Newbie with questions
Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 12:15 am
Hi all. I am happy to have found this forum dedicated to puffers. The green puffer in the logo looks like my Kiwi! Or at least, on a good day he looks like that. I am trying to determine what is normal behaviour and eating patterns for this fish.
I bought/moved an already established predator tank about 3 weeks ago. In it are 2 puffers-- a green stars and stripes (Kiwi), a Valentini puffer (Olivander), a picasso trigger, a white tail trigger, a lion fish and a wolf eel. The previous owner did tell me that Kiwi didn't look so good some times, but that I shouldn't worry about him. But I do worry about him. He looks such a ghastly colour sometimes, and the last few days hasn't eaten much. I have been feeding a variety of seafood, but when he has eaten he seems to mostly like the shrimp or octopus. I read he should have somethign hard to wear down his teeth, so tonight I put in the crabs legs. He seemed a bit interested in that, but the triggers kept going after the same food (even though I spread it out), and he eventually gave up. I am hoping he eats more after they go to bed.
I think Kiwi may be intimidated by the other tank inhabitants, but, I'm not sure I'm right (I don't know him well enough) and I have nowhere else to move him even if he is intimidated. My dog, Maverick, is obsessed with Kiwi, I think because he looks like his tennis ball, with wings.
I worry that he is intimidated by the dog watching him so much, but oddly enough Kiwi sometimes come out of hiding spots to sit in front of Maverick, so go figure.
I am going to try and post a picture. If anyone can tell me if he looks normal, and his behaviour is normal, please let me know. Thanks,
What he looks like now:
What he used to look like (and still looks like occassionally):
I bought/moved an already established predator tank about 3 weeks ago. In it are 2 puffers-- a green stars and stripes (Kiwi), a Valentini puffer (Olivander), a picasso trigger, a white tail trigger, a lion fish and a wolf eel. The previous owner did tell me that Kiwi didn't look so good some times, but that I shouldn't worry about him. But I do worry about him. He looks such a ghastly colour sometimes, and the last few days hasn't eaten much. I have been feeding a variety of seafood, but when he has eaten he seems to mostly like the shrimp or octopus. I read he should have somethign hard to wear down his teeth, so tonight I put in the crabs legs. He seemed a bit interested in that, but the triggers kept going after the same food (even though I spread it out), and he eventually gave up. I am hoping he eats more after they go to bed.
I think Kiwi may be intimidated by the other tank inhabitants, but, I'm not sure I'm right (I don't know him well enough) and I have nowhere else to move him even if he is intimidated. My dog, Maverick, is obsessed with Kiwi, I think because he looks like his tennis ball, with wings.
I worry that he is intimidated by the dog watching him so much, but oddly enough Kiwi sometimes come out of hiding spots to sit in front of Maverick, so go figure. I am going to try and post a picture. If anyone can tell me if he looks normal, and his behaviour is normal, please let me know. Thanks,
What he looks like now:
What he used to look like (and still looks like occassionally):
