feeding porcupine puffer

[electrikat]

My lfs said to feed my new puffer with shrimp from the grocery store. He gave us a wooden skewer to feed it with but the puffer just ignores it. I haven't actually seen him eat in nearly a week but I keep dropping small chunks of shrimp in the corner where he lives. I can't tell if he's getting any of it or if the trigger is getting it as he needs it. Any help would be deeply appreciated.

 

[jamal-188]

They can go on hunger strikes so a week isn't too terribly long....was he eating this shrimp at the store before you purchased him?

My pocupine puffer is extremly picky, he will only eat kril so you might want to try some other meaty food and see if that interested him. I would recommend squid, crab, silversides, etc...

 

[electrikat]

porcupine puffer

I had been watching him in the lfs for a week so can only assume that he was eating and with the guy telling me that he eats shrimp I again assumed that he was eating. I have some dried krill in the cabinet so I will try that till tommorrow when I can call the lfs. Thanks for the advice and I also have some frozen squid blocks in the freezer so I'll try both.

 

[Hara]

never assume they are eating at the store. Always ask to see the fish eat first. If the stuff you try does not work, get something in the shell. Like mussels or clams. Then crack the shell slightly for the fish and toss it in the tank.

 

[srgetz]

Yea I agree on trying live food, puffers love feeder fish, even small puffers will chase them like crazy. Then maybe you can get him onto other foods...

 

[Hara]

I was not suggesting live foods like feeder fish....freshwater fish are not healthy for saltwater fish. I meant the clams etc from the local grocer seafood case. After they eat that dependably, you can stuff the empty shells with shrimp and whatever else you want to be feeding and they will usually get trained to eat frozen food that way.

 

[Nitrate]

kat,
Did you get that cute little fella from Bridgemans?

 

[electrikat]

yes that's him. He is beautiful and has the brightest blue eyes. I thought something was wrong with his eyes but they said they are supposed to be blue. He seems fine but I just don't see him actually eat. But I'm trying some of the advice from here so wish me luck.

 

[electrikat]

Success! I finally got tired of irritating him with the skewer so I just dropped enough for him and the trigger( in front of each) then sat down on the couch and watched. Pretty soon he's scarfing on shrimp, shells and all(for their teeth right?). Thanks all.

 

[sharon a]

I have a porcupine puffer. I was told he was eating shrimp too. But he would not touch a piece of shrimp. He loves mussels. I buy them in a bag from the grocery store frozen. He likes to eat at night when the other fish are quiet. I cut it in three pieces and just drop it in. I agree they have the cutest big blue eyes. And when I walk up to the tank or past it he swims out of him home and looks through the tank with those eyes. I think of him more like a pet then a fish. I guess because he is big and round and interacts with me. I would NOT feed him live fish. I had a puffer years ago and made that mistake. I had to get rid of him after that because he started eating any live fish in the tank that would fit in his mouth.
Sharon