feeding the dwarf puffer

[Skibum3]

So about a month ago I bought a dwarf puffer from the LFS. he never ate any of the frozen or flake food I put in there. he just stared at it, but wouldn't eat it.
Then I heard they like snails, so I got some little pond snails and put them in the tank. Again, he notices them, but he just stares at them. never attacking. so I don't want him to die, and his stomach is looking sunken.
Please, any advice is appreciated!
All water parameters are fine etc

 

[azmodan]

Have any access to live food? Daphnia, blackworms, brine shrimp, mosquito larva could all work. You could also try throwing in some ghost shrimp or any cheap neos. What I do with my red eyed puffer is take a frozen bloodworm and use my plant tweezers to drag it through the water. This gets his attention very quickly haha and he ends up darting after it.

 

[ziggynjiggy]

My lil puffs eat daphnia aka water fleas, mosquito larvae, and will attack and eat snails as large as themselves. Shame on the lfs for not giving you better feeding advice--or apparently none. Bloodworms are also good and with patience can probably get them to eat thawed frozen ones or possibly freezed dried ones. Keep a population of snails in the tank any way--your puff may learn to eat them. Also if you have enough room -why not get another puff or two--sometimes a little competition will encourage fish to eat, however if you add more puffs be sure the tank is well planted and has some wood and/or rocks-this will help with any territory disputes.

 

[Mcgolg76]

My dp is a nightmare to feed. When I first got him he would eat frozen bloodworms off tweezers but one just decided he doesn't like them anymore. Only thing he will eat is live brine shrimp and pest snails.

 

[Laser]

I would try frozen bloodworms. Most puffers will devour them. If that doesn't work you can try crushing one of the pond snails for him. Once he realizes they are food he may go after them.

 

[pip walters]

Try live earthworms - small ones broken into pieces will still wriggle and get his attention. Once he realises you are the bringer of food, he may be more adventurous with his munching