Porcupine Puffer feeding question
Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:06 pm
I have had my porcupine puffer for almost a month now. I have a 65g tank, 50lb live rock, live sand, and a fluval 305. He is about 4-5 inches, so I'm assuming he is about one year old (per lfs). I have two inquiries concerning feeding: How often should I feed him and how much and how can I get him to eat new foods?
Within an hour of getting him, he was eating krill right out of my hand. The lfs said krill would be fine for him to eat. I was told that I should him every day, and give him extra some days. Once I started researching this forum, I learned that I should not be feeding krill because it will give him lockjaw. The only problem is, that is the only thing I have been able to get him to eat other than ghost shrimp. The problem with ghost shrimp is he doesn't always catch them and they hide and probably die. I have tried feeding him squid, but he won't eat it. I even tricked him into eating it once by attaching it to krill and he just spit out the squid. I tried feeding him clams in a half shell and he bit at it real fast and then ignored it and it just fell to the ground. I figured it was too big for him. I have recently even put nerite snails on the glass of the tank and he doesn't eat them either. He picked at them a couple times, but doesn't pull them off the glass. He doesn't try to eat the small hermits either. He also won't eat plankton or frozen brine shrimp. I'm afraid to stop feeding him krill in fear of starving him, but I don't know what else to try. I also need to find a shelled food to keep his teeth from overgrowing, but I can't figure out how to get him to eat it.
Another random question: I have recently reduced his feeding to 2-3 pieces of krill, once a day, and I don't know if it has anything to do with it, but he doesn't come up to the glass as much for attention. He has gradually gotten calmer or somewhat depressed. He will just find a spot between the rocks to wedge himself and I can only get his attention by pulling out my feeding tongs. Once he is out and swimming around, he seems happy though.
All advice is appreciated.
Within an hour of getting him, he was eating krill right out of my hand. The lfs said krill would be fine for him to eat. I was told that I should him every day, and give him extra some days. Once I started researching this forum, I learned that I should not be feeding krill because it will give him lockjaw. The only problem is, that is the only thing I have been able to get him to eat other than ghost shrimp. The problem with ghost shrimp is he doesn't always catch them and they hide and probably die. I have tried feeding him squid, but he won't eat it. I even tricked him into eating it once by attaching it to krill and he just spit out the squid. I tried feeding him clams in a half shell and he bit at it real fast and then ignored it and it just fell to the ground. I figured it was too big for him. I have recently even put nerite snails on the glass of the tank and he doesn't eat them either. He picked at them a couple times, but doesn't pull them off the glass. He doesn't try to eat the small hermits either. He also won't eat plankton or frozen brine shrimp. I'm afraid to stop feeding him krill in fear of starving him, but I don't know what else to try. I also need to find a shelled food to keep his teeth from overgrowing, but I can't figure out how to get him to eat it.
Another random question: I have recently reduced his feeding to 2-3 pieces of krill, once a day, and I don't know if it has anything to do with it, but he doesn't come up to the glass as much for attention. He has gradually gotten calmer or somewhat depressed. He will just find a spot between the rocks to wedge himself and I can only get his attention by pulling out my feeding tongs. Once he is out and swimming around, he seems happy though.
All advice is appreciated.