Stubborn Porcupine

[puffykid]

Also try starving him for a few days as it can be an effective way to get a picky puffer to try new foods. Also putting a piece of shrimp on a string and making it "dance" in front of the puffer can often get them interested enough to strike.

[Pufferpunk]

This is all mentioned in the article I linked to.

[puffykid]

This is all mentioned in the article I linked to.

Ya I realized that after reading the article. oops

[cbr2586]

My only concern is starving him since the GSP is in the tank with him. He is truly one stubborn puffer. I do have marmokrebs from aquabid on the way, and I'm hoping that will lead to a permanent solution.

[puffykid]

If you get a tank divider/ trap in a net then you can separate the porky away during feeding time for a few sessions.

[bertie 83]

A few day starve will not harm your gsp. There will likely be more aggression between them tho. Really they should be housed seperately

[cbr2586]

I realize that its not optimum conditions for two puffers to be housed in the same tank, but many have done it with great success and had the puffers reach full size and lifespan. If one or the other of my puffers was stressing each other out or fin nipping I will make immediate arrangements to rehouse the culprit. Mine however, sleep in the same little cave and are acting completely normal apart from the porcupine only wanting to eat live food. I went to the LFS today and told them about my problem and they said my porc could simply be forever hooked on live food. Even with stimulated movement in frozen food or shellfish with garlic enhancement and starving him for the last three days after puffykid's advice he still wont budge.. So I dropped a ghost shrimp in the tank and he snatched in before it could touch the bottom. I don't know what else to try?

[bertie 83]

If the ghost shrimp are housed with you for some time and fed good quality foods they can still be nutritious. Don't give in, he will come round

[Pufferpunk]

3 days may not be long enough. Also, be very sure any ghost shrimp you offer him is fed 1st.

[cbr2586]

What do you guys feed your ghost shrimp? I'm currently feeding hikari algae wafers and dried seaweed dosed with garlic.

[Pufferpunk]

That'll work.

[bertie 83]

Feed anything you want your puffer to eat. What you are feeding is great, add some bloodworm or other meaty foods to their diet, then he gets allsorts of nutrition

[cbr2586]

Over the last few days my puffer has even began to refuse my ghost shrimp. He has lost quite a bit of weight so I have attempted tube feeding twice because I have read so many posts about krill and lockjaw. Since that was his diet at the LFS I began to wonder and he has been keeping his beak open quite a bit lately, enough for me to slide a feeding tube in without using an anesthetic. WIth the first two attempts resulting in most of his food being coughed back up about 15 sec after the tube is removed. I have been blending a mixture of blood worms, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, market shrimp, garlic extreme, and metronidazole. He doesn't seem to be gaining weight, but I feel as though hes at least getting some nutrition. Any suggestions on what to do next? This is what he looks like now.

[purplecandle]

When you put the tube/catheter in are you putting it in far enough? Do you feel it go into the stomach? If you have food coming out of the gills, it may not be in far enough.

The whole krill thing is of most concern when it come to porkys.

But remember he is wild caught and he may not survive just from the stress.

Poor little thing....he is adorable!

[Pufferpunk]

I would add Vitachem & Selcon to the diet & skip the meds for now.