The Puffer Forum

Hey guys

PH 7.5
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate just over 10 when compared to the coloured strip

20gallon with 3 gsp at 1inch in size, plz note this is not permanent, i was told they would be fine in the tank, and then later found out theyre not, im planning to rehome 2 asap

feeding all sorts, bloodworm, shrimp, cockels, mussels, etc etc

water change yesterday as part of my weekly 20%change, added my salt as usual to the replace what id taken out

SG 1.003

tank has been running for a very long time, and these guys arent new additions to the tank

Ok heres my problem, being really fussy with their food, eating bits, but ignoring the rest, and then hovering back where i drop food in waiting for more

any ideas greatly appreciated

any1? im really worried about them doing this

wait for them to eat one bit before dropping in more... so they eat it all rather than missing bits..?

how often are you feeding them?

2times per day, every day except for sundays

well they used to go mad for it all, now they just dont seem bothered?

Probably don't need to feed twice a day. Feed them once until their bellies are rounded, then don't feed them until the next day.

Are their bellies sunken after only a couple hours after eating? If so, they might have internal parasites, and with the constant feeding, the parasites have gotten bigger and worse.

IF this is the case, you'll have to treat for parasites (while they are still eating would be best). However, you need to confirm the above questions (the one about their sunken bellies) first.

Nope they stay plump pretty much all day, they look like balloons lol

Yeah, then you just need to scale back on the feeding. It's difficult to turn down their persistent begging, but it must be done.

Actually, a lot of fish die because of being overfed (causes a lot of internal problems), so you have to stick to a schedule. Less is more in terms of their health.