I already posted this in the New Reefkeepers forum but I thought I would post here also to get more opinions. I have had my puffer for about 3-4 weeks now and he usually spends about 90% of the day swimming, occasionally resting on the bottom. For the past two days he has been laying on the bottom of the tank the whole day. He comes up to eat and that is about it. He swam maybe 5 min all day today. Is this normal or is something wrong? He still eats good, he is just not swimming. He did eat a little more today than he usually does.( I accidentally put a few more goldfish in the tank than I thought.) Would that have anything to do with it. He usually eats two a day, he might have had four today. He wasn't swimming a lot yesterday but more than he did today.
I think my puffer is sick
- Thread starter Sturgeon
- Start date
We have a couple of things going on here.
First, yes it is normal for Puffers to lay on the bottom of tanks for hours on end. These guys can change ( what we would call emotions in human terms )
at the drop of a hat. One minute they're wagging their tailfin the next it looks like they're about to die.
Second you have to wean your Puffer off goldfish. These are not nutricional enough to keep your criitter healthy and in fact will slowly destroy it's liver.
Feed your Puffer shreaded pieces of shrimp, squid, eel and silversides. It's not tough to do and you'll find your Puffer rising to the top of the tank with glee to feed on these morsels.
Regards,
David Mohr
First, yes it is normal for Puffers to lay on the bottom of tanks for hours on end. These guys can change ( what we would call emotions in human terms )
at the drop of a hat. One minute they're wagging their tailfin the next it looks like they're about to die.
Second you have to wean your Puffer off goldfish. These are not nutricional enough to keep your criitter healthy and in fact will slowly destroy it's liver.
Feed your Puffer shreaded pieces of shrimp, squid, eel and silversides. It's not tough to do and you'll find your Puffer rising to the top of the tank with glee to feed on these morsels.
Regards,
David Mohr
I know the goldfish are bad for them and I am trying to get them to eat frozen silversides. I have a post in the New Reefkeepers forum on how to get them to eat frozen food. What do you guys suggest. I have been trying now for about a week. The puffer will usually take one bite of the silversides and let the rest fall to the ground. The lion ate the first one I gave him and spit it out and now won't even pay any attention to them. I have tried putting them on the end of a stick and making them seem "alive" and that did not work at all. Then I tried just dropping them in, the puffer seemed interested but would not eat it.
David, you were talking about weening them off goldfish. How do you suggest I do that.
David, you were talking about weening them off goldfish. How do you suggest I do that.
Sturgeon":149nix40 said:
Simple, don't let your Puffer be the boss.
Don't feed it for a couple of days ( let it be hungry ) then dangle a strip of squid or shrimp in the tank so it looks like it's alive. Your Puffer should take it. If not, don't be anxious to give it a goldfish just wait another day. Puffers are notorious for going on hunger strikes so not eating for a few days or a week or two is not to be of concern. Just keep trying this and remember no goldfish.
Regards,
David Mohr
Well I am not having any luck with the silversides but I am going to go pick up some squid and shrimp and see if that makes a difference. I am not giving them anymore goldfish, though. I am happy to report that the puffer is back to swimming around the tank quite a bit. He must have been in a bad mood those couple days. I'll keep you posted on my progress or lack there of with their no goldfish diet.
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