Need tips for feeding Pea Puffers

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nosnoop
Puffer Fry
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Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 5:35 pm
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Need tips for feeding Pea Puffers

Post by nosnoop »

I have a pair of pea puffers who are bit picky in their feeding. I finally got them to be interested in frozen bloodworm. They are now eating it, but only if I gave them directly with feeding tongs.

If I just drop the bloodworm in the tank, or the bloodworm has sunk to the bottom, they won't eat it.

The problem is that they now start to fight when they see the feeding tongs; and they would chase the other away from the feeding tongs.
The fighting seems to be getting more and more aggressive everyday. Other than feeding time, they don't bother each other too much.

I am trying to feed each one equally, bring it to close to their mouth when the other puffer is not looking or a bit of a distance away. But this is not always successful, as once the other puffer sees the feeding tongs, the fight would start again.

Is there any technique or tips to feed both puffers equally and prevent the fighting?

Thanks!
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Need tips for feeding Pea Puffers

Post by Pufferpunk »

[welcome]
Can you offer more info? How large is the tank? Decor? Sex of puffers?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
nosnoop
Puffer Fry
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 5:35 pm
Location (country): Canada

Re: Need tips for feeding Pea Puffers

Post by nosnoop »

Pufferpunk wrote:[welcome]
Can you offer more info? How large is the tank? Decor? Sex of puffers?
It is a 12 Gallon fully cycled tank, with plenty of artificial plants with some rocks and caves.
I asked for two female pea puffers, but they maybe too young to be certain. At least, I have not seen any typical male characteristics such as the yellow line in the belly or wrinkles behind the eyes at this point.

I have had them for about two weeks. They cleaned up all the existing snails in the tank in like one day! And they refused to eat any frozen bloodworm until the second week.
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Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Need tips for feeding Pea Puffers

Post by Pufferpunk »

My spoiled brats would not eat anything but live black worms.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Pufftastic
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Re: Need tips for feeding Pea Puffers

Post by Pufftastic »

Live blackworms are the food of choice for my DPs, too. But be warned: Once you feed them live worms, they may never accept thawed frozen stuff again. ;)

Blackworms are inexpensive and relatively easy to find (most independent LFS carry them). You can keep them alive for several weeks in the refrigerator, in a small tupperware container with a few holes in the lid, with just enough water to cover the worms. Rinse the worms (they make it easy by forming themselves into a tight little clump when the fresh water starts pouring in) every 1-2 days, and throw in a small pinch of fish food every few days for 'em to eat.

I can make a single batch of blackworms last about 3 weeks this way. To feed, I use a little plastic pipette thingie (a.k.a. a "worm feeder"), suck up one or two worms, and drop them in the DP's tank when I know they're ready. You don't want to let too many worms hit the substrate, if at all possible -- they'll burrow in and just set up shop there, almost impossible for the fish to catch, and they can add to the bio-load of the tank if there are a lot of them living down there.

The little fattie in my avatar photo had just had a major blackworm feast when I took that pic.
Yo ho, yo ho, a puffer's life for me.
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