Schoutedeni Puffer

[armed2teeth]

I've had some mixed experience with new schoutedeni puffers. My most recent 3 were very slim when they came in, sunken stomachs. I QT'd them for about a month and only one fattened up. I separated the fat one out and treated the other two for worms. I think I started the treatment too late. One of the two put on weight pretty quickly but started circling the surface of the tank for about a day. The tank has good water quality and air. A day later the fish was just floating through out the tank, barely moving it's fins but wouldn't let me come close with food. By the end of the day it was dead.
Now, my "skinny one", three weeks later, cruises the tank like it's searching for food. It eats minimally. Never a fat stomach. I've fed snails (crushed and whole), blackworms (live and frozen), and Krill. It doesn't want the krill at all and only minimally takes the other options.
Any ideas? I'm thinking of treating for worms again. Metronidazole is supposed to increase appetite but the puffer already seems hungry.

 

[Fishy-Botany]

Have you tried red wriggler earthworms?
It has fattened up my two and my male is very much like your skinny one. Always eating small amounts.
I have found fenbendazole treatment followed by general cure treatment to help alot. The fenbendazole is nice since you can use it to medicate food.

 

[armed2teeth]

I've been trying just about everything. The puffer has stopped eating totally as far as I can tell. It's super aggressive though, and will attack the food I put in, it's just not eating anything.

I've started a second round of General Cure. The metronidozal does not seem to be increasing it's appetite.

Here's what I've tried: Live black worms, UVX blood worms, squid, mysis, small earthworms, live shrimp, mussles, snails (live and crushed) and krill.

 

[Fishy-Botany]

Interesting, have you used fresh garlic to entice the puffer to eat?
Also you can try force feeding with a small syringe with a narrow tip. Im thinking that his metabolism is so slowed down from not eating that he doesnt feel hungry and might need food to jump start. Id do increments of 0.1ml of thawed brine shrimp or mysis shrimp.