The Puffer Forum

Try as I might, I feed for 3 little SAPs. One of them has a serious eating disorder and will eat for 4. That is the way it is here.. 1 eats all the food, the second gets some and the third (smallest) gets almost none.

I started with some snails and 2 ate.. the little guy didn't. Then I went to shrimp. The same situation; 2 ate the little guy didn't. So finally (because the little guy was seriously thin) I gave them some blood worms. They all ate!

Short of separating them I don't know how to break that pecking order. Anyway.. for future SAP keepers.. here is what you may or may not be dealing with:

haha he looks happy

There's a 12-step program for that.

Have this problem with the irrubescos. The male is the most aggressive and is a pig. I make sure they all eat by dropping food in 2 areas of the tank and they're out of sight of each other. The little female is smart and she goes to the second spot. The other females compete with the male well and then go join the little female once there's not enough at the first spot. The male stays at the first spot. Also, when I feed them I have all of my food and supplies ready at the tank. I drop it in almost all at once and the male simply can't monopolize it all.

This doesn't work as well with live shrimp as he is a fabulous hunter.

For the SAPs, I did the major snail feeding into the back half of the tank (heavily planted) after the lights were off and the puffers asleep. Then everybody has to hunt for snails - hunting acuity may just trump dominance. Or again, it may not. But it is worth a try.

Pufferpunk wrote:There's a 12-step program for that.

LOL!!! yes, apparently we're both to attend our own.

RTR wrote:For the SAPs, I did the major snail feeding into the back half of the tank (heavily planted) after the lights were off and the puffers asleep. Then everybody has to hunt for snails - hunting acuity may just trump dominance. Or again, it may not. But it is worth a try.

I will definitely give it a try. It just might work, possibly better than segregation. On the subject but a slight derailment... As we are planning on moving, I do have a 90 handy that I was hoping to set up as a SW tank but I am torn between that and giving these 3 little guys that tank. I don't think chasing them around the 210 is going to be an option. Tried that once.. epic failure.

lol at his buck teeth

I know... and those are a good set They grow quite quickly!

Yup, SAPs have the fastest growing incisors of any that I have kept.

The older I get, the less willing I am to move fish. Most go directly into their permanent home immediately, or at least straight from QT.

But it does mean that my tanks do not change much or often.

That is a chubby thing. Same eating habits for my 3. Definitely one that could eat for all three if given the opportunity.