nataliem
New Member
I have a problem feeding my porc puffer. I rescued him from the LFS about 6 months ago. He was very timid and small when I got him and had several bite marks on his fins and tail and was very white in colour. Since then he has fully recovered (except for eating habits). Our BIG problem is getting him to eat healthy foods because as of right now, all he will eat is Freeze Dried Krill. I've offered him everything I can possibly think of including fresh shrimps, scallops, a seafood medly, veggies, garlic etc. The only other food he MAY sometimes eat is Bloodworms (but usually he will just spit it out) It has gotten to the point where he recognizes the Krill container (i've even tried tricking him with pulling other food out of the Krill container but he still spits it out).
One thing I have noticed is two of our blue and white spotted crabs have totally vanished and our red and white shrimp has disapeared too. (no shells left behind). I started getting excited thinking that maybe just maybe our porc has finally decided to go hunting! (we have no other predators in the tank, however we recently added a cleaner shrimp which I don't think is capable of devouring the crabs!) Anyway, I was starting to think that my feeding problems were over (although I didn't have any proof).
However I was sadly mistaken, he has recently (within the past 4 days) stoped being able to bite at the freeze dried krill. When he sees me walk into the room after work he always gets really excited and shakes his tail ( kinda like a happy dog) and i'll go over and try to give him a mussel or a scallop ( which he turns his nose too) and then i'll wait and as a last resort give him the 1 or 2 of the krill that he desires. Now it seems as if he can't fully open his mouth. He will spit water out the top of the tank and when the food is lowered he will spit water at my hand but he seems to have problems eating it. He will lunge at the peices and cary it around in his mouth but he won't swallow. I was thinking it was his teeth but I researched the internet and it appears that porc's rarely have problems with their teeth. I aslo tried chopping up the krill into bitesize chunks which sometimes works and he will eat it but it is deffinately not normal.
I am wondering if anyone has any idea about what could be wrong, or any suggestions about what I could try? I was thinking that I might have to try to file his teeth down but I really don't want to try this unless I know for sure that's the problem.
also as a side note, I've noticed another funny behavour- When I turn the oxygen bubbles on he tends to go over and put his tail or fin directly into the bubbles almost like it feels good or something!
One thing I have noticed is two of our blue and white spotted crabs have totally vanished and our red and white shrimp has disapeared too. (no shells left behind). I started getting excited thinking that maybe just maybe our porc has finally decided to go hunting! (we have no other predators in the tank, however we recently added a cleaner shrimp which I don't think is capable of devouring the crabs!) Anyway, I was starting to think that my feeding problems were over (although I didn't have any proof).
However I was sadly mistaken, he has recently (within the past 4 days) stoped being able to bite at the freeze dried krill. When he sees me walk into the room after work he always gets really excited and shakes his tail ( kinda like a happy dog) and i'll go over and try to give him a mussel or a scallop ( which he turns his nose too) and then i'll wait and as a last resort give him the 1 or 2 of the krill that he desires. Now it seems as if he can't fully open his mouth. He will spit water out the top of the tank and when the food is lowered he will spit water at my hand but he seems to have problems eating it. He will lunge at the peices and cary it around in his mouth but he won't swallow. I was thinking it was his teeth but I researched the internet and it appears that porc's rarely have problems with their teeth. I aslo tried chopping up the krill into bitesize chunks which sometimes works and he will eat it but it is deffinately not normal.
I am wondering if anyone has any idea about what could be wrong, or any suggestions about what I could try? I was thinking that I might have to try to file his teeth down but I really don't want to try this unless I know for sure that's the problem.
also as a side note, I've noticed another funny behavour- When I turn the oxygen bubbles on he tends to go over and put his tail or fin directly into the bubbles almost like it feels good or something!
.