My figure 8 puffer.

[neoginn]

I have had my figure 8 puffer for a few weeks now and I feed it freeze dried krill, snails (when they magically appear in my other tanks), black worms, and live feeder fish. Even though I see his belly is nice and full, I have never seen him poop. Is this normal? do they hide thier poop like squirrels?

Also the black ghost knife fish which i also recently got does not seem to live up to the articles written about him and the posts which surround him at the LFS, he is not aggressive at all, not even semi-aggressive. I feed him live black worms, but he does not want to look for them...he expects me to put it in his cave. The problem is keeping my gourmai away long enough for him to eat, I solved it by just pushing his food deep in his cave. what else can my ghost knife eat because buying black worms every week sure can get expensive.

 

[WaterPond]

figure eight puffers are brackish fish. I don'[t know if that has anything to do with your problem

 

[Guest]

i believe black ghosts are both nocturnal and shy. that may be why he doesn't "come out" to eat. you are doing the right thing feeding him in his cave.

i may be wrong that they are nocturnal, but i seem to remember they are. and they are VERY shy.

 

[hc8719]

frozen blood worms and brine shrimp are cheaper than any flakes or freezedried food...

im guessing your Black ghost knife is small, you bought him more recently?
because if it is, this explains why he isnt semi aggressive yet, when he gets bigger, he'll become bolder, and wont mind eatting small fish (neons, cherry barbs...) and might even brutally kill ghost shrimp.

also, they dont come out to much during the day, and will definately feel intimidated by a fish their size or bigger when they're young. and by nature they feed at night also.

i just wait till its dark, shake some bloodworms or brine shrimp near the bottom of the tank so none of the other fish steal them

 

[neoginn]

I keep my figure 8 puffer in a brackish tank. but still... i have never seen him poop. he is not sick i think. I am just curious.

I never thought about feeding my black ghost knife some blood worms. I know they come in cubes, but how much should i give him. and should i thaw the blood worms...heck will he even eat the blood worms?

 

[hc8719]

I never thought about feeding my black ghost knife some blood worms. I know they come in cubes, but how much should i give him. and should i thaw the blood worms...heck will he even eat the blood worms?

of course he'll eat them, you think i made that up.

they dont all come in cubes, there are some that just come in a big pouch, just wave a chunk near the bgk until enough fall off, then put the rest back in the freezer. same with frozen brine shrimp.

i dunno if i already stated this, put they almost always refuse flakes, and they cant live on them either (not enough protein i guess)