I got myself A DP TODAY!!!

[DwarfPufferLover]

Thank you! I just hope that he can make it over the weekend. He hasn't eaten ever since I got him *July 1st, 2010*. And I forgot to ask them if they fed them recently...I believe one reason he's not eating(also contributing to his shyness) that my bloodworms may have gone bad. So I will try to see if I can talk to the people at my store to see if they will let me trade it in for better ones.

[J-P]

when thawing the blood worms have to tried soaking them in a garlic puree?

[DwarfPufferLover]

when thawing the blood worms have to tried soaking them in a garlic puree?

What is that?

[DwarfPufferLover]

So I checked my DP today and it is alive. The only problem is that he is not as active as before. Like...he doesn't move as much. I think he's starving or something. But I will be getting new bloodworms tomorrow so hopefully he will eat them.

[LilGreenPuffer]

I'm sure he's not starving after just these few days. They can live for a month or more without food. How are your water parameters?

[DwarfPufferLover]

So I got new bloodworms today that are fresh and normal looking . They are bright red and "fat" unlike the previous bloodworms i purchased . I will update this post in a couple of hours when I feed Squirt the new bloodworms.

This is what the bloodworms look like:

http://s750.photobucket.com/albums/xx14 ... G_3053.jpg


http://s750.photobucket.com/albums/xx14 ... G_3054.jpg

[J-P]

garlic puree is just that, fresh chopped garlic to "scent" the food to bu used as a bait to get the puffers to eat.

[DwarfPufferLover]

Oh so you basically scent the DP food by placing the bloodworms in a container filled with Garlic juice? Does it really work? I heard a lot of people used this to get their puffers to eat.

[J-P]

It might work in your situation. I use garlic puree (a blender) to attract game fish. The one time I tried it with my SAPs they ate the garlic and left the food I think it is more trial and error than anything else. There is something that in garlic attracts fish that is a fact.

[DwarfPufferLover]

So i attempted to handfeed my DP and he ignored the bloodworms. I decided to place the bloodworms in a dish so that he can he eat as he pleases. I have checked (2 hours later) and he has not seem to have eaten a single bloodworm. I am incredibly concerned.

[LilGreenPuffer]

Most of the time, fish will eat when they get hungry enough.

Again, what are the water parameters? Are there lots of decorations and hiding places? Try the garlic. Try live brine shrimp.

[purplecandle]

Why not post a pic of the tank...

Like littlegreenpuffer..I have a feeling this may be an issue related to security...eating makes an animal vulnerable to attack...if the puff does not feel safe it won't eat...

[DwarfPufferLover]

I have quite a lot of plants in there...but I guess I should place in more plants. You see...I wanted to watch my DP eat by leaving some room with no plants. That might be the reason why!! I guess I shall cover up that area with plants. And I'm pretty sure he's hungry lilgreenpuffer. He's constantly picking at things...hoping it is food(i guess) like the heater, thermometer, plants, etc...

[DwarfPufferLover]

Ok guys/girls I went to the store where I got my DP from and they said that my DP might not be eating due to the fact that some of their DPs only ate live, while others ate live and frozen food. So after much asking I realized that my fish may be very difficult to wean...maybe even not possible. So she said I could trade in Squirt for a new DP that would eat frozen food. To show me which ones ate frozen she places a whole cube of frozen bloodworms inside the tank. Of the 6-8 DPs...5 ate the frozen ones. The other refused to even touch any...just like my DP *Squirt*. I chose one that I felt would be healthy and would eat frozen bloodworms. Pittying me...she also gave me some free live tubifex worms for Squirt to eat. *Another reason I feel this is one of the best customer service and quality of an aquarium store in the state of California* So when I got home I took the small pinch of tubifex worms *about 30* and placed them in a small container. I washed them thouroughly *about 5 times* and took about 5 and placed them on a small dish in the tank. Squirt immediatly investigated *like usual* at the foreign objects. Within a flat 3 seconds he began gorging on the squirming live worms. I was astonished!!! So at least I knew he did not have IPs...but rather was super picky . After finishing 4 of the live worms he had a incredibly large tummy. Biggest I have ever seen in Squirt.
I know he is very picky because: about 2 of the worms were alive...yet not moving. He immediatly shunned them and left the feeding tray. Despite the fact that they were live...he would only eat things moving!!! So I tried to see if I could trick him by taking a frozen bloodworm and holding it in my hand. Then I would place it in the current of my filter so that it would move as if live... *no luck *. He simply stared at my hand and the worm and immediatly swam off...looking at the food tray for more live worms. I decided to take the ladie's offer and trade in Squirt for a new DP that would eat frozen food. I know that this makes me sound like a bad person becauseI would be willing to trade my DP just because he wouldn't eat frozen. But I really do want to keep Squirt...honest...but I can't because I don't have the time to go to a fish store every week to buy new worms. I am just not available 24/7 to buy new worms. And seeing how he will not eat anything not squirming or live...I have no choice. I feel kind of ashamed however. But this is not only good for me...but also for Squirt. Now he can enjoy all the live worms that he would like...at the store. I will be getting the new DP tomorrow (Sunday) or Tuesday. I will surely miss Squirt .

[xrayjeeper83]

are the worms something you can breed?