a video at feeding time tomorrow.