Feeding regiment for dwarf puffers

[TorPeteO]

Hi everybody,

I'm just curious how much and how often fellow dwarf puffer owners feed their DPs. I got mine yesterday, and I don't want to feed them too much because I know they're messy eaters as it is, and I don't want to feed them too little because I don't want them to starve.

This is how I'd planned on feeding them;

Sunday - Place 2 snails in tank for feeding.
Monday - No feeding.
Tuesday - Feed 1/2 cube of frozen bloodworm.
Wednesday - No feeding.
Thursday - Feed 1/4 - 1/2 cube of frozen bloodworm.
Friday - Place 2 snails in tank for feeding.
Saturday - Feed 1/2 cube of frozen bloodworm.

They're pretty small still (2.2 - 2.5 cm) and they don't eat too much. Still, I'm a little nervous about those "No feeding" days.

Thanks for any tips!

 

[MAM]

since i only have 2 dps and one bbg in a 10 gal tank at this time, i tend to feed every other day. i put a bunch of snails in every couple of weeks, as i see they need more (mine get to the snails when they get to them...). since i feed frozen food, and since i only have the 3 fish, i cut the frozen cube in half, defrost the one half and put it in every other day. its usually takes them that long to eat everything. now, if you put some ghost shrimp in there, as a treat for the puffers, until the puffers actually get around to eating them (and since yours are so small, they probably won't bother the shrimp), the shrimp will do a great job of cleaning up whatever the puffers don't eat, theyre a wonderful clean up crew, that can double as food in the future.

 

[Chasing Puck]

Monitor that tummy! DP should have a slightly rounded tummy--if they don't, they aren't getting enough food, and will not grow as quickly. Mine pack are all adults, so they get fed every other day with meaty foods, and a bunch of snails go in once a week. As juveniles, I fed them twice a day--a small amount in the morning, and a small amount in the evening.

For me, doing more frequent water changes to keep water quality up is worth having healthier puffers.

 

[TorPeteO]

Alright, mine don't really look very 'rounded'...perhaps the LFS hadn't fed them that well. Their stomachs actually look rather concave (almost, in some places), but I assumed they were fed well enough yesterday, when I put in a full cube of frozen bloodworms. The great majority were simply allowed to drop to the bottom, and so I had to syphon them out (not very enjoyable, trust me).

Has anyone tried feeding with a cone feeder (they look like this*)? I bought one yesterday, but it's for live worms. I decided I'd try it and see if frozen works well in it, because I'd rather the worms not fall to the bottom to settle in the gravel.

Also, about the ghost shrimp, how large do they get? I haven't really paid much attention to shrimp, but I've heard some kinds grow large enough to eat the dwarf puffers they're put in there to feed! The ghost shrimp idea, though, sounds like a good one. I may look at the LFS to see if they've got any, I know they've got some kinds of shrimp.

This is pathetic, it'll be the 3rd time in 6 days I'll go to the LFS...oh well, a small price to pay for healthy fish.Thanks for the tips, keep 'em coming, if possible!

* Photo credit to Dwarf Puffers: Home

 

[Chasing Puck]

How big are your puffers? If they are less than 3/4 an inch, they would benefit from more, small feedings throughout the day. They can only eat a small amount at one time, and the tummy should be rounded and full when they are done. Mine always looked like they were about to pop after a meal. They don't really go after the frozen foods as well, initially, and a variety, including the worms, brine shrimp, and mysis would provide them with more nutrients. I fed by adding 2-3 worms or shrimp at a time, waiting until those were eaten, then adding a few more.

My puffers didn't start going after ghost shrimp until they were about 1-inch long--6 months old. A small ghost shrimp would be okay, as they are good cleaners, but unlikely to be food initially.

 

[TorPeteO]

My puffers are between 2.2 - 2.5 cm, or 3/4" - 1". I'll give that a shot, the slow feeding regimen. I've got some time, so I'm going to do it. One of my puffers is beginning to look very unhealthy, lying on the bottom of the tank, although the colouration is as vivid as it has been. I think that it may just be tired.

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[GP]

They should only be rounded after feeding. About 4 hours later, they will have digested. Puffers have very fast metabolisms. Make sure that if they are under 1 inch that they are fed everyday. When they finally reach adulthood, you can still feed them everyday, but skip at least 1 day per week for fasting, to keep an energetic fish and the tank clean.

 

[TorPeteO]

Alright, thanks. I've been feeding them twice a day, about 1/8th of a cube of frozen bloodworms (after that, they seem uninterested in them). I wait about 6 hours or more between feedings, and they seem to be doing pretty well so far (knock on wood). Thanks again for all the help.

 

[TorPeteO]

I thought of another question.

I went to my LFS and they only had a few ghost shrimp, and those they had looked very unhealthy (I doubt shrimp diseases can be transferred to fish, but I still would rather not risk it).

One thing they did have, however, were 'whisker shrimp'. These shrimp grew to about 2" max (said the LFS worker, who seemed knowledgeable), and birth clutches of around 500 eggs (great for feeding my puffers).

Question is, though, will these shrimp attack my puffers? I don't know how large ghost shrimp get, so I can't assume an answer by making a comparison.

Thanks in advance.

 

[jennstrange]

the biggest ghost shrimps i've had were about the same size as my dp's... no bigger than 1". I wasn't sure if they'd eat the shrimp.. but I guess they do. The other day the dp was staring at the shrimp.. and then started chasing all around the tank.. mmm.. tasty treat.

does anyone know where I can get cheap ghost shrimp? I bought mine for $2 for 5.

 

[GP]

I thought of another question.

I went to my LFS and they only had a few ghost shrimp, and those they had looked very unhealthy (I doubt shrimp diseases can be transferred to fish, but I still would rather not risk it).

One thing they did have, however, were 'whisker shrimp'. These shrimp grew to about 2" max (said the LFS worker, who seemed knowledgeable), and birth clutches of around 500 eggs (great for feeding my puffers).

Question is, though, will these shrimp attack my puffers? I don't know how large ghost shrimp get, so I can't assume an answer by making a comparison.

Thanks in advance.

They would defend themselves from the puffer, more likely. However, I would not buy them, an unhealthy fish/invertibre could lead to another dead fish.