New member and owner of a GSP

[chuckfriedrice]

Just keep checking craigslist when your ready very good deal there!

[scdude1]

I will for sure be checking for any deals that may pop up. But these past two days my gsp refuses to eat anything I have put in his tank other then trying a few bloodworms which he attacks. But I dropped 2 tiny little gut loaded ghost shrimp in his tank and these past two days they have become tank mates... and i have tried a few pest snails but he just stares at them. So my question is what should I go get to try and feed to him because he can't just be on a bloodworm diet and I don't believe he is on a hunger strike or he wouldn't go after the worms. And the water parameters are ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate <20.

[I.Puff.Too]

Try not feeding him for a few days and then drop some gut loaded ghost shrimp and see what he does. Also, bloodworms have enough nutrients for the puffer to be fine; the problem lies in the fact that they don't trim their teeth. Just keep trying different foods, frozen, raw seafood from your grocer. You could try tiny fiddler crabs as well.

[bertie 83]

Earthworms are normally irresistible. Or garlic soak his food

[puffykid]

Ya, just get an earthworm cut it into a smaller piece and tie it on a string and dangle it in front of your gsp. He will go crazy for it

[zookey]

I had that same problem with my puffer when he came to live with me. I have found that feeding him with a forceps works well. Also crush the snails in the forceps in the tank so he can smell the blood.... he kind of reacts like a shark. Worms from the baitshop also worked. He still will refuse to eat shrimp, unless it is the $20 a bag Jumbo Shrimp, but those are suppose to be for the husband. He also enjoys muscles and oysters from my local grocer. But initially to get him to eat I had to crush his snails or cut up the worms, when I fed him those you could see the blood or body fluid enter the water and he would react immediately.

I don't know where you got your GSP but here they are available at WalMart that feed Cichlid sticks, one LFS that can't keep them in stock long enough to feed them, and the other LFS that can't keep them alive long enough to sell them. It is really sad the condition I see GSP in at the local stores.

Hope yours begins to eat soon... I know how nerve wrecking it can be when they won't.

[bertie 83]

I personally would not chop up the worm just pick smaller ones and let them wiggle for him to see

[scdude1]

Thankyou for all your suggestions. I'm gonna try a few and see how it goes and hopefully he will be eating foods that will trim down his teeth in no time.

[zookey]

When you crush the snails the fish actually chews up parts of the shell to eat the snail. My GSP can SUCK a snail from it's shell if I drop them in whole so I still crush them for him.

I also feed mussels in the shell so he gnaws the shell to get the last of the meat. But I would try crushed snails and/or worms first just to get him eating.

Best of luck!!

[scdude1]

Thanks for all the help! I ended up not feeding him yesterday and then this morning I fed him a crushed snail and he didn't touch it at first, but i came back 15min later and it was gone! He still seems pretty shy around me though when I come near his tank, and I also noticed him window surfing quite a bit today. Is this just his nature to do it or should I add some rock or something to his tank?

[Pufferpunk]

Show us a pic of your tank & we can advice you.

[scdude1]

This is his tank.

[Pufferpunk]

Looks busy enough to me.

[scdude1]

Ya I thought so to but he has been window surfing all day now...

[xrayjeeper83]

Check your water, could be off