Humpback puffer feeding question

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Gwenkat
Puffer Fry
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2019 7:05 pm
Location (country): United States

Humpback puffer feeding question

Post by Gwenkat »

Hi all. New to puffers, but not fish keeping. I have a humpback that we bought after learning he sat in the store for 6 months because no one wanted him. The clerk said he was a "rock". Turns out he is the best fish I've ever had! He's current in a 36 gallon but about to be upgraded to a 75. He is eating every other day and getting shrimp or earthworms. My question is should I let him eat until he doesnt want anymore or just until his belly looks full? He's a little piggy and will beg for his worms all the time so I worry I'm not feeding him enough. Thanks for your input!
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Pufferpunk
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My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
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Re: Humpback puffer feeding question

Post by Pufferpunk »

[welcome]
Great find of a gorgeous fish! Fed to a slightly-rounded belly. I'd feed every 2-3 days.
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!"
StinkyPete
Figure 8 Puffer
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Joined: Tue May 22, 2018 5:52 pm
My Puffers: (Pea puffers),T. schoutedeni, P. Turgidus, P. palembangensis, Random target puffer, cutcuia, palustris...
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Re: Humpback puffer feeding question

Post by StinkyPete »

Gwenkat wrote: Fri Jan 25, 2019 5:16 pm My question is should I let him eat until he doesnt want anymore or just until his belly looks full? He's a little piggy and will beg for his worms all the time so I worry I'm not feeding him enough. Thanks for your input!
My 2 cents.

We have two sub-adult palembangensis/ dragons.
One is very shy, the other is very friendly.

Bites of food that "fit" seem to be key for cleanliness in the thank which saves my overall time.

The largest observation as for food messes:
Bite-sized objects are very clean while they get eaten.
Some chum squirts out the gills.
- nothing really crazy as for bits going everywhere.
- sometimes the puffers won't touch the food on the bottom, referring back to the observation of bite-sized chunk feedings.
- if they don't eat chunk #2, then either come back later or don't toss chunk #3 in yet!
- too large of chunks makes the process a mess in my opinion.


A personal favorite is watching Ghost shrimp hunts as they go down like M&M candies.
As for meat, the thawed (from frozen) shrimp get cut with scissors to the proper size for each puffer mouth. Nothing OCD just an eye for for general size.

These water potatoes love to chase the ghost shrimp dumped into the tank.
The clear looking ghost shrimp come in to the local store in spurts. Sometimes the store gets shrimp that are too small to buy, but the next batch seems to have adult ghost shrimp worthiness.
The shrimp survive very well in a "feeder project" tank and can get beefed up with high protein flakes, sinking stinky pellets, brine, live blackworms...you name it...

Out here in northern Ohio the local store has 00.19 cent shrimp.
I hope to be able to grab more shrimp in bulk at a better price for the puffers, but for now it stands at that.

I do see the general youtube channel population using cherry shrimp that supposedly take off well in population.

Lastly, I'm about to place a rabbit snail into the dragon tank.
I hear the Dragon will leave it alone as they rabbits eat leftover food items.
Another key is finding a tank mate that can survive while picking up the tiniest of leftovers on the bottom.

Can you offer a video of the outgoing Dragon potato?
I'd love to see it as others surely would too.
Thanks
Gwenkat
Puffer Fry
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2019 7:05 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Humpback puffer feeding question

Post by Gwenkat »

Thanks for the response. I'll see about posting a video!
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