Pete the South American Puffer

[4DDM]

Hi all, some of you may have read about Pete the Puffer and his new home. Well Pete is fine but I am concerned he needs a little more diversity in his diet.

He only seems to eat the frozen blood worm I give him. I have tried cockle but he is not bothered about it. I have also popped in a snail or to and he has a poke or 2 at it then leaves it alone. Should I be concerned, I am only worried that his beak may get too big.

Thanks.

 

[Fish00]

He may have internal parasites or overgrown teeeth.
Trie some Discomed.

 

[SirMinion]

It may just be a case of giving him time to settle in.

In the meantime, get some liquid vitamins from your local petshop (If you can't get fish vitamins then reptile or even bird vitamins will do) and use a vitamin solution in a cup to defrost the bloodworm. This way, he will get a more sustaining diet even though he's only eating bloodworm.

Do continue to offer other foods, eventually he will take them.

 

[4DDM]

Thanks all. I think he ate some of the cockel yesterday as I left it in the tank for him. When I got home his stomach seemed a little lumpy, like when he has eaten and he was going to the toilet which he often seems to do after food. I also have not seen the snail I put in for a few days which suggests he may have become a light snack! I put another snail in today and will monitor the situation. Are there any other recomended foods on top of bloodworm, snails, cockel?

Thanks,
Adam

 

[SirMinion]

Yay! Go Pete!

Glad to hear he's pooping now, that's a sure sign of a working digestive system.

Also try mussel, shrimp (in the shell if you can get it) and small earthworms (from a pollution-free site)
Large earthworms are fine too, if you can bring yourself to chop them up!