Hawaiian puffer fish male!!

[simo2004]

Hi all don't get to post on here much but i need some help on a Hawaiian puffer fish male!!

I know these are hard to feed i had a lot of help getting my blue ribbon eel feeding on here and 8 months on its doing fine so thought id try a Hawaiian puffer

The shop had it out back for 4 days which it was feeding on a mix of krill brine shrimp and mysis, they then transferred it to the shop display which it was there for a week eating slow down but it was eating the same mix

ive had it in my QT for 3 days and it hasn't touched anything yet

I have tried live brine shrimp and today i added a mix of above and added a live oyster which i have smashed the shell of but he isn't interested just swims by it

Any suggestions


Thanks

Ian

 

[MrTuskfish]

Hi all don't get to post on here much but i need some help on a Hawaiian puffer fish male!!

I know these are hard to feed i had a lot of help getting my blue ribbon eel feeding on here and 8 months on its doing fine so thought id try a Hawaiian puffer

The shop had it out back for 4 days which it was feeding on a mix of krill brine shrimp and mysis, they then transferred it to the shop display which it was there for a week eating slow down but it was eating the same mix

ive had it in my QT for 3 days and it hasn't touched anything yet

I have tried live brine shrimp and today i added a mix of above and added a live oyster which i have smashed the shell of but he isn't interested just swims by it

Any suggestions


Thanks

Ian

3 days isn't anywhere near real worry time. What Hawaiian puffer do you have, I've heard several species called by this name? Usually the White Spot Puffer, Canthigaster jactator. (Although it probably won't affect anyone's reply)

 

[simo2004]

to be fair i have tried to check the web and there is nothing !! i will take some pictures and upload if that will help!! he is fat and looks healthy swimming around so not to worried.

 

[simo2004]

Right here is the photo mate

Just tried live brine shrimp again thought i seen it take one but the rest just basically swam into the puffer and it wasn't interested

As its in QT had to add a hermit crap to take care of the left over un eaten food

Can you confirm this is a Hawaiian puffer and what type ?

Going to hand some noir in there tomorrow and a whole muscle from some fishing line to see if it picks off that

ian

 

[blface]

That is a boxfish. Not a puffer. Do a search as a boxfish & you should have alot of info. Not an easy fish to keep long term.

 

[MrTuskfish]

That is a boxfish. Not a puffer. Do a search as a boxfish & you should have alot of info. Not an easy fish to keep long term.

Yeah, its a male Blue or Spotted Boxfish. This fish can release a deadly toxin that can kill everything in he tank. If it looks like you're losing him, get him out before he dies. If any other fish starts bullying him, get him out ASAP. If your LFS sold you this as a "puffer"; I'd return it. they are interesting, pretty fish; but very difficult to feed and always a threat . Maybe an "expert only" fish. Its only been 4 days without eating, right? That's not long enough to worry yet. He's in a nice QT, but I'd still return him if you can; but that's your call, of course.

 

[rssjsb]

I would keep trying live brine, gut loaded with selcon or some other vitamin. That's what got my solorensis box fish eating in QT. Then she progressed to mysis and now she eats anything, including pellets.

Yours is ostracion meleagris, I believe, if you want to google it. Common names are kind of useless when you're trying to get info on a particular fish.

 

[small alien]

That is a male Whitley's box fish I believe. I saw them snorkeling on the Big island. They're so beautiful. I hope it works out for you. I believe males are hardly ever collected.

 

[MrTuskfish]

That is a male Whitley's box fish I believe. I saw them snorkeling on the Big island. They're so beautiful. I hope it works out for you. I believe males are hardly ever collected.

DD has one show up once in a while. Why wouldn't divers collect the males, they're much prettier than the females?

I'm sure rssjsbis right, its ostracion meleagris, here's Whitley's, Ostracion whitleyi:
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=whit...0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&biw=1366&bih=643

Here's the OPs fish,ostracion meleagris. The spots on the flanks tell the difference.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=ostr...0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&biw=1366&bih=643

 

[WWodyz]

Some info..

Some info..

