Little Porcupine Addicted to Rosies

[reaband]

My Porcupine (Cookie) was fed rosies at the petstore before we got him and is now "hooked". I know he doesn't get the nourishment he needs with freshwater fish, but he's uncharacteristically picky. I've got him at least eating dead rosies out of my hand and try to trick him with silver sides, but I think he notices the color/taste/consistency differences. He just spits everything out. I'll try cutting krill into long thin pieces but any other ideas would be helpfull. I've tried starving him for about a week to no avail. I hate to keep him unhappy

Thanks!

[crazedpuffer]

I too have a stubborn porc.
Try live shrimp, or bloodworms. My porc loves bloodworms! After it's used to dead partially better foods, try weaning it onto things like mysid and prawn.
Also the feeding article in the library might help you out!

[Pufferpunk]

Be sure to soak your bloodworms in Selcon. they are a FW food & do not contain the nutrients necessary for a SW fish. I'd starve the puffer for a few days & then offer him something else.

[reaband]

I keep starving him and he's still picky. Is it safe to keep starving them? Maybe I'll pick up some Selcon and soak the little rosie carcuses. LIve shrimp, you mean ghost shrimp? The porc is in a tank with a brown trigger and a fingerprint, so he's got to be quick...

[Pufferpunk]

How big is the tank? You've got to get him off fish.

[Nusquam]

Maybe try starving him for 2-3 days and then try offering him something you want him to eat (ie, clams, shrimp, anything but fish...), and try another 2-3 days, rather than go a week, giving in and giving up?

[reaband]

They are in a 55. Cookie is about 3" now. We plan on getting a much bigger tank in about a year. I just got some bigger frozen krill, so I'll try that instead of the fish.

[crazedpuffer]

krills not that great either, it leads to lockjaw. If he takes it soak it in additives (Selcon would work right?) to help lower the chance of lockjaw.

[pufferfreak]

Maybe try dropping food around the rosy. That MIGHT work.

[Pufferpunk]

Really--try ANYTHING but krill. Then he'll be stuck on that. Called "Fish Crack".

[pufferfreak]

never heard krill call that before.

[reaband]

Hhmmm... Well my triger and fingerprint are hooked on "fish crack" I do have a wide variety of frozen that I'll try on all of them including clam and squid. The whole agressive tank will be in a BAD mood! That won't make the large nockternal hermit crab happy.

Thanks for the advice. I VIL BLAKE DEM!

[crazedpuffer]

Really--try ANYTHING but krill. Then he'll be stuck on that. Called "Fish Crack".

I like that! I think I might use that from now on!

[reaband]

The fingerprint and trigger don't seem to mind other foods, but the porc is still not eating. I dropped a clam on the half shell (too big for the puffer) but I thought he might be interested. The trigger had it all down within 12 hours, picked clean. I'll keep trying frozen stuff. Maybe he'll get hungry enough. I can see him starving himself to death. Right now I'm feeding the tank twice a day, should I reduce that?

[crazedpuffer]

once a day would be much better