Porcupine Puffer not Eating... Help...

[frazin]

My Purcupine Puffer hasn't been eating for over 1.5 weeks now. I've lost my Yellow tang 4 weeks as she decided to stop eating as well. I've had this tank set up for over 3 years now. My water parameters are the following:

Ammonia= 0
Nitritres= 0
Nitrates= 10 ppm (been constant for 3 years)
Specific Gravity: 1.023
Temp: 81 degrees

I feed him frozen krill from my hand every other day, the opposite days I feed him marine formula mixed with squid. He has been the biggest and best eater out of my tank for a very long time. He's approx 3 inches long and he's living ina 50G tank. His other tank mate is now only a Damnsel.

The only difference in my puffy's looks are that he is getting skinnier and that he has a few darker spots on him ( I've read that this is a sign of stress)

Any help is appreciated.

Thank you
Jc

 

[frazin]

I forgot to add that he still gets excited when I bring food near the tank. He tries to eat the aquarium glass but then when the food hits the water.. he just sort of plays with it. Squirts water at it.. then he fakes to snap at it and then backs away.

Here are the following foods that i've tried to feed him.

Krill ( bag I had and new bag from store)
Marine Formula
Squid
Feeder Guppies
Ghost Shrimp
Freeze dried Krill

Thanks
Jc

 

[steve-s]

Do you feed the puffer any hard shelled seafoods? Could be the beak has overgrown the mouth making it difficult to eat food.

Any aggression from the damsel (what species) and how big is the puffer? A 50 gal is not really the best long term sized tank for this species?

Cheers
Steve

 

[frazin]

I've fed him mussels in full and he's bit the shell very hard. I could hear him from 50 feet away chomping at it, trying to get the food inside. LOL His beak seems normal to me as he sometimes bites my finger when I clean the tank and it still seams like a healthy bite, he just won't keep the food in his mouth.

The puffer is just about 2.5 inches long if not less.

Jc

 

[steve-s]

Be sure to feed hard shelled foods more often, it keeps the beak pruned back naturally. As far as spitting the foods out, could be the morsel size is too large. Try smaller bits of food and soak in a drop or two of garlic extract to see if that stimulates a better feeding response some.

Try a few water changes with well aged/aerated SW. You'd be suprised what that will do.

Cheers
Steve

 

[frazin]

Thanks for the tip, I started aging the water as of yesterday and I will try some fresh food food from the local Fish market.

Jc

Be sure to feed hard shelled foods more often, it keeps the beak pruned back naturally. As far as spitting the foods out, could be the morsel size is too large. Try smaller bits of food and soak in a drop or two of garlic extract to see if that stimulates a better feeding response some.

Try a few water changes with well aged/aerated SW. You'd be suprised what that will do.

Cheers
Steve

 

[ashobson]

My puffer would eat live food the best. Try some feeder coupes.

 

[steve-s]

feeder coupes

Cheers
Steve

 

[electrikat]

I'm thinking they meant guppies. And frazin already said they tried them.

 

[electrikat]

Did I do a good job of not assigning a gender to these to people by saying they instead of he/she? It's kinda hard not to say he or she isn't it?

 

[steve-s]

It's kinda hard not to say he or she isn't it?

Drives me insane actually...

Cheers
Steve