Valentini Puffer looks skinny

zsqure

zsqure

Member
My Valentini Puffer looks pretty skinny. His tankmates are a Royal gramma, 4 green chromis, a sixline wrasse, 2 perc clownfish a few hermits, snails and a mean elusive brittle starfish. I feed mysis shrimp everyother day, Once a week I drop in a cut up shrimp and everyone fights over it. I have tried krill and the puffer doesn't seem interested. I would think that if he were hungry enough he would feast on a hermit or two but it has been a while ( 2 weeks) since I've seen hermit parts lying around. I have a 90 gal, sump, hob fuge 90lbs ls 105lbs lr. I have had him since september of '06. He really is like a puppy. I wish he would fatten up. :help:
 
kanicky

kanicky

Member
Aww poor thing.
I feed mine mysis shrimp and Formula Two algae flakes/pellets. Once a week or so, I put in a short-necked clam (thawed out in water) and he goes nuts.
Maybe try something like the clam to give him some variety away from the shrimp.
 
zsqure

zsqure

Member
OK, I gave him a clam tonight, he didn't appear to be interested at all. All of the blue leg hermits are crawling all over it. I tried some thawed krill and he didn't seem to want that either. He nibbles at misys that I put in the tank but he still looks too thin.
 
kanicky

kanicky

Member
Hmm... maybe you just have to keep trying different foods until you find what works for your puffer. They can be finicky eaters! Next time try a semi-thawed piece of fresh, raw, shrimp with the shell and dangle it in front of him (with a piece of thread or something.) You could also just leave it on the sand bed and let him investigate it.
Hope that helps!
 
jmerk

jmerk

Member
I agree with Kanicky. Just simply try lots of foods and the ones that don't work will be good for the tankmates.
Jmerk
 
promisetbg

promisetbg

Active Member
Puffers need shelled food items to help keep their beak honed down.They can also can come in with internal parasites. Feeding a puffer a piece of shrimp once a week is far from enough, and mysis although good..is not a substantial enough meal for them. Flake is useless.
You can get different foods from the seafood dept at your grocer's. Shrimp, clam, squid,crab, scallop...even some nice clean white fish. You can freeze these in a ziploc, and shave off as needed. Adding a drop of garlic extreme, or some sliced fresh garlic{ soak with food, remove garlic, feed} may help to entice his appetite. Adding a drop of Kent Zoe & Selcon on a rotating basis, will also give him a boost of vitamins & amino acids. With the small live clams, I take a knife and sliightly open the edge of the clam, place in a spot that is easily accessable for the puffer, and he will hit it to open it the rest of the way. I have found that the clams will live in your refridgerator for quite some time. I usually buy 4 at a time. If you suspect parasites, another course of action will have to be taken. It is difficult to eradicate this problem, and they sometimes succomb to it.
You did'nt mention having a protein skimmer? Do you know all of your tank's parameters, including PO4, Alk, PH, etc.?
 
zsqure

zsqure

Member
Most parameters seem to be in good shape EXCEPT for alk/p04 which is low and ph seems good at 8.3.....I'm working to get the alk up. I don't remember what it was last night but I've added kent superbuffer dkh and I'll check again tonight after work.
 
zsqure

zsqure

Member
OK, P04 was like .03 barely any hint of blue color (salifert test kit). I have phosphate problems 'cause there is hair algae on the sand bed.
 
kanicky

kanicky

Member
Has he ate yet?

I agree with promisetbg, and suggest you try everything he/she listed until you find something your puffer will like.
Do you have any pictures yet of him/her?
You can see mine, of course, in my avatar. Aren't they the greatest?!
 
kanicky

kanicky

Member
Oh, and I guess I should have made myself clearer in my first post. My puffer doesn't eat the algae flakes, but he does eat a few algae pellets. I am starting him on raw shrimp and scallops next week.
(Jeez, our fish eat better than we do!
)
 
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