finally got a fahaka

[Brent]

Well, for one, I'd get more food than just krill and silversides. You should incorporate frozen (much easier and lasts longer than live) seafoods that you can easily buy at Dominion/Loblaws/Sobeys etc., and give him those as well. Cockles in shell, opened mussles and shrimp with the shell on work well. Have you been soaking his food in a vitamin supplement? Selcon is best for that, by the way.

[Dadof4]

To me it sounds like he's still settling in and just needs to be treated with some TLC. I would start with raw, whole shell on people shrimp. He may not be used to pre-killed food yet and it may take some doing to get him to eat. If you're really worried at this point (not necessary, yet), I'd try feeding hi some nightcrawlers or earth worms just to get him started. No self respecting fish will turn them down unless they are very stressed. Keep offering them every few days and one day he will surprise you....slurp! Let him get comfortable with his surroundings, he'll eat when he get hungry enough.

As for the mentioned ammonia spike, when you cycle a tank you develop a bacteria load that is appropriate to take care of a certain level of ammonia. When you added the puffer he began putting out more ammonia than the source you were using to cycle the tank, in turn causing a little spike. It should go away rather quickly (a few days or so) but in the meantime you need to be doing daily water changes to keep it from affecting him.

[Pufferpunk]

A tank fishless cycled with ammonia should be able to handle the complete bioload of a fully stocked tank, granted it's not overstocked to the point the bacteria just doesn't have enough surface area to keep ups with the waste produced.

[Nick]

I second tossing him a worm. It seems that their every puffery instinct makes them want to strike out at a squiggling worm, it's a well tested fast-breaker.

[we_tigers]

Well, good news!

Thanks to those who put in their two cents.

I couldn't stand the cold dead shy zombie look on his face anymore,
so I caved and put in 10 feeder guppies and 4 apple snails.
Also got him some earth worms and bam! He ate it up pretty quick.

I was gone for a long time after that but now I've come back to a completely different puffer.
His colour has brighten up, he is at front of the store doing dances and interacting.

I also got a bottle of garlic guard, will start soaking the worms in it and then move onto silversides and rare krill I guess.
Hasn't touched any of the guppies, has attacked the apple snails a numerous times. I plan on having them replaced as they go.

I'm definitely happy that I got this puffer and I'm glad that I didn't get a wolf fish instead

[trekenk]

Glad he seems to be doing better in the eating department. Forget the krill or maybe just once and a while for treats. Go to your local grocery store, in the frozen food department and pick up some raw shrimp with shell on, mussel or clam on shell or you can also get package that are call seafood melody which is great.

[we_tigers]

thanks

at the moment he gets 1 earth worm a day. he seems to always leave a little bit for the feeder guppies..
he's destroyed the snails within the first 2 days and so far has eaten 3 guppies, although he seems to be after them before i toss in the worm..

[Pufferpunk]

You need to feed a more variety of foods--especially crunchy ones.

[we_tigers]

Yeah I'm tossing in 4 apple snails every 2 weeks.

I guess other than that at the moment it's earthworm a day and whatever feeder guppies he catches.

I know what you mean, but I think that will be enough to wear down his teeth when he's still relatively small.
I also can't find small crayfish around here (from a trusted tank anyway)

I'm also having no luck (having read the article on this matter on here) feeding him dead food.. I hope that changes.

[Pufferpunk]

You need to totally stop live food, to get them on dead.

library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/
library/feeding/problems-feeding-your-puffer/

[we_tigers]

I do want to get him on dead food, but I'm just having zero luck so far.
The feeder guppies are going at them, but not the puff.

I think I want to feed him all the worms left once a day,
then get a skewer to tease him with.. and hopefully he will fall for it soon.

Just don't want to keep him hungry for more than it should take, plus I just got him eating for the first time so you know it's a tricky situation.
But I do think that the sooner I get him on dead food, the better it will be for both of us in the long run.

Wish my luck, haha

[L!$A]

Good luck!

[Adria]

My Fahaka seems to like snails the best. Have you thought about breeding them for food? Its not as easy as frozen but not too hard either. I set up a 10 gallon with 4-5 plants. I threw in a few rams horns and some some others form the pet store. Snails breed easily but if you add extra food and raise the temp a few degrees the population explodes! I throw in bits of whatever I'm cooking , like cucumber, carrot, zuccini, sweet potato, lettuce, etc. They grow faster than I expected. Felix the Fahaka usually catches them before they hit the ground!

Can you get ghost shrimp where you live? He loves those too. They take a little more time than snails to breed but they available at 5 for a dollar so I don't mind paying for them. It is great fun to watch him chase them around!

Do you get self cloning crayfish near you? They are likely going to be banned as an invasive species but I found some on craigslist. I am going to try to breed a bunch of them. They eat anything and require almost 0 attention.

[ACF]

Glad he seems to be doing better in the eating department. Forget the krill or maybe just once and a while for treats. Go to your local grocery store, in the frozen food department and pick up some raw shrimp with shell on, mussel or clam on shell or you can also get package that are call seafood melody which is great.

You sure its not called Seafood Medley? Thats what I buy for my fata$$ =) Shrimp, Calamari, Octopus, Mussels, Oysters something else. Cant remember cause you just reminded me that Im out! Loves it frozen as well, not sure how he doesn't get brain freeze. LoL

[ACF]

I do want to get him on dead food, but I'm just having zero luck so far.
The feeder guppies are going at them, but not the puff.

I think I want to feed him all the worms left once a day,
then get a skewer to tease him with.. and hopefully he will fall for it soon.

Just don't want to keep him hungry for more than it should take, plus I just got him eating for the first time so you know it's a tricky situation.
But I do think that the sooner I get him on dead food, the better it will be for both of us in the long run.

Wish my luck, haha

I find Fahakas get moody quite often (like little kids).. I was gone for 5 weeks once and when I came back he gave me the coldest* cold shoulder ever for about 8 days. He didn't eat for that entire time as well. But mine can see the fridge, follows me along the glass to the fridge then splashes water all over the place (no cover on tank). Which wasn't good for the Giant Danios I tried to keep with him, 6/9 were supper over the course of 4 days and the other 3 thought they were flying fish...
When mine was 5" I fed him scallops! His colors gleamed but now he wont touch em with a 10 foot pole! He hates them! Ive tried garlic soaking my food as well but he rathers it frozen.
Try find some baby crayfish! Big Als in Mississauga usually have a slew of them, for mine they are bite size! It's his teat though!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S6txXREx9M <--- A little bit of action, He had already eaten a crayfish before that so it took him a bit.

I suggest picking up feeder guppies, I try to keep 30-40 in my tank at all times. I haven't taken my fata$$s house out since last October! They clean the tank spotless and the only LIVE plant that I've managed to keep with my fahaka is a Moss Ball.. He pushes it around with his nose and the *fake* bamboo I got in my tank works rather well as a chew toy!

By the way where did you get your ramshorn snails from?

*Cheers* & Hope all goes well!