bgfrank213
New Member
He ate the earthworm. Is it okay if I feed him earthworms everyday?
How Do I Get a Blind Puffer to Eat?
- Thread starter Lorelei
- Start date
Paul in goggling found this link... if anyone is interested - Live Blackworms - I know you talk about the value of feeding worms a lot. Shipped overnight - are these ones you would recommend?
http://www.aquaticfoods.com/BlackwormKeepersM.html
http://www.aquaticfoods.com/BlackwormCareM.html
Here hoping your puffer recovers !
http://www.aquaticfoods.com/BlackwormKeepersM.html
http://www.aquaticfoods.com/BlackwormCareM.html
Here hoping your puffer recovers !
Wolffman64
Active Member
Hey Paul great advice. I'm just trying to picture how you came up with this technique......
"That's it, I've had it! You will eat! ", Pauls hand thrusts into the tank grabs the puffer and angrily stabs a toothpick loaded with squid down the his throat.
Am I close??
...stupid auto correct
Very funny, laughed loudly at this!
puffermike
Active Member
I can't say I've ever had this problem with any of my puffers and I've had a bunch but the species with the larger eyes require more vitamin D. Raw Atlantic Herring is something you'd probably eat at your local sushi place and it's PACKED with vitamin D. You could feed him that and Oysters as well. Make sure whatever you feed him is raw. Vitamin D will greatly help the eyes it might take a couple weeks though. Try not to feed your puffer freshwater fish and if you do live food you can gut load them with dry food such as pellets or flakes that's packed with lots of vitamins. It's all about variety for these guys.
Strangely the only eye issue I had was with my panther chameleon. After a couple weeks of feeding the worms and crickets tons of carrots his eye turret was back in action. Here he is back in Sep looking great after weeks of vitamin D.
Strangely the only eye issue I had was with my panther chameleon. After a couple weeks of feeding the worms and crickets tons of carrots his eye turret was back in action. Here he is back in Sep looking great after weeks of vitamin D.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
I would also feed clams as they are a more natural food for him, but the worms should get him seeing again.
Nanoreefing4fun, yes those are the worms I feed every day and have been for fifty years.
This last one I had I collected in the sea when he was less than an inch long. In a short while he went blind and needed a seeing eyedog.
He regained his eyesight and even passed his road test and now is living in the Long Island Aquarium (or NY aquarium, I forget) He got to large. I liked him because he has green eyes like me.
Puffermike,. cool lizzard looking thing you got there.
This monitor Lizzard walked out of the jungle in Viet Nam and became my best friend. He ate rats and stayed with me a few weeks, then walked back in the jungle. I guess I bored him.
bgfrank213
New Member
I went down to the beach today and picked up snails, mussels, and seaweed for my tank. I also saw a tiny slug so I brought it with me as well and put them in the tank. I cut a mussel in half and gave it the Puffer, he ate it without any problems. There was a sea anemone that I grabbed and put in the tank too, I hope it survives. I will keep you posted on the progress. I really do hope its simply a vitamin deficiency that can be corrected by feeding the puffer mussels and clams. I also bought wild caught whitings fish at the grocery store so I hope to offer him a good variety of food to get him back in good health. I also got a 75 gallon acrylic aquarium. I need to buy some live sand and a few lbs of live rock to set it up. I hope the bigger tank will give him more exercise as well. Do live worms have Vitamin D?
puffermike
Active Member
Puffermike,. cool lizzard looking thing you got there.
This monitor Lizzard walked out of the jungle in Viet Nam and became my best friend. He ate rats and stayed with me a few weeks, then walked back in the jungle. I guess I bored him.
Monitors are so beastly! I watched over two of them in a very large tank when I was younger. One was very nice and would eat cat food.. the other well lets just say he would smack the hell out of you with his tail every moment he got haha. Looks like you somehow tamed that beast! They get so big. My chameleon use to be scared to death of me but considering I quit having him in a cage in my house he takes food right from my hand. Anyways, I've read a good bit of your threads Paul! You're very outside of the box and I enjoy the articles you write. I was wondering when we'd cross paths on here. Even the worm idea for the puffers is VERY practical! I can't say I've ever thought of it but considering worms are packed with "dirt" they have to be full of vitamins. Dirt has calcium, iron and carbon along with so much more. Our bodies are practically made of "dirt".
puffermike
Active Member
Worms having vitamin D? I'd attribute their nutrition to the soil they are living in and that soil depends on a variety of things. Obviously a pesticide free area would be the best. I highly advise you to yes, setup the 75g for that puffer if that's all you have right now. In the meantime it's best to keep your eyes out for a larger tank. They love to have lots of swimming room and the really need that space to feel comfortable along with places to hide and rest as they get older.
There is also lots of vitamin D in raw tuna, mackerel, and salmon. Those are usually an easy find at the market.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
I have no idea if worms have vitamin D but I am fairly sure they, along with clams or mussels will cure his eyesight. I have done it quite a few times and I eat clams and mussles almost every week and I can see forever.
Mike, thats because when I started, there was no box, then they invented the internet along with the box and everyone jumped in.
That monitor Lizzard was very tame which is surprising as he wasn't in a pet shop or anything and even had schrapnel in his tail. He would spend most of his time on a hot howitzer as we would fire them all day and night. I kept a "leash" on him just so he didn't wander to much but then I just let him go. He never wanted to leave and seemed "happy", all 3' of him
Mike, thats because when I started, there was no box, then they invented the internet along with the box and everyone jumped in.
That monitor Lizzard was very tame which is surprising as he wasn't in a pet shop or anything and even had schrapnel in his tail. He would spend most of his time on a hot howitzer as we would fire them all day and night. I kept a "leash" on him just so he didn't wander to much but then I just let him go. He never wanted to leave and seemed "happy", all 3' of him