Observation about my Golden Puffer

[Feet4Fish]

I have had my GP for about four months now. GP has always been on my short list. While in QT he ate well. Once moved over to display tank just couldn’t get a strong food response from him. This continued for about 9-10 weeks. I figured either he was finding some remnants of food to eat when I wasn’t looking or perhaps since he was such a large fish he was living off his body stores but I was definitely getting concerned. I was trying all sorts of frozen/fresh foods....LRS Chunky, scallops, shrimp, mysis, krill, squid. Well, about 3-4 weeks ago I picked up so whole clams. Dropped one in the tank and the GP went nuts! He obliterated that shell and gobbled up the clam! Since that clam, he now aggressively eats any fleshy food I put in! So my only point is that if a fish is not eating for you perhaps try to recreate a food option that matches or at least comes close to what they would encounter in the ocean! Thanks for reading!

 

[Miller535]

I totally agree. I never had saltwater puffers, but I did have some brackish ones (figure 8, and green spotted), they loved clams on the half shell.

 

[Paleozoic_reefer]

That is one gorgeous fish! How big is your tank?

 

[Feet4Fish]

That is one gorgeous fish! How big is your tank?

650 display

 

[lion king]

Offering them their natural diet is always good, but just finding their favorites, Remember in the wild their food was not frozen, or dead for for that matter; this is not a pineapple under the sea. But the arothron puffers do not need live food, and are usually pigs to many offerings.

I have to target feed my yellow belly dogface, he's really kind of dumb and lazy, as well as I likely have spoiled him. I need to catch his attention and drop the food in for him, and even use a feed stick to "serve" him. If it's not too much of a pita for you, see if he will respond to a feeding stick.

 

[Roosterjack]

Most certainly jealous of such an awesome fish! Nothing to offer but wishes for success and many pics in the future.

 

[piranhaman00]

I have an eel that stopped having a strong feeding response after prazi treatment. After I found some of her favorite foods she is now eating everything like crazy again.

Cool puffer!

 

[najer]

Very nice fish, the whole clams are good for it's teeth as well.

 

[Crevalle]

I had a couple Green spotted puffers in a brackish tank. Feeding time was always a show. Most of the food I got for free since I am close to the ocean in Florida. I would pick up coquina clams, fiddler crabs, and sand fleas on beach trips which they ate live or frozen. I also kept my leftover live shrimp from fishing usually feeding them one small live one when I got home and freezing the rest. I would cut chunks to feed them with the shell. I also had a prolific email population in freshwater tanks.