The Puffer Forum

Hi All,

Need lot's of help and advice as my congo is with me for 5 days and she always swimming at the top water, try feeding her with live snail, bloodworm she seem's not interested i have also try feeding her with prawn meat she only grap a bite that's all for this 5 days, abit stressed by feeding problem , really need help/advice.


water parameter - NO2=0(tetra test kit) , NO3=0(tetra test kit), ammonia=0(tetra test kit), pH=7.68 and temp=27degree.(pH and temp monitoring computer by AquaSentry)
Tank size - 4x2x2, Sand bed 1inch.
Filter media - filter wool(sera), bio spoonge(sera) and Bio-home(2Kg)

Thanks.
VMware

Get something like a string, skewer or chopstick and attach the food to it, then bob it up and down to mimic it being alive, see if he goes for that, if not bop him on the nose with the food to make him attack it. Try some mussel if you fail with all other foods.

How heavily decorated is the tank? I find lots of tall decorations make my puffers explore more.

How long has this tank been set up? You should be showing some nitrates.

Nick wrote:How heavily decorated is the tank? I find lots of tall decorations make my puffers explore more.

Hi, the tank is only equipped with sand. do i need to decorated my tank heavily? what types of thing i can put in to??

Thanks.

Pufferpunk wrote:How long has this tank been set up? You should be showing some nitrates.

The tank has been cycle for 2month, will test the nitrate again.

Thanks.

Hilly wrote:Get something like a string, skewer or chopstick and attach the food to it, then bob it up and down to mimic it being alive, see if he goes for that, if not bop him on the nose with the food to make him attack it. Try some mussel if you fail with all other foods.

Tryed this, and it don't work too. think i need to get some live shrimp.

Thanks.

I agree with the advice given, you should definately have a nitrate reading, maybe the tyest kit is out of date or has not been performed correctly, try it again Once we can rule out water quality as the cause we can then look at decor in the tank. Lots of things to explore and hide in will help the puffer settle in. Once it is settled it may have more interest in food

VMware wrote:

Pufferpunk wrote:How long has this tank been set up? You should be showing some nitrates.

The tank has been cycle for 2month.

Please explain what you mean by "cycle".

Fish need landmarks to understand the concept of space. Your puffer does not understand he is not going anywhere in a bare sand tank, he is swimming out forever looking for some kind of landmark to define the world with.

Pufferpunk wrote:

VMware wrote:

Pufferpunk wrote:How long has this tank been set up? You should be showing some nitrates.

The tank has been cycle for 2month.

Please explain what you mean by "cycle".

Ops.. should say tank been set up 2 months back.

Apologize.

I'm still a bit confused about the cycling of this tank. You say it was set up 2 months ago & you added the puffer 5 days ago. Were any other fish put in there between then?

How was the tank actually cycled?

I totally agree about the puffer being uncomfortable in a bare tank. Get some bushy fake plants & a cave or 2. Maybe a few rocks. Make it look like it's natural habitat. Wouldn't you be climbing the walls if you were placed in an empty room to live in, with no furniture?