The Puffer Forum

I have had her for about 3 weeks now. My sg is 1.022, amm. 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5-10, PH 8.2, use instant ocean, use RO/DI water, tank is 125 gallons, fish in tank are: 2 GSP's 3in & 3.5" and my porcupine puffer 3", also have live rock.

Ok I have been giving my porcupine puffer gut loaded ghost shrimp every 3-4 days, this is all she would eat, and trying other things siverslides, clams, mussels, meal worms, krill, brime shrimp & blood worms (all frozen food) defrosted in tank water soaked in garlic. I tricked her once into eating siverslides after soaking them in garlic. She is not falling for it again. She is picking at things and then spitting them out. She is always swimming around face down looking for food, when she sees me she rushes to the glass and swims normal. She watches when I put food in the tank and swims over to have a look, take a nip and nothing. I tried tieing things to a string so that it looks alive, I have put things in front of the powerheads so it will fly by her. This does catch her intrest for a second or two but she's being finiky. She has not eaten anything I have tried in the last 3 days. I know she can go a while without eating but if I gut load the ghost shrimp and soak them in garlic for about 15-30 minutes to give them the garlic taste will that work? Actually I was thinking of getting her to eat the ghost shrimp with the garlic taste and then soaking other food in garlic so that it still has the same taste. Has anyone tried this? I am totally open to suggestions!

The ones we get in at my pet store job often won't eat much at first, but live earthworms always eventually work.

also, I don't know much about porcs, but try a pea. Everything I have eats peas.
just a suggestion...

Puffer doesn't exactly sound sick--just new. Moving this to SW Puffers.

Are you using live mealworms?
Pea's sound like a good idea too. I'm sure it will come around soon enough.

Nick wrote:The ones we get in at my pet store job often won't eat much at first, but live earthworms always eventually work.

I tried to find live earthworms with no luck. I am going to the "big city" this saturday. I'll see if any of the pet stores in the area have any.

crazedpuffer wrote:Are you using live mealworms?
Pea's sound like a good idea too. I'm sure it will come around soon enough.

The mealworms are in a can not live. I put them in the freezer so they would last longer and defrost them when I need them. I haven't tried pea's yet but I'll try that tonight.

Last night I tied a string to the lighting with a siverslide on the end and left it there. This morning I got up and it was gone. I don't know if the porc ate it or if the gsp's ate it. I might put another on the string tonight also.

Jase wrote:also, I don't know much about porcs, but try a pea. Everything I have eats peas.
just a suggestion...

When you feed pea's do you peel the skin off or leave it on?

it's usually best to peel it off. good luck

I agree with the others on live earth worms, I've never met a puffer that won't eat them. You could also try feeding some snails (about the size of the puffers eye).

You could try to start by freshly killing the shrimp and dropping it in the tank. If it eats the freshly killed shrimp you can try to mix other things with the dead shrimp.

Try live meal worms, it works great.

I cannot find live worms of any kind around town. We only have 3 lfs here. But saturday I will be going to Houston and I have a list of fish stores I want to check out. Hopefully at least one of them will have live worms. She is still refusing to eat anything I try to give her and I am just as stubborn. I am refusing to give in and let her have ghost shrimp. If she don't eat by tomorrow I'll give her a few and then I will wait about 4-5 days before I give in again. Meanwhile I will keep trying everything else. I will keep everyone posted on my progress.

Try Kmart.

All the Kmarts around here have closed about 4 years ago. I'll do a search and see if they have one in Houston. Thanks for the suggestion.

Academy may have some if they are still there. it's been about 8 years since I lived in Katy.

Jase wrote:Academy may have some if they are still there. it's been about 8 years since I lived in Katy.

That's so funny! I was searching the internet on where to buy live worms and Bass Pro Shop popped up. I think they have one in town. Then my husband said what about Academy I think I saw them there before also. He said to also try Gander Mountain. So I will be going to those 3 places today as soon as they open. They are all really close to each other here. If I find some there I will post who had them. Just in case someone else needs them.

yeah, I wish BPS was there when I lived there! they will prolly have them too.
good luck.