Would like to hear your porcupine puffer methods...

[LiveBait58]

So I've recently added a small 3" porcupine puffer to my 125g and he seems to be happy, healthy, and parasite free. I've had him about 2 and a half weeks and his acclimation to his new surroundings has been a much slower process than any other fish I've ever introduced. He has made progress each day though and he doesn't seem to pay his tankmates any mind and they don't seem aggressive toward him. The problem I'm having trouble with, however, his getting him to eat foods that I'm providing. He scavenges at night and I have no way of knowing if he's getting enough to eat from that but when I target feed him (using tongs to put the food in front of him) he has no interest in the food I'm showing him. When I feed all the other fish mysis and brine at the end of the day he'll come out and get really active but he just swims straight through their food without ever eating a bite. Like I said, he seems happy and healthy but with all I've read about porcupine puffers I would think he would be eating in front of me by now. I've tried multiple foods (clams on the half shell, squid, krill, silversides) and even tried soaking in garlic but he doesn't seem interested. What are some of your methods for feeding a new puffer? Is there a time of day that usually works best? I try to feed him in the same spot so that he knows where to go for food but he moves around so much that this doesn't work either. Should I use a different method of putting food in front of him? Any other foods I should try? Any help is appreciated!

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Give it time as puffers typically are picky at first. Mine first took to grocery store shrimp and ignored them for about 48 hours. He loves little necks now. Keep offering him a variety and removing what goes uneaten

 

[lion king]

If you are sure he is parasite free he should come around, these guys do come in with internal parasites at a high rate. His stomach looks good so there's no real emergency. He does like chunkier foods like what you would chop up yourself from the market, or something like LFS. He' not really going to bother with brine or mysis.

You could also toss a few live ghost shrimp in to get a feeding response. This would only have to be done a couple of times, as if healthy, these guys take to prepared foods pretty easily.

 

[smlarson72]

I added a porcupine puffer about 2 weeks ago as well. He is a tiny thing and it took a couple of days for him to get comfortable. He refused any food I gave him in the beginning but came around when I was feeding mysis to my other guys. He will devour the mysis now. I introduced him to krill soaked in garlic and he did not like that so I just gave him plain krill. He loves krill now. I am slowly introducing other foods as well.

 

[LiveBait58]

Thanks for everyone's input so far. I'll continue to offer up different foods to see what finally takes.

I added a porcupine puffer about 2 weeks ago as well. He is a tiny thing and it took a couple of days for him to get comfortable. He refused any food I gave him in the beginning but came around when I was feeding mysis to my other guys. He will devour the mysis now.

How long did it take before he became interested in the mysis that your other fish were eating? Like I said, I'm going on almost 3 weeks now and he doesn't seem interested in any food put in the tank......whether target fed or just poured in for all other fish.

 

[Eva Rose]

My 1st puffer (a Toby) took about 3 days, then ate almost anything offered. My puffers particularly liked:
LRS foods (like Reef Frenzy
Clam on half shell (thawed from frozen)
Masstick on empty shell or piece of live rock (helps keep their beak trimmed down)
Nori

Notes:
Nori : I place it in my tank using 2 veggie clips spaced apart. Some puffers readily get in amongst tangs, angels to eat Nori. Some are bit more timid & do well having a clip away from more boisterous eaters. You can also rubber band Nori to a rock.

Meaty foods(like LRS):
I like using a turkey baster. Mix thawed frozen food with a bit of tank water in a ramekin. Now you can gently disperse it in water column a bit @ a time. I gently blow some to one side so boisterous fish can goggle there. In another direction I blow some, the more timid fish catch these bits.
Fish associate baster with food. Lots of control. Less waste. You can even target feed more reclusive burrow dwellers like jawfish. Feed rowdy fish first. While they are occupied or once they are satiated, then timid fish can eat stress free.

 

[LiveBait58]

I like using a turkey baster.

I've used a baster before, just haven't brought it out for this little guy due to his lack of interest in anything so far....but I've gotta try everything at this point. Thanks for your input!

 

[SammieT]

If you are sure he is parasite free he should come around, these guys do come in with internal parasites at a high rate. His stomach looks good so there's no real emergency. He does like chunkier foods like what you would chop up yourself from the market, or something like LFS. He' not really going to bother with brine or mysis.

