Hi i have had the privilege to buy a red eye puffer, the only issue is it will not eat any snails..
I have had the miss fortune of changing my pump and loosing the bio filter. so had to kick start my tank with live bacteria gel and quick start solution.
How do i entice my litte missy to eat the daarn snails?
any comments/suggestions welcome.
thanks
D
Red Eye puffer - not eating snails.. help!
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
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.
Read this before posting!!
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.
-
J-P
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Re: Red Eye puffer - not eating snails.. help!
Same user on Tropical Fish Keeping?
Welcome to the forum!!
We'll have to get over you're emergency cycle first.
For those that haven't followed here is the link:
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/fres ... own-85207/
Dan here will still need some feeding recommendations once the crisis is over.
Sorry I was a little harsh, there is a lack of "responsible" people over there.
Welcome to the forum!!
We'll have to get over you're emergency cycle first.
For those that haven't followed here is the link:
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/fres ... own-85207/
Dan here will still need some feeding recommendations once the crisis is over.
Sorry I was a little harsh, there is a lack of "responsible" people over there.
if you follow me, you avoid stepping in the crap that I just did...
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZR55G ... pqlgec1A2Q
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZR55G ... pqlgec1A2Q
Re: Red Eye puffer - not eating snails.. help!
Hi J-P,
Yeah it Djriff from other forum..
your right gotta get the crisis sorted asap..
Then feeding guidance will be much appreciated!
Best
D
Yeah it Djriff from other forum..
your right gotta get the crisis sorted asap..
Then feeding guidance will be much appreciated!
Best
D
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Red Eye puffer - not eating snails.. help!
![[welcome]](./images/smilies/welcome.gif "welcome")
The may be several reasons your puffer might not be eating snails. Had he been eating them previously? How big are the ones you are offering him? Is he eating anything?
What are your water parameters?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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J-P
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Re: Red Eye puffer - not eating snails.. help!
no test kit yet... coming tomorrow.
Meds killed his biofilter so he's in the middle of an emergency cycle. Starting all over again.
Meds killed his biofilter so he's in the middle of an emergency cycle. Starting all over again.
if you follow me, you avoid stepping in the crap that I just did...
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZR55G ... pqlgec1A2Q
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZR55G ... pqlgec1A2Q
Re: Red Eye puffer - not eating snails.. help!
Would just like to clarify the water changes, sorry if this sounds dumb but i am new to the technical side and have been winging it from what i am starting to understand.
If the new filter has not "got" the good bacteria even though i used active bacteria gel and tetra safe start yesterday. is it safe to be doing the water changes as the good bacteria is not established?
thanks
D
one more thing if doing the water changes should i be adding tap safe to the tank or wait till everything has calmed down?
If the new filter has not "got" the good bacteria even though i used active bacteria gel and tetra safe start yesterday. is it safe to be doing the water changes as the good bacteria is not established?
thanks
D
one more thing if doing the water changes should i be adding tap safe to the tank or wait till everything has calmed down?
Re: Red Eye puffer - not eating snails.. help!
Aah the snails are of all sizes and 2 different types. I don't think he has had a taste of them as of yet.. when i first added him 4 days ago, he would eat live bloodworm .. but since then he hasn't touched a thing.. he has only just today livened up and started to swim about again.
but i have been warned about feeding at the moment as it will only add to the crisis...
but i have been warned about feeding at the moment as it will only add to the crisis...
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J-P
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- Location: Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan
Re: Red Eye puffer - not eating snails.. help!
The bacteria takes time to populate you are correct.
There are 2 scenarios:
1) Without water treatment and large water changes it may take longer for the bacteria to seed but it will eventually. You can't ever take out 100%. What you want is to keep the ammonia DOWN.
2) With water treatment the ammonia is rendered inert and will not harm your fish but still readable on the scale. It is like a false alarm. The bacteria don't know this and still consume the ammonia producing that milky white water.
You will get that milky white either way... With water treatment (Safe Start) your fish are "safe", without it is called a tank crash.
There are 2 scenarios:
1) Without water treatment and large water changes it may take longer for the bacteria to seed but it will eventually. You can't ever take out 100%. What you want is to keep the ammonia DOWN.
2) With water treatment the ammonia is rendered inert and will not harm your fish but still readable on the scale. It is like a false alarm. The bacteria don't know this and still consume the ammonia producing that milky white water.
You will get that milky white either way... With water treatment (Safe Start) your fish are "safe", without it is called a tank crash.
Last edited by J-P on Wed Nov 09, 2011 12:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.
if you follow me, you avoid stepping in the crap that I just did...
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZR55G ... pqlgec1A2Q
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Red Eye puffer - not eating snails.. help!
Give 48 hours after adding live bacteria to your filter before doing a water change, to let the bacteria take hold. Unless you get an ammonia/nitrite spike. Then it is more important not to let your fish be poisoned by this. You need to get liquid test kits, TODAY!
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Re: Red Eye puffer - not eating snails.. help!
Thanks .. i think i will just let things calm down in the tank.. give it 48 hrs and test the status o the tank shortly.
appreciate the feed back thanks
D
appreciate the feed back thanks
D
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Pufftastic
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Re: Red Eye puffer - not eating snails.. help!
A small tip for feeding snails: Try crushing the snail(s) first. My puffer won't just crunch down on a whole snail -- he prefers them smashed first. I think it makes them smell more enticing (i.e. bloody). Your puff will still get the benefit of the snail shell's crunchiness.
Yo ho, yo ho, a puffer's life for me.
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sevenyearnight
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Re: Red Eye puffer - not eating snails.. help!
Thanks all for your posts.
Yeah sorry for not updating earlier, yeah little beauty is doing ok, as we speak she is swimming around curled to the side inspecting the place.... have to say a little clumsily though.. bumps into everything.. but compared to yesterday a hell of an improvement!
The water has almost settle to perfect clarity.. slightest of milk shade there.
Tried to feed some frozen Blood worms earlier but didn't take to them.. unfortunately i haven't got any live ones..
There are hundreds of snails though..
not quite sure how to get him to eat them though..
any suggestion..
Also do you think i should do a 50 % water change ?
hope all is well with you and thanks again.
J-P has suggested the fish might have nitrite poisoning, hence his clumsiness and bumping into thing.. is this permanent?
best
Dan
Yeah sorry for not updating earlier, yeah little beauty is doing ok, as we speak she is swimming around curled to the side inspecting the place.... have to say a little clumsily though.. bumps into everything.. but compared to yesterday a hell of an improvement!
The water has almost settle to perfect clarity.. slightest of milk shade there.
Tried to feed some frozen Blood worms earlier but didn't take to them.. unfortunately i haven't got any live ones..
There are hundreds of snails though..
not quite sure how to get him to eat them though..
any suggestion..
Also do you think i should do a 50 % water change ?
hope all is well with you and thanks again.
J-P has suggested the fish might have nitrite poisoning, hence his clumsiness and bumping into thing.. is this permanent?
best
Dan
-
bertie 83
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Re: Red Eye puffer - not eating snails.. help!
If things are off whack do a large waterchange yes. Keep that Ammo down
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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sevenyearnight
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Re: Red Eye puffer - not eating snails.. help!
Someone already suggested pre-crushing the snails so the blood is released.
