Puffer too thin?

[mlefessler]

Update: These guys will NOT eat anything that is NOT a bloodworm. I've tried every single remedy (garlic, holding back feeding for a day, etc.) to get these finicky puffers to eat something that's NOT a bloodworm. I've even tried taking some bloodworms and plankton and mixing them together and feeding them at the same time. Nope. Nada. Ate bloodworm and swam right past the plankton. What the heck. I'm trying to offer them a variety of foods, but they won't take it. They can't live on a diet of JUST blooworms.

Any suggestions?

 

[SpockthePuffer]

I know my GSP loves mussels and shrimp, have you tried them? With mussel you can just drop it in the tank and leave it there for an hour and see if they will pick at it.
Maybe try soaking whatever food your are trying in bloodworm juice so they think its bloodworms?
I've never had a problem getting my puffers to eat, they usually eat too much!

 

[mlefessler]

Hmmm, good point with the mussel. As far as shrimp goes, I've yet to try that. I'm a vegetarian, so it's not like I go out to the store and buy shrimp for me to eat. Hehe.

As far as the shrimp and mussel goes.....I assume raw is the best choice? How often do you feed them that? How much is enough?

The 'thin" puffer isn't so "thin" anymore. I think the parasitic meds worked to some degree. He's starting to fatten up! Whee! Now it's just the battle to get them to eat something that's not a bloodworm. Hehe.

 

[SpockthePuffer]

You can just pick up the raw shrimp and mussels from the grocery store in the seafood section, then freeze them (that will kill any parasites) and then defrost some in cup of tank water.

I just hold the shrimp or mussel in the water and let my puffer eat it, since both my puffers are small it only takes a few bites so dropping it in would be a hassle and they would eat way too much. Just feed until they have their fat tummies, lol. I just keep the left overs in the cup of water in the fridge until next feeding.

I don't eat seafood either, its so gross opening the fridge and getting the smell of gross seafood but I do it for my lovely little puffs!

Thats good that he is fattening up

Do you feed snails at all? I'm not sure if you know this or not but they need something crunchy, like snails, in their diet to make sure their teeth don't become overgrown.

 

[mlefessler]

In relation to freezing the raw shrimp/mussel, I can't buy just frozen ones? Or I guess if they're already frozen, then they're cooked, right? (Haha....you can tell I know nothing about seafood!) Guess I'll go to the store and get ONE shrimp.....no point in buying a bunch when I don't even know if they'll take it.....and I sure as heck won't eat 'em. Hehe! The person is gonna think I'm crazy just getting ONE shrimp. Hehe! But, I will definitely try - would it be a good idea to perhaps try to soak it in bloodworm "juice" and/or garlic since it's a new food to try to entice them?

Pfffft. Snails? Are you kidding me? I've tried so many times! I keep the little ones in my betta tank (not the MTS, but the little pond-like snails). Here's how it goes when trying to feed them a snail:

I drop one in next to them to get their attention.
"Oooooh! Food? Oh, just a snail. I suppose I'll take a nibble. *nibble* Nope. Don't want it. *swims away to the front of the glass where I'm standing* Give me bloodworms!"

And of course I have to go back in the tank and take it out because surely they can't take the salt and will just die and rot away.

Goodness! Hehe - this is surely a battle to get them to eat something other than blooworms. You'd think they'd take any food, but nooooo.

 

[SpockthePuffer]

Oh believe me, the people at the grocery store think I'm nuts because I'll just a few of different things, then I say oh its not for me its for my fish and I get an even weirder look!

It will say if its already cooked. Cooked isn't necessarily bad but sometimes they are cooked with butter or oil which we wouldn't want to feed our puffers.

I heard someone suggest on another forum to take the snail shell and then kind of mash some food into, in your case mash some bloodworms into it. I don't know how well it would work and you would probably have to use a toothpick since the snails are so small.

You would be jealous of how unpicky my GSP is, he even took a bite out of a carrot once! (don't ask how the carrot got in his tank, lol)

Soaking in bloodworm juice might be the trick to get them to eat other foods, maybe try some with garlic and some without.

 

[Pufferpunk]

FEEDING YOUR PUFFER

 

[susanafite]

5

 

[susanafite]

Nice Pic : ) Hey I have a very similar problem. One puffer is fat (Fat Burger) and the other one is really skinny (Samson). I have a 49 gallon tank with 4 bumble bee gobies and one red clawed crab. I never see them poo, but in the morning there is black stuff all on the sand. I guessing that is their poo. Should I treat the whole tank or should I take the skinny one out and just treat him?. I have a 10 gallon tank laying around, but I would have to cycle it, right? I don't know if there is time. Any suggestions?
This weekend I even tried getting a ton of snails followed by blood worms. He ate them all, but he still never got a fat belly. I'm worried about how the meds will affect the crab.

 

[SpockthePuffer]

You actually soak ip medicine in the puffers food and feed them that, you don't put it in the tank so I don't think it will affect the crab but maybe someone else will have an opinion...