food for FW puffers

[cowfish7]

I have had 3 dwarf puffers for a day. They have been active and inquisitive. I have given them small snails and frozen tubifex worms.

They are interested in the snails, and pick at them, but I don't think they are getting anything. The problem is, I don't have any snails that are small enough to fit in their mouth.
They are also interested in the worms, and suck them in, but they don't stay in their mouths.

I do not want these little cuties to go hungry. My other fish can go days without food, but I don't know how long these guys can go.

Will they get enough food from picking at the snails? Will they eventually learn how to eat the worms? I have some floating pellet food and freeze dried shrimp (which the danio keeps stealing!); will the puffers ever come to the surface to get food? Is there a different frozen food I should use? I was looking at shrimps but couldn't decide btw mysis and brine.

cowfish7

 

[tkos]

When you first get puffers they tend to be a little hard to get food into. Generally live food is the only food they will take until they get older. Then you can start to introduce frozen foods. As for the snails they are probably getting the flesh of the snail but they pick it right out of the shell. There were always lots of empty shells when I cleaned up the tank.

Watch out if you have these with other fish. They are super good at eating the fins of other fish and will go after even really big fish. Watch out gouramis!!

 

[freshwatergal]

I have 11 lil guys, and they love frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms. They are also eating the snails. Try some frozen foods...my guys are eating like champs!

 

[Sati]

Mine are eating forzen bloodworms. They will not touch freeze dried bloodworms. I have a snail factory going. I read that some puffs are picky about what size snails they eat. If that's the case you could leave snails in their tank to have babies and the puffs would eat the babies when they're the size they prefer.

 

[madasafish]

A few of mine died from trauma

But thost who survived are REALLY enjoying live brineshrimp. Only one or two eat the bloodworms. In fact, one of my guys was so stuffed full of the live brineshrimp that he looks doubly "puffed up" at the moment. I'll load the pic when I have a second...

BTW, most LFSs should have live brineshrimp for sale if you're not familiar with them. They usually come in a bag which has to be refrigerated. You add small amounts of the shrimp for each feeding.

 

[Sati]

I've had mine for close to two weeks and all 6 are still doing great. Mine gorge on the bloodworms and get huge tummies! I was going to set up a hatchery for brine shrimp, but I need to research that more.

 

[cowfish7]

Here's an update our feeding adventures.
live brine shrimp: love 'em!
frozen tubifex: just can't keep them in their mouth
freeze dried brine shrimp: won't touch it
frozen bloodworms: are picky about them - will eat some but not others
pellet food: try to eat it when desperate
snails: they love hunting these things

Now I just have to figure out how to keep the brine shrimp alive as long as possible. The only place that sells them here is too far away to make frequent trips.
I am glad people have mentioned the big tummy effect - they do get it when eating brine shrimp. I would have been worried if I didn't know about that.
cowfish7

 

[puffergirl]

As Tkos mentioned when you fisrt bring them home they go though a faze of not eating for a few days. Don't worry to much it should pass and they will start eating. I have found mine loves to pig out on frozen bloodworms, freeze dried brine shrimp and I also have tons of snails in my tank which he eats all of the babies. I have seen him snaking on a few tropical flakes as well, but my guy is just a little piggy, they generally don't touch flakes.

 

[madasafish]

Ooh, even better success with live black worms. They have such a blast with them and slurp them up like spaghetti! Hilarious to watch!