The Puffer Forum

I got this cute 3 inch porcupine puffer last friday, I interduced him to his new 20 gallon QT tank for the next couple of weeks till he has adjusted and I have figured out his eating habbits. Then he will go into a 150. The QT is in a quiet room he is the only fish in the tank. I don't have any rocks in the tank for him to hide in but there is a coffee cup in there that he can use, i didn't want to put any live rock or lace rock in this tank since I don't have high watt lights on the tank, there is also no background on the tank as well. All he has been doing since I got him is pacing in the back of the tank with is back to me. He will eat any FW ramshorn snail that I put in there, but he has no interest in, shrimp,squid,marine cuisine, mysis shrimp, silversides, mussels, crab meat. The only thing I can get him to eat is a small bite of krill, as many snails as I will put in the tank and a bloodworm or two. Yesterday was the first time that he ate a bunch of bloodworms. I got him to eat a whole cubes worth. I dont' want him to just want to eat bloodworms and snails all the time in fear of a poor diet. My two dogface puffers eat anything I put in the tank. My water tests come out fine this tank has been running for over 6 months now. Should I put one of my yellow tail damsels in there to make him less shy? and to get him into the habbit of wanting to eat more of a variety diet, I was thinking if he sees the other fish eat he might want what it is eating. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance. Oh I was reading puffers like peas, what type do I get just a bag of frozen ones and thaw them out. I thought that was like x-lax for fish??

Peas should only be given as a treat every so often. Mine, as well as some other's go nuts over them though.

He might still be adjusting to the Q/T which is why he is being a picky eater.

Try using garlic spray on the foods he isn't showing interest in. That will usually entice a fish enough *^_^*

I did soak some of the other foods in garlic didn't even pay any attention to them, I will try again when I get off work. I think I will cover the back and sides of the tank with a blue or black background as well.

Coming from the wild, he may only be used to foods that are moving. Bounce a shrimp off a piece of thread after not feeding him anything for 3 days. You can also try live crabs.