New DP... need help with her

[pinkfloydpuffer]

My new dwarf puffer, Ambellina, is a sweetie. But she seems quite nervous. She hides when she sees people. I'm baffled by this as my GSPs looooove people. But this is also making it hard for me to feed her. I tried to get her to eat some mysis shrimp today (soaked in Vitachem and GarlicGuard), but I don't think she ate any. I've heard of lots of people that had a hard time getting their DPs to start eating. Tomorrow I'm going to redecorate her tank tomorrow since presently she is just pacing up and down the back of the tank and hiding behind the big plastic pipe covered with java moss.
So, anyone have any tips to get her eating or for tank decor? I was thinking of getting some water wisteria/sprite and some more java ferns.

Oh, and are they usually so skitterish? She runs and hides everytime she sees anything move. At all.

[LilGreenPuffer]

Driftwood is pretty.

[julianchan]

Wisteria is a good way to go...does fairly ok with about 1.5WPG. That and moss. If you can find live blood or black worms, your little guy should have a good meal. I can't seem to get mine to eat anything else...other than snails.

[pinkfloydpuffer]

I have 2WPG, my moss and fern are doing great in it too, along with the help of mr. flourish and excel

I haven't seen any live bloodworms or blackworms... I have frozen obviously. I'll have to look around...

[side19]

have you put live snails in? mine love them. and as far as being skittish i guess it depends on the fish. i have one small female (the smallest in my tank) who is very shy and really only comes out to eat, while the bigger female and the male love to come and watch me as i watch them. i would try frozen blood worms too though, i heard that DPs love those things.

[LilGreenPuffer]

She's probably just settling in. She should get more inquisitive as she gets used to her new home.

[mysifier]

Aren't DP's meant to be housed with other DP's? I thought they liked company of their own kind? maybe her shyness is due to this?

[pinkfloydpuffer]

There were a few baby snails crawling around in there before I added her. I think they're still there.

I thought that was the SAPs that liked being in groups. I heard DPs were territorial.

[mysifier]

You're right, the pufferpedia does say they are teritorial, I think I just assumed they liked to be in groups because alot of people seem to keep more than one. Sorry my mistake!

[pinkfloydpuffer]

I think it's just that they can be kept i groups, unlike some puffers, but they don't necessarily have to be.

[edmlfc1]

You can always do 2F to 1M. As suggested, I think she might just be a little shy and needs to settle in.

[pinkfloydpuffer]

Well, she's in a 4g section of a divided tank, so more DPs aren't really feasible at this point. I'm hoping the new plants will help

[fishlady1958]

i have my DP's in a 20 gallon tank...i have some medium sized river rocks, sand substrate....and anubias nana plants in there along with numerous big snail shells....i have presently 5 due to adopting a give away last friday....but they are doing so well....they all get along....i have no problems in there..they all come up to the front to eat....and don't fight...
i say this now....but when i first got the 4 of them i've had in there for about 8 months.....they were really shy at first and i never saw them eat....but i would put blood worms in there all the same....eventually it took about 2-3 weeks and they started coming to the front to see me put the food in....now they come almost right up to it....in fact one or two have come to take it out of my hands a few times.....but not many.....they are quite shy little boogers...but they do get friendlier so be patient.....they will ease up.....

[pinkfloydpuffer]

Hey thanks, that's good to hear. I'll keep giving her food and hope she eats it (I have cories to clean up the extras)

I'm just baffled by it cause my GSPs always BEG me for food cause they're so hungry, one even jumped out of the tank once when I was trying to feed him cause he was so excited. I freaked lol.

[lilgirlkat]

I have 3. one is INCREDIBLY shy.. she'll eat when she's hungry...