Spud

[hellohefalump]

Spud's quickly found out that I am his food source. He has also found that if he puffs then I feed him. I don't think he's puffing because he's distressed, as he never does it when I've fed him or at any other time that I can see except when I enter the room and walk in his direction. When I walk in, he suddenly gets more active - just like my livebearers in the tank next door! Everywhere I've looked it says as an adult, which I am pretty sure he is - he's 6" long, he only needs feeding every 3-4 days. At the moment I'm managing to resist to every 2 days. Am I feeding him too little in one go? or is he just greedy? I'm giving him about 3 small mussels and 4 small cockles at each feed.

I'm going to get more variety in, but the fish shop has sold out of all the other 'spud' foods until Friday.

His markings have become really vivid, such a beauty! Except when the lights first turn on, when he is murky sandy coloured with hardly any markings from being in the dark all night.

 

[Pufferpunk]

Also try cut-up pieces of scallops, shrimp, crab legs, whole mussels, clams, oysters, squid, lobster and crayfish. Mine love to chase live crayfish, fiddler crabs and gut-loaded ghost shrimp. I gut-load (pre-feed) my live food with algae wafers, so my puffers get their veggies. I buy most of these foods at the fish department of my grocery store, freeze and later thaw in warm vitamin water as needed.

 

[hellohefalump]

thanks!

 

[Pufferpunk]

You can try any or all of the above. Variety is best for your puffer. He will tell you which he prefers.

 

[hellohefalump]

but how often and how much should I be feeding him? The way he tells it, he should be eating every day all day! the info I've found though says every 3-4 days. But he puffs to get my attention if I don't feed him! is this good for him?

 

[Pufferpunk]

For a more sedentary puffer like yours, you are correct, every 3-4 days is fine. Feed him as much as he wants on those days. Make sure to clean up the leftovers.

 

[hellohefalump]

aha! I don't think I'm feeding him enough at each session! Thankyou for replying... I'm not feeding him till he's had enough, his appetite seems so large I assumed he was like a goldfish and didn't know his own appetite.

 

[Pufferpunk]

I have seen leftovers in their tanks, so I assume they know when to stop eating.

 

[hellohefalump]

yeah I fed him yesterday and suddenly he started ignoring the food and leaving leftovers so yeah, he did know when he'd had enough!