Best Ways to Train Your Puffer to Eat?

[Jozle]

When I first got my Fahaka Puffer, he would not eat anything unless they were alive and moving. He nearly starved to death until I added a trio of paradise fish. The paradise fish are mean mofos and aggressive as hell. It looked like he learned to accept dead food just by observing these guys. I want to make sure this method actually works because my MBU doesn't seem to accept dead food right now. I'm going to move the Paradise fish into his tank and see if it'll work.

Anyone who's kept puffer's before, would you like to share your feeding/training methods?

[mistahoo]

Really? My Fahaka took to frozen tilapia and shrimp on the second day. First day he was still adjusting to the tank.

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[nightster]

How long has it been in the tank?

[mnemenoi]

Usually they take awhile to settle into a new tank. It can take anywhere from a week to a few months, before they develop a routine and are properly adjusted. Water parameters are a big key here. They are all Nitrate factories and keeping Nitrates below 30ppm can be tough. Extra filtration and consistent water changes are the most effective tools I have seen. I have never seen a puffer ignore snails, so they can be a good start. Only feed every other day or even every third day once they are IP free. IP (internal parasites) are found in all wild caught puffers and Fahakas and Mbus are all wild caught. Assume they have IP's and treat accordingly. Parasite Clear soaked food is effective in most regards. Once properly treated and moved onto a schedule they should beg aggressively at food time.

[mistahoo]

Garlic soaking food usually helps. Dice up the garlic, then add a little water and smash it up and add fish fillet or shrimp chunks. They're attracted to the garlic smell and it'll knock out the IPs.

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[Jozle]

It's almost a week. His tank is running on a Eheim 2213, 2222, and a Fluva 105. Overfiltration, but I gotta keep my filters cycled. Water parameters is perfect. He's eaten the snails, but just won't accept my diced shrimps marinated with garlic juice.

[mnemenoi]

Try some smaller crayfish or ghost shrimp, being live will attract their attention and offer the chase they want. Eventually you'll be able to transition it over to dead prey

[nightster]

Yea I'd say give it more time. Might try blood worms too, when my fahaka was small it loved blood worms. After its settled in it'll be destroying some shrimp I'm almost positive of that...

[Jozle]

He loves shrimps and snails, live one at the most. So I moved my hunting pack of paradise gouramis into his tank last night and this morning when I fed them, he was a bit curious on what they were eating. He didn't take bite out of it though.

[nightster]

Oh sorry I meant table shrimp.

[Jozle]

Day 4, still won't eat dead food. Will eat snails and crawfish.

[Ryan Davis]

HEB sells clams and musscles for like 3 bucks a pound or so.

this was a couple of months ago hes alot bigger now .

Also i know how some people feel about goldfish. but he eats about 30 a week.

[Ryan Davis]

did i mention he is messy

[Ryan Davis]

hope that helps

[Jozle]

Mine finally decided to eat the dead shrimps. He's a slow learner. I had to feed him a snow white lobster the other day because he refused to eat anything that isn't dead. The paradise gouramis taught him well.