Enticing Puffer to eat

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Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.

1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.

2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.

3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)

4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.

5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.

We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.

While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.

Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
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tennisball
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Enticing Puffer to eat

Post by tennisball »

Hi all.

I have a Arothron reticularis puffer. I have had him since May 2, he came to me in a tank that was already established. I'm not sure how old he is, but he's about the size of a tennis ball. Yes, I know he will get to be the size of a football. Or at least he will if he starts eating again! I think I need to separate him from my other fish at feeding time, but I was also wondering what would be this fish's favorite food. Could I try live clams, or would that only increase the risk of introducing a disease? I have been feeding a seafood medly (shrimp, octopus, mussles), shrimp, silversides (he's never fast enough to get those), blue crab legs and smelts. I've never seen him eat anything but shrimp and octopus. When he was first moved, he was eating some, but now doesn't seem to. The prev. owner told me not to worry, he's probably eating the hermit crabs in the tank, but I'm not too sure.

So what would be this fish's Laura Secord item? :lol:
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katty
Figure 8 Puffer
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My Puffers: 1 Fahaka Puffer (Puffy), 1 Red Claw Crab (Crabby), 2 Gold Inca Snails (Jerry & Larry), 5 Goldfish (Frankie, Biggy, Koi, Orange, Tiny).
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Re: Enticing Puffer to eat

Post by katty »

I wouldnt recommend feeding live clams to your fish considering that there is no sure way to know that they're disease/parasite free. You could freeze them for a week and then feed them to your puffer if you'd like though. :) How much does he normally eat? If he's getting skinny though, I'd seperate him from the others and make sure he's getting some food! Also, if you go ahead and look up your puffer in the pufferpedia, it'll give you a good list of food varieties. It might be a good idea to include some crunchy foods just to help prevent his teeth from becoming overgrown. Good luck! :)
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LilGreenPuffer
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Location: Kentucky

Re: Enticing Puffer to eat

Post by LilGreenPuffer »

His diet is fine, I think. Try soaking his food in fresh crushed garlic, or a product like Garlic Xtreme.
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."

Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi

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trekenk
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Re: Enticing Puffer to eat

Post by trekenk »

I believe they unfortunately lost the puffer in question.
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LilGreenPuffer
Former Staff Member
Posts: 5301
Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:26 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Dwarf puffer - Thumbelina (only mine in my heart now; she lives in CT with my friend)

RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond.
Location (country): United States
Location: Kentucky

Re: Enticing Puffer to eat

Post by LilGreenPuffer »

:(
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."

Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi

Image

Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!

I AM A DUDETTE!

NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
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