Porcupine Feeding Habits

[little fish]

Hi Everyone- I just got a porcupine pufferfish yesterday(and he is soooo cute) and my LFS told me to feed 2-3 times per week. Is this enough??? I feed my other fish twice a day and they always eat every bite. I couldn't find anything documented information on how much to feed him. Please let me know what is best. THANKS!!!

 

[xavier]

Sir,
3 times a week is good. I hope yours starts eating from day one. It took mine about a week. They will eat pretty much anything like the Triggers. From feeders to frozen foods.

 

[kris]

I think the 2-3 times per week is only if your feeding strictly live food. If you are not supplying live, then feed frozen as you would your others, but get the meaty kind.

 

[little fish]

Thanks, He is very hardy and has eaten since day one. I have been feeding him brine shrimp, the peel and eat shrimp that you get at the grocery store and romaine lettuce this is what they told me he would eat. She also told me that if I fed him too much he would become a weird shape. Is this true??? Thanks for the advice!!!

 

[jess]

I have kept many porcupine puffers and they are my favorite fish. I even have boxfish, they are related to them. I have always feed all my fish everyday and they have lived for many years. Maybe the lady at the LFS didn't have alot of experience in marine fish. If you read some of the marine fish books they say to feed your fish 1-3 times a day. But I would never feed them three times. As for there shape changing if you feed them to much if, its just not so. If you feed them alot there smocth does a little big but goes down in a few hours. And I have never heard of someone saying, feed your puffer greens, puffers are meat eaters, they probaply would not even toch greens. I feed mine, Brine shimp, Squid(they love it), Krill, Silversids. And I also soke all my food in a milti-vitamin liqid. That makes there emun-system stronger and less prone to get sick.

 

[xavier]

Bottom line. Feed him different things each day, not the same thing over and over again. I feed mine every day from frozen Formula one to squid to feeders.
Weird shape? Well if they pig out their belly starts to fill up and he looks super fat but after it is digested he is back to his normal shape.

 

[the rock]

the rock says....
feed him as much as you want, just be sure to vary his diet and feed him only what he eats and he does so quickly, krill, shrimp, clams, formula, silver sides, fish, whatever

 

[marinetank]

Sometimes when my pufferfish eats a lot, there will be a bulge or lump on one side of his stomach. It goes away after the food is digested so it's nothing to worry about.

 

[peasly1]

I do and have kept porqs and dogs,if healthy they will eat until you run out of food.very big eaters..mine get fed a nice amount once a day(krill, clams)the problem is they are messy eaters,watch when they eat a krill,little tiny pieces fall to the bottom so you will need to have something to clean that up or the water quality is going to be hard to keep up to par..I have a snowflake eel and a red hawkfish to help w/ that and thinking of adding a starfish..it wont be long but wait until the porq identifies you as its keeper and feeder,o boy is that funny to watch them go back and forth w/ their fins going in circles begging for food and attention..enjoy

 

[shadow678]

I have a porky, and the hungry little sucker eats better than I do! lol As for documented proof on what to feed:
Marine Fishes;500+ Essential-To-Know Aquarium Species;Scott W. Michael.
Page 424
Diodon holocanthus
Spiny Puffer (Porcupinefish, Ballon Porcupinefish)
Foods & Feeding:Varied diet of meaty foods, including chopped shrimp, squid, clams, enriched krill, and fish- as well as preparations designed for herbivores. Feed now fewer than 3 times a day.

 

[blutang]

Porcs eat everything under the sun and then some....I was at the LFS yesterday and say one swallowing "something" I could really tell, since it was torn up so bad......oh well.....I guess Darwin's Theory was in full effect.