Spotted sharpnose toby/puffer fish help

[Butuz]

Guys, got this little guy from LiveAquaria yesterday morning. He has been pacing the quarantine tank, seems healthy, but has not eaten anything. I have thrown in mysis, pellets, flakes, my own mixed seafood, he is not interested. I even dumped 5 small trochus snails from my DT into QT tank to see if he likes attacking/breaking then apart, still nothing. Thoughts? No visible signs of disease or stress. Could it be that he is still acclimating on day 2? Appreciate the feedback.

 

[Dsnakes]

If available, you might try to find some clams and drop in on half shell. That can be very enticing to some finicky eaters.

 

[Butuz]

If available, you might try to find some clams and drop in on half shell. That can be very enticing to some finicky eaters.

Thanks, I tried that too yesterday. First fully closed clam, then after a few hours of no interest, served half shell. Still nothing.

 

[Dsnakes]

Thanks, I tried that too yesterday. First fully closed clam, then after a few hours of no interest, served half shell. Still nothing.

Ok. I would just give him some time to settle in. Looks healthy. Keep offering food and remove if uneaten after a while to avoid excess ammonia.

 

[Eva Rose]

My bluespotted puffer did not eat the 1st 3 days. Then it started eating like a champ. It liked LRS Reef Frenzy.
Later on it would eat nori off the clip with my tangs in addition to meaty foods.

 

[WMR]

He’ll be fine, just getting settled in, usually it takes from 1-5 days, try live brine or ghost shrimp, live food can entice finicky eaters to start feeding, after that they usually start eating, good luck

 

[ghostman]

My Valentini puffer is the pickiest water I have ever had in a reef. He refuses all frozen food, but he loves live small ghost shrimp. He hunts them down and eats like a pig. I buy the shrimp 12/$1 at a local store and feed as a treat every other week. I hope he weans onto frozen food soon....

 

[Butuz]

Perfect, thanks, guys.

 

[mort]

I've got the same toby and it went on hunger strike for awhile when I got it. It fed in the shop, refused to eat for a little bit in qt before eating everything I tried, then went on hunger strike again when I moved it to the display.

 

[Paul B]

All puffers hate quarantine. Do you have "rocks" or places to hide besides PVC which they also hate?

 

[Butuz]

Yes, I have a few rocks in QT as well as Seachem Matrix pebbles.

 

[Butuz]

Well, I removed PVC, just left a few rocks and sand with pebbles. Hope that makes a difference. Day 4, he is not eating anything yet. I am also adding a drop of Kent Garlic Xtreme, still no effect. He picked up a piece of mysis for the second time, just to spit it out a split second later. As much as I believe he may do better in DT (tobies seem to be smart and like company), and even though he shows no signs of illness, I do not want to jeopardize everything I have in DT for the sake of one fish. Will see what happens to this poor little guy.

 

[Butuz]

I've got the same toby and it went on hunger strike for awhile when I got it. It fed in the shop, refused to eat for a little bit in qt before eating everything I tried, then went on hunger strike again when I moved it to the display.

I am hoping for the same reversal. He looks fine, pacing the tank, breathing normally. Just not eating.

 

[mort]

I am hoping for the same reversal. He looks fine, pacing the tank, breathing normally. Just not eating.

I don't prophylactically qt just observe and if I need to treat I move the fish to a more traditional qt which I can medicate, so mine went off its food in a pretty well established tank with plenty of live rock for it to pick around. I agree they are a fairly intelligent species so do better in full blown interesting tanks but they normally eat when they get hungry (and they can easily go a week or two without feeding so don't overly worry at this stage). The first thing mine took was meaty food like large prawns, mussels or clams that I wedged in a rock.

 

[Butuz]

I don't prophylactically qt just observe and if I need to treat I move the fish to a more traditional qt which I can medicate, so mine went off its food in a pretty well established tank with plenty of live rock for it to pick around. I agree they are a fairly intelligent species so do better in full blown interesting tanks but they normally eat when they get hungry (and they can easily go a week or two without feeding so don't overly worry at this stage). The first thing mine took was meaty food like large prawns, mussels or clams that I wedged in a rock.

Thanks, I got some time then. Last night, I crushed small trochus snails from my DT (got hundreds of them) and dropped a few into QT. He went after a few wiggling ones aggressively, but quickly lost interest once they stopped moving. I think he managed to eat just a little, which hopefully helps extend the recovery time by a few days. Otherwise, still zero interest.

 

[Butuz]

However, barnacle blennies (pictured above too) are big time pigs. They seem to eat their own weight every time I feed them.

 

[Butuz]

Ok guys, got an update. I have thrown in a few small trochus snails, he tried to go sfter them, but cant break the shell when they retract. So, I crushed a shell, dropped it in, this little guy just completely destroyed and inhaled the snail in a split second. So, been serving him 1-2 crushed snails every day now for 3 days. At least buys me time to complete 1 month in QT so he doesnt starve himself. Now the challenge is “whats next”. He still doesnt eat frozen or pellets. While my DT has hundreds of banded trochus snails, he can’t get to them. So, am I stuck having to feed him live/crushed snails every day?! Or, is there a chance that his behavior will change in DT in company of other fish and a new, better environment?

 

[Eva Rose]

Ok guys, got an update. I have thrown in a few small trochus snails, he tried to go sfter them, but cant break the shell when they retract. So, I crushed a shell, dropped it in, this little guy just completely destroyed and inhaled the snail in a split second. So, been serving him 1-2 crushed snails every day now for 3 days. At least buys me time to complete 1 month in QT so he doesnt starve himself. Now the challenge is “whats next”. He still doesnt eat frozen or pellets. While my DT has hundreds of banded trochus snails, he can’t get to them. So, am I stuck having to feed him live/crushed snails every day?! Or, is there a chance that his behavior will change in DT in company of other fish and a new, better environment?

Yes. Mine did not eat for 3 days in DT. Where he had been eating fine before going into display. They adjust to diff environments [QT, Display]. I would not stress - once adjusted puffers are eager eaters. Not finicky fish. Once adjusted he will probably accept many foods, My bluespot loved meaty foods, ate nori off a clip etc. He would go after pellets also.