Porcupine Puffer with large Tummy.

sammyjoe

sammyjoe

Member
Hey all I have a Porcupine puffer that I've had for about two weeks.Today I fed him some very finely cut up shrimp and now his tummy is bulging.Is this normal with puffers? I haven't been able to find anywhere that says it is normal.Please help.
Just wondering if these fish can store food like a hamster because it really looks like he's holding it for later.
 
sammyjoe

sammyjoe

Member
Well kept watch of my puffer and his stomach is going down now but would still like to know if this is normal.Anyone have a puffer?
 
nordy

nordy

Active Member
I got a new 3" dog face puffer a few days ago (my last one jumped out of the tank-it broke my heart!) and now that he's eating I noticed that his belly got bigger when I fed him tonight. They seem to be like my dog-they will eat and eat as long as they get something they like. I am feeding him frozen Mysis shrimp which he absolutely loves!
I am curious, how big is your puffer and how much do you feed him? I have been giving mine 3 of the frozen cubes at each evening feeding and wonder if that's enough or maybe too much?
 
sammyjoe

sammyjoe

Member
Hi there sorry to hear about your other puffer thats sad. My puffer is about 2 1/2 inches long and very fat. He loves to eat frozen brine shrimp which I give him a cube once a day.
One cube didn't seem to be enough since some of my other fish eat the brine shrimp too so i decided to chop up some frozen shrimp tonight and try that and thats when I noticed his tummy bulging so now I'm thinking it was too much for him.I tried the frozen mysis shrimp and believe it or not he will not eat that.He sucks it up and spits it right back out.I will try that again later I suppose.
But I love my puffer he is awesome.They are very nosey I have noticed with mine,he inspects everything very carefully.I've heard they will eat inverts if they get hungry enough but i haven't noticed any of mine gone yet. So I'm thinking he's getting enough to eat.I might just stick with the brine cubes once a day and wait and see how he does because that bulging tummy kinda scared me but perhaps it is normal like a hamster,save it for later hehe.
 
stdreb27

stdreb27

Active Member
it is normal, don't just feed him brine though, he needs a wide variety of food, like fish, mollusks, shrimp. my dogface loves oysters. I'll go nuts every time I put it in the tank.
 
sammyjoe

sammyjoe

Member
How come not brine shrimp is it not good for them? I have been switching it up with shrimp and mysis shrimp but he dosen't seem to like the mysis at all.
 
stdreb27

stdreb27

Active Member
Originally Posted by Sammyjoe
http:///forum/post/2451939
How come not brine shrimp is it not good for them? I have been switching it up with shrimp and mysis shrimp but he dosen't seem to like the mysis at all.
I just isn't as healthy for them, they need a varied diet. Besides he won't be eating brine for long. Mine ignores the brine I feed to some of the other fish.
 
nordy

nordy

Active Member
Originally Posted by stdreb27
http:///forum/post/2451931
it is normal, don't just feed him brine though, he needs a wide variety of food, like fish, mollusks, shrimp. my dogface loves oysters. I'll go nuts every time I put it in the tank.
Thanks for your info-can you give me some detail on the food items you mention, like fresh or frozen, and where you get them? I like my puffers-I never would have thought that a fish had personality but my puffer will come up the end of my 55 gal tank when I'm sitting at my computer (like right now!) and just watch me type, he's so cool!
 
sammyjoe

sammyjoe

Member
Yes I would like to know as well especially on the oysters.Do you just get them from the grocery store or you buy them live? Interesting stuff for sure for I want my puffer to be happy as he can be because I agree they have awesome personalities.
 
stdreb27

stdreb27

Active Member
Originally Posted by Sammyjoe
http:///forum/post/2452044
Yes I would like to know as well especially on the oysters.Do you just get them from the grocery store or you buy them live? Interesting stuff for sure for I want my puffer to be happy as he can be because I agree they have awesome personalities.
All shellfish you buy in the shell are live when you buy them. I buy them in the shell then shuck them and drop them in on the half shell. But I buy all my food fresh from the grocery store, just make sure it is raw and unseasoned.
 
sammyjoe

sammyjoe

Member
Neato thanks I think I will try that with the oysters. Does leaving them in the half shells help with filing the puffers teeth?
 
michaelf1478

michaelf1478

Member
i feed my porcupine puffer frozen krill and he loves i know i need to feed hiom something else and im gonna try oysters to.
one more thing i heard that it is bad to feed krill all the time is that just freezed dried krill or krill period?
 
kanicky

kanicky

Member
It's generally not good to feed the same food all the time. It's best if you switch it up, so they can meet all of their nutrition needs, not mention so that they don't get bored with what you're feeding them. How would you feel if all you were served every day was Beanies-N-Weenies?

Any seafood you feed to them needs to be raw or freeze-dried. Cooked seafood has little to no nutritional value to them at all and isn't good for them. Raw food is always the best way to go, but they like freeze-dried krill and shrimp, too.
My two puffers enjoy eating a variety of things: (Raw) krill, shrimp, clams and scallops. They also enjoy eating mysis shrimp, Emerald Entree, enriched brine shrimp (as an occasional treat) and Spectrum Pellets... can't really go wrong, as they're pigs!
 
stdreb27

stdreb27

Active Member
Originally Posted by Kanicky
http:///forum/post/2452917
It's generally not good to feed the same food all the time. It's best if you switch it up, so they can meet all of their nutrition needs, not mention so that they don't get bored with what you're feeding them. How would you feel if all you were served every day was Beanies-N-Weenies?

Any seafood you feed to them needs to be raw or freeze-dried. Cooked seafood has little to no nutritional value to them at all and isn't good for them. Raw food is always the best way to go, but they like freeze-dried krill and shrimp, too.
My two puffers enjoy eating a variety of things: (Raw) krill, shrimp, clams and scallops. They also enjoy eating mysis shrimp, Emerald Entree, enriched brine shrimp (as an occasional treat) and Spectrum Pellets... can't really go wrong, as they're pigs!

 
D

dkgenerallee

Guest
sammyjoe said:
Hi there sorry to hear about your other puffer thats sad. My puffer is about 2 1/2 inches long and very fat. He loves to eat frozen brine shrimp which I give him a cube once a day.
One cube didn't seem to be enough since some of my other fish eat the brine shrimp too so i decided to chop up some frozen shrimp tonight and try that and thats when I noticed his tummy bulging so now I'm thinking it was too much for him.I tried the frozen mysis shrimp and believe it or not he will not eat that.He sucks it up and spits it right back out.I will try that again later I suppose.
But I love my puffer he is awesome.They are very nosey I have noticed with mine,he inspects everything very carefully.I've heard they will eat inverts if they get hungry enough but i haven't noticed any of mine gone yet. So I'm thinking he's getting enough to eat.I might just stick with the brine cubes once a day and wait and see how he does because that bulging tummy kinda scared me but perhaps it is normal like a hamster,save it for later hehe.
Click to expand...
i have a porcupine puffer and i feed mine mussels that i cut up and he gets a big belly after he eats it like yours
 
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