Puffer Digesting

petebsbll · Post by **petebsbll** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 10:45 pm

So my Stars and Stripes puffer is very big and likes to eat alot of food. Not the best topic to discuss but sometimes I notice he poops out whole pieces of silversides. They dont look like they get digested that well. Other times his poop look more normal and is just brownish and powdery. Is it normal for them to sometimes not be able to digest stuff? I also tried feeding him some lettuce once and two days later I saw the lettuce stuck to all my powerhead intakes , so I guess it didnt really digest at all.

Thanks

Boxermom · Post by **Boxermom** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 10:52 pm

Have you tried corn?

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 11:25 pm

Peas rock now and then, will help other food pass, and have naturally occuring easy uptake vitamins.

Post by **Pufferpunk** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 11:50 pm

You are overfeeding your puffer. It can only digest so much food. The rest comes out whole. How often are you feeding what, to your puffer?

Post by **Puffer Queen** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 12:19 am

I agree - overfeeding.

What volume are you feeding and how often?

petebsbll · Post by **petebsbll** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 12:54 am

Thank you for the information everybody.

I think I am overfeeding him, thats gotta be it. I feed him every other day, and usually just feed him 10 or so silversides untill he shows no interest. I am going to begin feeding him small portions over spread out periods of time. With the lettuce though.. Do you ever notice it coming out whole? Same with the peas, I fed my Puffer peas when he was on an empty stomach and I still noticed them in my powerheads a few days later.

Thanks!!

manutius · Post by **manutius** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 1:56 am

Maybe as ther is too much food it is passing through undigested. Just a thought, you need o remove the shell of the peas as this will not be broken down and blacnhing the lettuce in some boiling water quickly till it goes limp helps to break it down and therefore one would think easier to digest

Post by **Pufferpunk** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:05 am

Fish really aren't a natural diet for your puffer. It should be eating crustaceons, especially for it's teeth.

Post by **Puffer Queen** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:27 am

Lettuce and peas are not natural sources of greens for the puffer.
Nori is a better alternative and far more nutritious than lettuce.

manutius · Post by **manutius** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:32 am

Is that suitable for all puffers?

Post by **Puffer Queen** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:42 am

My advice applies to saltwater puffers - I do not have freshwater or brackish experience.....hopefully PufferPunk can address those....

Post by **Pufferpunk** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 12:09 pm

I have rarely known puffers to eat peas. I'd prefer to see them eating algae waffers or better yet, gut-load ghost shrimp with them.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 9:59 pm

Peas are actually the only veggie my Shakespeare will touch... my dp's won't try them though.

PuffTheMagicFishy · Post by **PuffTheMagicFishy** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 3:10 am

Peas are also the only way to get veggies into my girl besides gut-loading her snails. She eats one quarter of a frozen Petite Pea

. They are the only food besides chunks of krill, live insects, or whole frozen bloodworms and mysis shrimp that she will touch. She does kill all the duckweed in the tank by testing it for edibility, but always spits it out.

manutius · Post by **manutius** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 6:45 am

Clooney loves peas, and algae wafers and shrimp and pretty much anything I put in!!!!!

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