weird question
- Thread starter dub05
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pufferman
Member
I don't know. You might want to ask them first 
. Puffers are usually solitary in the wild (except during the breeding season) They pretty much ignore their tankmates unless they are small enough to fit into its mouth. From my experience they just don't care. But, this is not always the case. Many tobies actually resent the presence of fellow tobies by nipping them.
. Puffers are usually solitary in the wild (except during the breeding season) They pretty much ignore their tankmates unless they are small enough to fit into its mouth. From my experience they just don't care. But, this is not always the case. Many tobies actually resent the presence of fellow tobies by nipping them.
pufferman
Member
I think your porcupine puffer is eating just fine. 3-4 goldfish is quite a lot of food. Do not feed your puffer goldfish anymore. Not only are they nutritionally bad for your puffer, but they make your puffer aggressive (It brings out the hidden predatory nature). There is a great variety of frozen sea food out there. It is perfectly normal for porky to just hover in one corner. That's what mine does whenever he's hungry, waiting for me to drop the food.
gasguzzler
Active Member
Im in the process of getting my brothers puffer off live food. So far, he takes it and chews, but spits it out and swims away. Be prepared for a long process. Maybe a week or two.
gasguzzler
Active Member
Unfortunately, you will have to keep giving it live food for the time being. The method I use is to give it two or three live, one at a time, then drop in a piece of fresh seafood. Sometimes he will eat it, sometimes he will spit it out. The trick is to initiate the feeding response with the live and make him eat the fresh without telling the difference. Slowly take away the ratio of live to fresh, until he eats fresh seafood exclusively. Use shrimp, scallop, clam, squid and fish chunks soaked in a multivitamin, ideally. Try Zoecon, Zoe or Selcon. Be aware that some try to sell and advise that garlic is a multi. This is false. It is merely an attractant. However, it could be usefull in your current situation. HTH, Gas.
harlequin
Member
You do realize feeding saltwater fish freshwater goldfish is REALLY bad for them right? You will destroy their livers. Try ghost or grass shrimp. That or feed less live and more frozen seafood so they learn faster to associate frozen with food. I did that with a wildcaught pipefish, both of my lions and it worked great.
pufferman
Member
People usually have no problem with feeding puffers. They would accept anything unless they're sick. Your puffer might have been stung by the bristleworm in the process, which prevents him from swallowing the food you give him. This may explain why your porky just kills goldfish, but not being able to eat it. The worst scenario is that some of the bristles could be stuck inside his mouth. Hopefully this wouldn't be the case.
harlequin
Member
The liver one is easy, start feeding him saltwater foods as suggested and the liver should clear up. The problem with the FW feeders are the large amounts of fatty lipids and not the right proteins. but like human livers, after a time the liver will fix the problems and be normal again.