Does anyone know about puffer?

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Mike jones

Aquarium Advice Activist
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Aug 14, 2012
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So my plastic thing that is suppose to keep my fish from getting sucked into the power head fell of and my new green puffer got sucked up :( but I know there poisonous would it hurt me if I put my hand in there?
 
They are poisonous (probably not all kinds of puffer are poisonous) if you try to eat them. Otherwise, they do not excrete poison into the water.
 
Well I don't wanna eat it but it got chopped up so I was wondering if the toxins got out?
 
Just don't stick your fingers in your mouth when you're done and you will be fine. I don't think tetrodotoxin (the neurotoxin in pufferfish) has any effect if it isn't ingested, although you may want to do a little quick research on whether it can be dangerous if you get it in a cut or anything. I may be very wrong here, but I think it is the same type of toxin made by poison dart frogs, which can be deadly if you get it in a cut or break in the skin and it gets in your blood (thus the reason they are used to make poison darts). You can get some long gloves if you would feel safer that way, I've seen over the elbow gloves for aquarium maintenance sold online before. If the fish got chopped up and bits are in the water, I'd think a large water change would be the place to start anyway.
 
Mike jones said:
Danget this sucks

On the bright side, most captive puffers will have low levels of the toxin, if any. It comes from their diet, actually, they don't make it themselves. It just collects in their tissues.

Also, I'm sorry for your loss. I love puffer fish. I keep green spotted puffers.
 
Mike jones said:
Well what do I do

I don't think you have anything to worry about, but to be on the safe side I would do as big of a water change as you can before you go reaching around in the tank with bare hands. Get any fish remains out with a net before you start. As I said earlier, just don't stick anything in your mouth and you should be fine.
 
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