ALL PUFFER AND LIONFISH OWNERS INSIDE PLEASE

For those that are not aware of this please take notice and change your ways so you do not run into what I have had happen.
There is VERY strong evidence that feeding Lionfish and Puffers and diet of 50% or more of Krill will result in some sort of a difficiency that usually ends in death. The fish stop eating and do not eat again. My puffer is going through this now.
When I started reasearching this I found out it is very common and is even being studied by NCSU. This is being facilitiated by a lady named Kelly on our boards that goes by the screen name PufferQueen.
I am embarrased and sick that I have done this to my porcupine puffer although this was only discovered last year it seems. However, I am willing to put away my pride and let you know of my stupidity for the good of the group. I know some of you are feeding a 100% or close diet of krill to these animals as I was. STOP!
If you need more convincing please search RC or Marine Depots forums for Krill and Puffer or Lionfish. There are many people that are having this issue and is by far not only me and I wish I knew it a month or two ago. You can also follow my thread with PufferQueen as I am currrently fighting to save my friend.
http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic81305-10-1.aspx
Also another thread of importance.
http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic72164-10-1.aspx

 

I completely agree Ryan. My other tanks are fed a variety. But this puffer after having krill wouldn't eat anything else and devoured Krill. He would spit out anything else we put in. The Lionfish, I was just so thrilled to get him off live food I stuck with Krill. But he even ate a green bean a few weeks ago. We were trying to feed the puffer vegies. He wouldn't eat them but the Lion would.
I'm off to tube feed my puffer soon. Ughhh.

 

Thanks Jerry. The wife is gonna be heartbroken if he doesn't make it. He is in a B12 bath for an hour right now to see if that will jump start his appetite. If that doesn't work after tomorrow, Saturday I am gonna tube feed him. My father in law is a vet and will set me up with sedative and a feeding tube. I can't believe I am going through all of this with a fish but he is really great!

 

Great Kevin, Keep that diet varied and feed with shell on. I have found frozen shrimp at HyVee is inexpensive. No one wants to do what I am doing, sedating a puffer and tube feeding. This is nuts!

 

Just an update: It appears that somehow I have managed to save my puffer!! Yeah!!
Puffer Queen over at Marine Depot really didn't seem to think it was possible. It is! It was a lot of hard work but he is eating VERY well now. He is taking about anything in cluding shrimp and a gelatin concoction I made up with tons of good stuff in it. My Lion also will eat any of this.
Anyone with this problem in the future please contactme. I think I can help save the fish but it will a lot of work. Some tips:
1. Tube feeding every or every other day
2. Liquid diet with tons of blended stuff including shrimp, squid, baby food, vitamin additive, crushed B12 and more.
3. Early use of sedative moving to feeding right in home tank
4. Tricking into eating shrimp with orange food coloring
5. Tricking into eating anything by holding Kril then dropping in shrimp or something else. He wasn't happy about it and knew he has been tricked but it worked.
6. I also contacted an got help from a fish Vet in Ames, Dr. Starling. He was great!