Overfeeding Puffers

[Malabar Puffer]

I starve my dp every 2 days but have no problem with them eating my outher fish 6 inch silver dolla's i dont think so lol

[Pufferpunk]

No reason to starve DOPs for 2 days. They are a small, active species that should be fed daily, maybe skipping 1 day/week, is all.

[OCgatergal]

everytime I feed my puffers fizz tab soaked food, my puffers won't eat it..thats their fasting day lol

[Pufferpunk]

Try soaking in garlic too, to enhance flavor & appetite.

[Chillyfish]

I agree totaly 100% with pufferpunk, puffers should be kept in a species tank, as there not a shoalin fish they will nipp or kill others in time. Also I'm glad u mentioned feedin, I put a post up sayin I don't feed them every day a got tons of replys sayin I should, as a preditary fish I like to change foods, times and days of feedin so the still work for there food, and not just wait. I'm a strong believer of tryin to imitate nature. Thanks for this post

[puffypuff]

Our local pet shop finally has some live daphnia in - can we plonk the whole bag in for our 2" F8, or should we pour some into a jam jar to keep for another day?

(Also - is it okay to just 'pour' the daphnia in - water and all?)

[Pufferpunk]

Isn't daphnia the size of a speck? Aways strain foods in a brine shrimp net before feeding out.

[puffypuff]

Hmm, they're not tiny tiny - sort of small sea monkey sized? It says water fleas on the label? I don't think a whole bag would amount to a massive amount of food though... Thanks for the advice - will strain them. Bommy's going to go mad chasing them - he's only been with us for 4 days but he's been the ultimate hunter since day one - so funny to see him go from bobbing around looking cute to full-on predator mode!

[DarkStorm]

my fahaka does not like missing a day of food. poor bala was a light snack 8(

[L!$A]

Sorry to hear that darkstorm!!
Same with my Mbu.. if he doesn't get a little something, he usually doesn't leave anything for anyone else in the tank!
& If you put anything in there food wise he'll go for it.. so you almost have to distract him with food.. so others actually get to eat! He's such a little piggy!

[breadfan]

i had a problem with my gsp ozzy. he is in a 200 litre tank with three monos. they are very fast moving fish who tend to reach any food in the tank before poor old ozzy could get any. rocker mentioned this in one of his articles, where owners overfeed in order to provide their puffer with adequate food. i got around this by using a length of half inch diameter inlet pipe which i place above ozzys favourite cave where he hangs out. i can then give him just enough food to keep him at his ideal fighting weight. i then feed the monos their normal three small meals per day. this is definitely worth a try especially if your puffer is nervous of any larger fast moving tankmates

[Pufferfreak42]

I'm guessing my GSP is 3 or 4 months old. I have him close to 2 months but I don't know the age when pet stores get them and how long they are there. When should I start doing the fast day?

[J-P]

ok ... since you have pointed out this tread from another thread....

I may be getting some SAPs. They will go into my 210 long... tankmates:
3 Otos
2 Saimese alge eaters
300+ snails
200+ Red Cherry Shrimp.

With all that potential food in there what are the odds that they will over indulge? Or will they go nuts and level off later?

[Nick]

Saps are active and small enough to really get into nooks and crannies. I estimate a big gorge the first week, followed by the gradual but complete destruction of populations in a month or two.

[J-P]

thank you!

Dadof4 and I were chatting about it... there will be 3 SAPs in a 210 long with the above mentioned population. 2 of the SAPs are quite active, one is not so active.

This would be a nice little test to see if the population is sustainable