The Puffer Forum

I received a dogface puffer 5 days ago who is about 1 year old caught from the wild and is very portly (lots of body fat) for a dogface. However, I cannot get him to take any food. He acts and swims around normally, but puts his nose up to any food I offer. I have tried the following multiple times: Frozen Krill, Frozen Mysis Shrimp, Frozen Brine, Fresh Mussels, Scallops, Pellets, Shrimp Pellets. Not sure what else I should try or if I should wait it out. If I wait it out, not sure how long and then what?

Generally, wild-caught fish that are not housed in captivity for long are not portly. I wonder if something else is wrong with him? Can you post a pic? Wild-caught fish are used to eating live foods. Start with a fiddler crab or gut-loaded ghost shrimp.

Pufferpunk wrote:Generally, wild-caught fish that are not housed in captivity for long are not portly. I wonder if something else is wrong with him? Can you post a pic? Wild-caught fish are used to eating live foods. Start with a fiddler crab or gut-loaded ghost shrimp.

When I say portly, I mean stocky. He is not slender, he is like a baby seal. I do not want to get started on live food for a variety of reasons.

Maybe he's compensating for overeating then.

Then you may have to spend a lot of time training it to dead foods. You can't always get that done before they starve so often you need to start with live food.

since he is wild caught you wouldnt be getting started wild food because in the wild thats what hes used 2...since hes wild and only 1 year he probly just hasnt started on dead foods yet