My new Spiny Box Puffer will not eat

tonester

tonester

Member
I just purchased a Spiny Box Puffer a few days ago and he is not eating. Any suggestions on what to feed him? I have tried Live Fish, Krill, Mysis, and brine, we even tried holding him and placing the fish in his mouth but he just spit it out. Does anyone have any suggestions, or could it be that he is just getting adjusted to the tank?
Any help would be great, I don't want anything bad to happen to him....
 
titan

titan

Member
He's more than likely on a hunger strike from the stress of being moved, new tank, enviroment etc. Don't force feed him by shoving fish down his throat, just leave him be for now, as your probably stressing him even moreso. SpinyBox puffers are one of the most challenging puffer's to house, and refusing to eat is common. Just give it some time; any bully tankmates? Is he in QT?
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
Sounds like he is just getting adjusted to the tank. I would try offering live foods such as brine shrimp, black worms, and ghost shrimp to try to entice him to begin eating. Once he begins eating, you can switch him onto krill, nori, Formula A, mysis shrimp, prawn, etc.
 
tonester

tonester

Member
No he's not in QT and I do have 3 damsels (Hopefully he will eat them) but they don't even think about getting close to him, they actually go run and hide.
I also think that he is just trying to get use to the tank, when I got him at my LFS they had just received him that morning.
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
Two moves in one day will definitely stress a fish. Just give hime some time and try to make him feel comfortable.
 
jon321

jon321

Member
With my porc puffer I had to throw in a guppy, after he munched that down he ate EVERYTHING, and i mean EVERYTHING, rocks, sand, heater, powerheads... :notsure: ..just needs something to get him outta the hunger strike. Just keep trying, its all you can really do.
Jon
 
tonester

tonester

Member
yikes, i don't want him chewing on my heater or power head, but he's more than welcome to chew on those da** damsels
 
i<3fish

i<3fish

Member
My Dogface LOVES shrimp. Just buy raw, uncooked shrimp from the grocery store, thaw it in tank water (maybe with a little garlic) and I drop it in. But he eats from my hand when I have time. Good luck, and TRY GARLIC! Thay cant resist! Plus its good for them. Keep us updated.
 
S

surfinusa

Guest
hes probably stressed and just getting settled in just about all of my fish havent eaten for at least 2 days
 
martinez12

martinez12

Member
I had the same problem with my porcupine puffer when i put him in he didn't want to eat, so i got some damsels and he still didn't eat, so i got some krill and put it on a stick and moved around his face for a while he was scared at the begining but now he he eats from my hand(Not recomended to feed from hand they will bite) but he's probably just stressed out from the move!!! hope this helps.
 
tonester

tonester

Member
ARG..... Still nothing, I have tried everything under the sun, but no go, and to boot, he has now developed Ich...... I have QT him for now, hopefully he will survive......
But since he hasn't been eating, he must be weak
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
Well, either that, or there is something wrong with one of your water parameters. Check your water paraemters: pH, kH, ammonia, nitrities, and nitrates.
What kinds of live foods have you tried?
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
I can only give you examples of how mine is .spiney box fish puffers are like a berameter when something isnt just perfect in its enviroment.ph should be 8.3 if mine drops to 8.1 he stops eating and pouts in a corner. how big is yours?.if the food is too small he wont bother with it anyways. they do love squid and krill( not freeze dried). make sure your water quality is good he will not tolerate dirty water. they tend to be a bit more intolerable then a normal puffer.as for the ich and not eating start ading selcon and galric extreme directly to the water of the tank daily this will help boost the fishes appetite and imune system.garlic extreme is a garlic extract(high concentrate)vit c selcon provided vit c, and b12 and essintial amino acids.these nutrients will be absorbed through the gills which is a direct link to the main blood stream of your fish.fresh cut garlic wil not as effective due to puffers normally wont touch it or veggies.good foods for him not only include krill and squid but also silverslides ,scallops ,crab meat (uncooked),raw shrimp. puffers are sensetive to normal copper treatments.ps hes not going to eat your smaller fish they prefer slow moving pray and will normally pick it right off the bottom.
 
tonester

tonester

Member
I woke up Sunday morning and my puffer died
. I don't know exactly why he was dead, but I had a flat anemone that had died a few days earlier and think that might have effected it also.
I have done 1 25% water change as per the instructions on the Ich bottle and will be doing another 25% this afternoon.
I am going to hold off awhile until I get my next puffer.
Thanks for all the advice!!
 
tonester

tonester

Member
Yea I was sad, he had a lot of personality and he would not touch my corals and other inverts. He liked to follow me as I walked from one side of the tank to the other.
I used Kordon RId Ich+
I will prob never use it again, it kill my xenias and I think it has affected some of my Leathers, they seem droopy.
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
i just did some checking on this product
this is what i found

[hr]
Combination fish medication with two powerful ingredients for effective treatment against Ich. Safer than other medications for scaleless fishes as well as catfish and tetras. Controls Ich and a wide range of external freshwater protozoan diseases including white spot disease, Costia, Trichodina, Chilodonella, as well as, saltwater external parasites such as Cryptocaryon and Amyloodinium. Also treats fungal infections in fishes. Contains formaldehyde and a zinc-free chloride salt of malachite green. For use in aerated fresh and saltwater aquariums. Not recommended for use in aquariums containing invertebrates (Mormyrids and freshwater stingrays may also be adversely affected by Rid·Ich+). 4 oz treats 240 gallons
i would promptly remove all of your corals and give them all a iodine dip mix up new sw to this is in your tank water is now toxic to your corals and all inverts if you have snails crabs anenomes ect GET THEM ALL OUT ASAP.i dont know if you can salvage them all or not . place them all into a new container in new water.if you have an untreated hospital tank or rubber made tub you need to change them over. major water changes are in order to get your levels back down im sure you have a major amonia spike do to this medication and die off.it wasnt the medication that killed the fish but it does kill alot of other things in your tank that cause toxic water conditions. get a poli filter brand absorbant filter also to help remove the medication faster from your tank.your tank may have to recycle a bit from this endever .also add prime to nutrilizes the toxins in the tank while your working on water changes.good luck
 
tonester

tonester

Member
I have tested my tank and my ammonia is at .25 to .50, nitrate(NO3) is HIGH 80 to 160, PH is 8.0, and my nitrite (NO2) is at .25.
I have done major water changes, so my salt is low and I am adding more slowly as to not crazy everyone out 1.015.
I don't have another tank that I can put it all it, it's a 55 gal very full of LR and different corals.
Seems like I lost my arrow crab last night, but he sometimes looks like he is dead then starts walking around.
I will keep you posted on tanks status....
 
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