new puffer won't eat anything but nips @ all plastics in qt

[david campbell]

ok replacement 3-4" PORCUPINE puffer been in qt two days under a Praziquantel Treatment got to get this figured out or he won't last much longer. looks hungry acts very hungry but does not eat anything i give him? i see hes flopping around at the surface when i come in, i see him trying to eat my white plastic temp probe and my black wavemaker cage, but will not touch any food ive tried here's the list

mussel on the half shell
claim on the half shell
fresh shrimp
fresh squid
iqf pro salt clam strips
iqf frozen crab clusters
jumbo mysis

i mean he's telling me to feed him cause when i do not give him something he PUFFS UP but dang dude i do not speak puffer

what do i feed him he looked straved at the fish store so im being to understand why an suggestions?

 

[Hermie]

try a nori sheet just because you haven't yet (according to the list); it might be enough to get it back to eating meaty foods. Some puffers do eat nori.

 

[Storm Trooper Reefer]

Type of puffer and size please?

 

[david campbell]

3-4" Porcupine puffer HES SO HUNGRY his belly is very concaved/ sunken. going to try nori now.

 

[david campbell]

Nori was a fail. been in qt two days under a Praziquantel Treatment

 

[smlarson72]

Mine started out that small and he would eat the Hikari Seaweed Extreme floating pellets. Maybe try those.

 

[garbled]

Maybe throw 1-2 live astrea snails in there? Or would the medications you are running just kill them outright? Does he make the attempt at food, or just ignore it completely? When he nips at plastic, are his jaws moving properly, like does he actually make the bite, or is it possible he has lockjaw and isn't able to open his mouth?

 

[david campbell]

I tried a snail as well no luck, I tried nori NADA, I have some veggie discs ill try next, when I feed him he swims to it smells it (I assume) then ignores it, as for the plastics he makes the bite. I'm getting ready to go buy some krill and perform a water change

 

[lion king]

Try live ghost shrimp, sometimes these guys need something live to get them started. All the food you've offered would normally happily be accepted by these guys. If you can't find ghosties, a small fiddler crab. It usually only takes a couple of live feedings to get thesd guys going.

If the other tank mates permit, some even include fiddler crabs as part of their normal diet.

 

[Hermie]

Mealworms are a possibility but I dont know if porcupine puffers eat them. My GSP eats them like spaghetti.

 

[david campbell]

Well I got him to eat a few small SMALL pieces of mussle and one krill. I mean he made a heck of a mess so not sure how much he really ate.Only because I placed it directly into his mouth. So very odd.. I mean is he blind? Anyone else every force feed before. I'm going to pick up some ghost shrimp shortly. I bought some frozen and dried krill no luck. This maynot be a right food issue. Cause I have about went thru every average food type we can name.. I treat a combination of api GC, EM an ich x, I was out of GC so I fell back on prazi pro with ich x. I have changed the water just now so I'm going to go get some GC shortly. Another odd point is his water turns cloudy quick. I've never seen that before in a qt.. my qt is always running and clear.

 

[lion king]

While it is not uncommon for porc's to be difficult to feed occasionally, and needing something live to start them off. They are also susceptible to reacts toward meds. Prazi is usually fine, and gc contains prazi and metro: so there is usually no issues there. Ick x contains formaldehyde which I would never expose to my fish. I don't know EL is, puffers are one species where treatments hzve to be carefully considered.

 

[Justin_Reef]

I’ve had to force feed them in the past. I find foods like chunks of tiger prawn or squid good because it’s a little less messy. I’d basically rub it in their lips and gently push into their mouth until they bite. It can be a lot of work but eventually they’ll eat and never stop eating lol

 

[garbled]

I've had to forcefeed a porcupine with lockjaw. Basically I would use a syringe to blast the ground up food in past his teeth. I think I was just using mysis at that point.

 

[ReefHog]

I’d hold off on the GC for now. Keep an eye on ammonia with all that uneaten food in the tank. I’d vacuum all that uneaten food. I would use tweezers to entice him to eat krill, shrimp or squid. When he bites it shake it and don’t let go right away. This is the best way to feed them and way less messy. If he doesn’t eat then pull the food and try again in a few hours.

 

[david campbell]

He ate some ghost shrimp I got from a friend yesterday. this morning he ate a mussel. Signs pointing in a good direction now. Thanks yall.

 

[groydollar]

mine devours frozen krill. I just defrost it for 5 minutes and drop them in one at a time. He eats 2 or 3 twice a day.

 

[lion king]

mine devours frozen krill. I just defrost it for 5 minutes and drop them in one at a time. He eats 2 or 3 twice a day.

Just a heads up, krill contains a large amount of thiaminese, which binds vit B1. Puffers seem to be susceptible at developing lockjaw after a year or two if krill is a dominant part of their diet.