Little sister just got 2 dwarf puffers! =)

[Raechal]

So the tank has been through a fishless cycle and it took about a month before she added fish into it. We wanted to make sure everything was 100% perfect for her puffers.

She has a cave, lots of plants in the middle to kind of break up the tank into two separate sides and a little glow-in-the-dark sea anenome thingy. The substrate is sand.

So we wanted to know what we should feed these tiny little guys since they are so small? We picked out the biggest ones in the tank, but they are still tiny. About a half inch in length. We have flakes, dried blood-worms, sun dried baby shrimp, and snails that I am currently breeding.

So what should I feed them while they are small? The snails I currently have are rather big so I don't think they would be able to eat them.

Any tips or advice?

 

[Paul_MTS]

froozen bloodworm would be best for now.

but you can also use bigger froozen foods as they will rip it apart.

 

[Raechal]

froozen bloodworm would be best for now.

but you can also use bigger froozen foods as they will rip it apart.

Okie dokie thank! I will try to find a LFS that carries frozen foods and pick some up.

I heard they are quite messy eaters. How often should I vacuum the sand?

 

[Fish00]

with every 50% weekly water change.

 

[Paul_MTS]

I think 50% is a bit OTT.

30% weekly should be fine, but if you can test for nitrates to keep tabs and then increase/decrease water changes to suit.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

go on ahead and put a few snails (3-4) in there to munch on any leftover food. i wouldn't be surprised if they got munched on already, but that'd answer your question wouldn't it?

 

[Erised]

As an answer on the question you posted in general:
Absolutely nothing? Puffers are not community fish, and nothing is classed "compatible" with puffers, not even dwarfs. You might get very lucky and be able to pull off keeping ottos, a bristle nose plec or freshwater bumble bee gobies with them. But thats pretty much where it will end. You will also never have any security that your puffers wont do anything ... the minions kept a shoal of rummynose tetras with their dwarf puffers for half a year, untill they woke up one morning and a number of tetras were ripped to pieces (had their stomachs taken out etc).

Dwarf puffers are NOT community fish, nothing should be kept with them.

And frogs will Definatly not work, can give you that much.

This should also be moved to oddballs smile.gif

As an answer to the food:

Most puffers will ignore everything that is freeze dried or flake. Your best bet will be live food (bloodworms, snails, brine shrimp etc) or frozen foods. For the main diet you'll be best of going on bloodworms (feeding once every 2 days, making sure they got a lovely belly on them should be alright), with a treat of snails (though they Are nessariy to keep their teeth down) and brine shrimp once every 2 weeks or so.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

Most puffers will ignore everything that is freeze dried or flake. Your best bet will be live food (bloodworms, snails, brine shrimp etc) or frozen foods.

not a day goes by that i'm not grateful that my puff loves his flakes.

as they get a bit bigger, try putting in a teensy amount of whatever your feeding your other fish. puffers are greedy little buggers and you'll quickly know if they like a certain type of food. i'd perform the experiment the day before or of a water change so anything uneaten doesn't just rot on the bottom. but it can't hurt to try.

 

[pnyklr3]

My DP's never even LOOK at flake! *sigh* But it is quite the sight to watch them slurp up frozen bloodworms like noodles. Two Dps even grabbed the same bloodworm at either end, and worked their way to the middle like in Lady and the Tramp. When they got to the midle, though, they started whipping and spinning around like a hurricane until the bloodworm broke!

 

[pica_nuttalli]

i know; i am sooooosososo lucky! maybe asellus are just less picky.

that's such a cute story about the bloodworm.