The Puffer Forum

So Sol the puffer is an extremely picky eater.... I have tried everything! When I got him he was fed blood worms so I kept giving him blood worms. Now I am trying to get him into some harder food. I have tried clams, silver sides, crab, and other foods.

Any ideas for him to strike up interest? He is a lazy lazy fish...he doesn't even get up and swim at me when I walk into the room anymore. He never did the whole hand fed thing either which sucks. I have heard of garlic soaks or something along those lines. Any ideas or advice let me know! Much appreciated!


Also new tank pics up soon! 235G for Sol!

Live foods should get him eating

Starve him for a bit and then start trying some different foods.

Live earthworms seem to tempt a lot of picky puffers to eat. Fasting is also a good idea, it may take a while for him to learn that the new things are food and that's what he needs to eat. You could also try chopping something up and putting it in with his bloodworms as that might help him learn that the new taste/smell does equal food.

What about earthworms? Do you just buy ones that you use to fish? Or do you have to go to your LFS for a special kind?

fahucker wrote:What about earthworms? Do you just buy ones that you use to fish? Or do you have to go to your LFS for a special kind?

I've dug some from my garden and bought some from a bait shop. I also keep a compost full of red wigglers that I use for feeding smaller fish.

I put one in the tank I left for about 10 minutes and now I cant find it at all...maybe he likes earthworms! But I would love to keep a compost but I think it might be too hot since it is in AZ

I would try fasting. That's how I got my first Congo to eat.

The worm is still in there it was under a rock...i guess earth worms can live underwater?

As others have said, live foods generally do the trick. If he doesn't want the worms, you could try snails or waving a market shrimp in front of him. Another thing to consider would be internal parasites. Basically all puffers that are wild caught (fahakas are) have worms of one sort or another. My Congo passed lots of worms after treating him for the first time. Lack of appetite is a symptom, so it's something to consider.

Tried snails, clams, and worms. Nothing. All I can get him to eat is blood worms and a few at that my dinosaur bichir eats the rest. All he does is lay around covered in sand and thats about it.... rarely see him swim all around the tank but I guess that usual for fahakas. But when I first got him he would swim all around and almost act the GSP.

how long do you go between feedings? Try going 3-4-5 days before feeding. Make him hungry

Well from what I have read when they're young you're supposed to feed them twice a day.

I never fed mine that much, but id try going 2 days no food. Then toss in a worm and see what happens

fahucker wrote:Well from what I have read when they're young you're supposed to feed them twice a day.

He/she doesn't need twice a day. They can and will go weeks without eating and are known to do so when moved from one tank to another. As xrayjeeers stated try going 2-5 days without.