You could also toss a few live ghost shrimp in to get a feeding response. This would only have to be done a couple of times, as if healthy, these guys take to prepared foods pretty easily.

I always fed mine guppies and ghost shrimp... he went crazy for them
plus is was always fun watching him chase his food

 

[lion king]

Thanks for everyone's input so far. I'll continue to offer up different foods to see what finally takes.



How long did it take before he became interested in the mysis that your other fish were eating? Like I said, I'm going on almost 3 weeks now and he doesn't seem interested in any food put in the tank......whether target fed or just poured in for all other fish.

If it's been 3 weeks and he hasn't taken to feeding, you have an issue. Porcs are usually insatiable by that time. I would add a few live ghost shrimp, if he doesn' immediately attack them, he has internal parasites, and you must treat immediately. Just because you treated once or think you know your source, does not guarantee 100%.

 

[smlarson72]

Thanks for everyone's input so far. I'll continue to offer up different foods to see what finally takes.



How long did it take before he became interested in the mysis that your other fish were eating? Like I said, I'm going on almost 3 weeks now and he doesn't seem interested in any food put in the tank......whether target fed or just poured in for all other fish.

My puffer started eating after the 2nd day. He was timid at first and now pushes his way in. I put the krill in front of him with tongs and he initially was biting the tongs. I broke the krill up and just let it float around and he came up to investigate. He took little bites and now I can feed him with the tongs. He will eat Nori from the clips I have on rach side of my tank. He also likes to sleep on the clip. Crazy baby! Lol

 

[LiveBait58]

If it's been 3 weeks and he hasn't taken to feeding, you have an issue.

I'm afraid lion king is right. I'm going to move him to the hospital tank and treat for internal parasites. It'll also be able to feed him there without competition. Thanks everyone.

 

[lion king]

I'm afraid lion king is right. I'm going to move him to the hospital tank and treat for internal parasites. It'll also be able to feed him there without competition. Thanks everyone.

General cure is best as it contains both prazi and metro, you may have to treat the water column as he is not eating. I have been very effective in the water column. After he starts eating, adding it in his food for insurance isnt a bad idea. More and more these parasites are becoming exceedingly difficult to clear.

 

[LiveBait58]

Thanks again for the input. I already have prazi so I'll start with that this evening. I'm also familiar with treating the water column as that's how I brought a copperband butterfly back from near death because of a swim bladder infection. I'll keep you updated as to how treatment goes.

 

[dochou]

how's the puffer?

 

[LiveBait58]

how's the puffer?

Well he's still not eating from me. Tuesday will be 4 weeks since we brought him home. I put him in my hospital tank and treated it with 3 doses of Prazi with no changes. I then moved him back to the display tank and at the end of the first day back in the display he developed a swollen tail behind his pectoral fins and his caudal fin. At this point I consulted with another puffer enthusiast and she thought that the signs were pointing to intestinal parasites as well........so I moved him back to the hospital tank for another round of treatment. (The swelling of his back half went down within the next day). This time I treated the water column with General Cure because of the Metronidazole in it and just finished his 2nd dose yesterday. Other than still not eating he looks and acts 100% healthy. I'm really not sure what to do at this point. I don't really have a Plan C yet. I welcome more suggestions!

 

[lion king]

General cure in the water column is the only thing you can really do. At this point I highly suggest trying live ghost shrimp to solicit a feeding response. Even when in healthy conditions some porcs require live feedings to start eating. At this point that may be the only thing that works. Even if the gc clears the parasites after a while they just won't eat.

 

[LiveBait58]

At this point I highly suggest trying live ghost shrimp to solicit a feeding response.

I'll give it a shot. Thanks.

 

[LiveBait58]

HE'S EATING!!!! So we bought a few ghost shrimp Sunday evening and watched him hesitantly eat one of them somewhat quickly......then 2 more were gone, and by the next morning all six that I had put in the tank were gone. So last night I tried introducing mysis and sure enough with a little time he started scavenging around and picking them up one by one. This is such a relief to my wife and I and we'd like to give a huge shoutout to lion king (and everyone else in this thread) for helping us with this. This is our first fish that we've ever had to stimulate a feeding response from so all suggestions helped tremendously. Thanks again!

 

[smlarson72]

That is awesome!!!