Food questions

[judge6266]

I am new to puffers but I read you need to feed them hard shelled food regulary how do people do this is it live food and if so where do you get it, I looked at the LFS and they have ghost shrimp but they are tiny and $0.80 each, I can get pond snails for $1.50 but they seem a bit large. I am looking for food options for Tetraodon biocellatus and Colomesus asellus.

[Hilly]

You can feed live food if you wish a Quarantine process before feeding is preferred just in case they have something that could harm your puffer, theres articles in the live on feeding you should check it out. Personally I only use frozen foods.

[Pufferpunk]

library/category/feeding/

[purplecandle]

Breeding your own snails is the most economic

library/feeding/basic-snail-breeding/

Try aquabid.com for the best prices. DO a search for ramshorn snails

[judge6266]

I read that but what frozen food has a hard shell? Is a krill or shrimp shell enough for their teeth, I seem to keep seeing that you need to feed snails at least weekly is this wrong, I am new to this so I am just looking for guidance

[purplecandle]

you can feed the more than once a week, some people feed snails several times a week.

Other frozen foods

Shell on uncooked shrimp
Shell on Mussels, open it up and your puff will scrape the the she as they get to the meat
Grab legs, bang on them with a hammer a couple of times. Your puff will chew on the legs while they get to the meat.
Peas
Scallops
Live earth worms (pesticide free)

[J-P]

for SAPs go snails all the way with 1 day of "treat foods" and 1 day off. It doesn't matter how large the snail is.. if it is too large take 2 spoons and crush it, then feed it. If you don't do that you'll have a headless snail while the rest is rotting in the tank.

The bio bed will thank you but your fish may not like the ammonia spike and you won't like the smell

[purplecandle]

"If you don't do that you'll have a headless snail while the rest is rotting in the tank."

You really do have some silly SAPs!

[J-P]

"If you don't do that you'll have a headless snail while the rest is rotting in the tank."

You really do have some silly SAPs!

It is true!! If the snail is too large the "rag doll" it like a dog on a rope and get what they can and leave the rest. TPF recommends a snail about the size of a puffer's eye. My guys will go for any snail of any size. I do have to crush them or I get headless snails in the tank! This usually happens when I am in a hurry out the door and just toss in a half dozen or so.