The Whitley's Boxfish is found on the reefs of Hawaii and obtain a maximum size of 5". The Male is a beautiful dark blue color with many lighter blue spots covering the back. The side of the fish is mostly dark blue with light blue markings outlining the side. The female of this species is beautifully spotted in red and white.
The Whitley's Boxfish should have a minimum of a 50-gallon aquarium. Use caution if placing it in a reef aquarium, as it will often nibble at tubeworms. When stressed, this fish will release a poisonous substance, called ostracitoxin, from its mucous glands, which may harm other fish in the aquarium very quickly.

Very little success has been achieved in breeding this fish in the aquarium setting.

When introduced into an aquarium, the Whitley's Boxfish can be fed a diet of live brine shrimp or bloodworms. After acclimatization, chopped squid, clams, mussels, and herbivore preparations can be fed. This fish has the peculiar habit of coming to the surface and spitting when it is hungry.

 

[small alien]

DD has one show up once in a while. Why wouldn't divers collect the males, they're much prettier than the females?

I'm sure rssjsbis right, its ostracion meleagris, here's Whitley's, Ostracion whitleyi:
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=whit...0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&biw=1366&bih=643


Here's the OPs fish,ostracion meleagris. The spots on the flanks tell the difference.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=ostr...0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&biw=1366&bih=643

I don't know. I just thought I remembered reading that. Thanks for correcting me on the species. I would love to keep one some day. I find them completely captivating.

 

[simo2004]

Right then last ditch effort here

Tried all types off food and nothing !! been 10 days now and its starting to curve inwards as you would expect
still very active tried live blood worms as suggested but the just wriggle all over the rocks etc and he swims by.. started suspending whole prawns whole fish, clams on a cocktail stick but nothing.

im pretty confident there is no signs of decease or parasite

my last option im thinking is adding by yellow box fish out of my display into there to try stimulate feeding, as i know with ribbon eels if you have other fish feeding in there it seams to stimulate the ell to feed

whats your thoughts on this also it was in with a yellow box fish at the fish store with no problems


last chance as i don't think its going to go much longer !! Ian

 

[small alien]

I think your general premise is sound. Good luck.

 

[simo2004]

sorry just noticed i didnt reply to the other threads for some reason!

yeah it was my mistake with he puffer/box fish.. it was what i wanted waited 8months for one to come in !! i new the males were harder but this was feeding in the shop

i have tried live/frozen brine live blood worms krill oysters clams raw prawns chpped muscles noir but still nothing

 

[small alien]

Have you tried a live bivalve like a small clam from a seafood market?

 

[simo2004]

ive tried clam mate not sure white type think it was white clam maybe ?

i just smashed the top part off and left it in over night but nothing then i took one out the shell and stuck it on a kebba stick and floated it in the water near a rock.. not tried chopping one up in small chunks tho

 

[small alien]

I'm sorry you're having a hard time. And with such a magnificent fish. I've been there with some pipes and some mandarins and it's not too fun when you're sorta outa options. You might pm namxas or seahorsedreams and see if they have any suggestions. They're the master food trainers on here from what I've seen. Again, good luck. And again, I would put one or more fish who are eating what you want the boxfish to eat in the tank with it. I believe fish do "learn" from seeing others eat a given food. Cheers.

 

[websiteworld]

im pretty confident there is no signs of decease Ian

Freudian slip.

Sent from my EVO 3d using tapatalk

 

[small alien]

A couple more thoughts for you. I read sponge is part of their natural diet. You might try to find an angel fish food that has sponge in it. Also, perhaps you could put some small hermits, cerith snails and maybe a small emerald crab in there with it and see if it goes for any of those.

 

[simo2004]

Hi thanks for the replies there

there is a hemrit crab in there to try take care of the un eaten food !! i have now added my yellow box fish in there and its already eating. for the 1st time the Hawaiian looked at the red worms on the bottom of the glass and looked as it was going to take one but turned away, the yellow eat noir like nothing else and the Hawaiian has stayed next to him while eaten off the clip im feeling it was a good move adding another fish

o i added a earth worm and it didn't touch it

one other thing is that its a glass bottom been a QT tank wonder if that's effecting it

Ian