New Dwarf Puffers Not Eating!
Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2017 11:42 pm
Hey everyone, I'm new to the forum so please take it easy on me. 
I been keeping two dwarf puffers in a fully cycled 10 gallon tank for about a month now. (One male, one female) The tank itself is moderately planted and the water parameters are all in check. (Temperature - 78F pH - 7.1 Nitrite 0.0 Nitrate <50) I do a 50-55% water change weekly. The two puffers that I been keeping are doing great. They eat like pigs and are always plump and happy.
On Friday, I decided to add two more additions to the family. (Both female) So that makes for four dwarf puffers in a 10 gallon tank. I know, I know don't chew me out just yet. I do plan to move them to a 20 gallon long very soon. In all honesty I don't think i'll need to move them anytime soon. They seem to all enjoy each others company and hardly ever chase or show aggression towards one another. The three females always stick together, while the male guards his driftwood home. All four of the puffers are approximately an inch each, so they're not babies anymore.
So here's the problem. The two puffers I just received haven't been eating at all. Its been two days since I've gotten them. They seem perfectly fine and show no signs of IP (Internal Parasites). Just as a precaution, I've been treating the tank with Tetra Safeguard. All of the puffers are always around and about. Either surfing the glass or bobbing and weaving through the plants. They never lay in one spot in the back of the tank. (like most DPs with IPs do) I really don't suspect IPs to be effecting their appetite, but just as another precaution, I ordered PraziPro via Amazon Prime.
I feed my DPs frozen blood worms only, The two puffers I've been keeping for a month now love eating them. I wish it was the same for the others. The two puffers I got Friday will not eat the frozen blood worms. I know they're hungry because their tummies are flat. When it's feeding time the two puffers watch as the other two devour the blood worms. They only ever seem interested when the worms are falling towards the tank floor. Which leads me to believe they only like live food. I'm a college student and can't really afford live foods, nor does the LFS offer any. The puffers bite and nibble at the blood worms but never fully eat it. They look like they're about to eat the entire blood worm, just to spit it out at the end. I tried to add garlic to the blood worms only to have the same outcome.
I really can't afford to maintain a steady supply of live food. My question to the lovely members of ThePufferForum is, after awhile the DPs will get very very hungry, will the DPs starve themselves to death before eating the frozen blood worms? I'm really concerned and I want the new DPs to be plump and happy like the other two. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance everyone, really looking forward to your replies.
I been keeping two dwarf puffers in a fully cycled 10 gallon tank for about a month now. (One male, one female) The tank itself is moderately planted and the water parameters are all in check. (Temperature - 78F pH - 7.1 Nitrite 0.0 Nitrate <50) I do a 50-55% water change weekly. The two puffers that I been keeping are doing great. They eat like pigs and are always plump and happy.
On Friday, I decided to add two more additions to the family. (Both female) So that makes for four dwarf puffers in a 10 gallon tank. I know, I know don't chew me out just yet. I do plan to move them to a 20 gallon long very soon. In all honesty I don't think i'll need to move them anytime soon. They seem to all enjoy each others company and hardly ever chase or show aggression towards one another. The three females always stick together, while the male guards his driftwood home. All four of the puffers are approximately an inch each, so they're not babies anymore.
So here's the problem. The two puffers I just received haven't been eating at all. Its been two days since I've gotten them. They seem perfectly fine and show no signs of IP (Internal Parasites). Just as a precaution, I've been treating the tank with Tetra Safeguard. All of the puffers are always around and about. Either surfing the glass or bobbing and weaving through the plants. They never lay in one spot in the back of the tank. (like most DPs with IPs do) I really don't suspect IPs to be effecting their appetite, but just as another precaution, I ordered PraziPro via Amazon Prime.
I feed my DPs frozen blood worms only, The two puffers I've been keeping for a month now love eating them. I wish it was the same for the others. The two puffers I got Friday will not eat the frozen blood worms. I know they're hungry because their tummies are flat. When it's feeding time the two puffers watch as the other two devour the blood worms. They only ever seem interested when the worms are falling towards the tank floor. Which leads me to believe they only like live food. I'm a college student and can't really afford live foods, nor does the LFS offer any. The puffers bite and nibble at the blood worms but never fully eat it. They look like they're about to eat the entire blood worm, just to spit it out at the end. I tried to add garlic to the blood worms only to have the same outcome.
I really can't afford to maintain a steady supply of live food. My question to the lovely members of ThePufferForum is, after awhile the DPs will get very very hungry, will the DPs starve themselves to death before eating the frozen blood worms? I'm really concerned and I want the new DPs to be plump and happy like the other two. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance everyone, really looking forward to your replies.
