How frequently to feed baby Figure 8

[tennisball]

Hello all. I recently became the proud momma of a baby figure 8 puffer, name Hercules. He is my third puffer (the first looked like the one in the Puffer Forum logo- with the Santa hat (who unfortunately died shortly after I got him), the second is a Valentini puffer (about 7yrs old I think) This, however, is my first brackish tank. They had larger F8's in the store, but this little guy was by far the most animated and friendly. He practically swan into the net! Anyway, I think he'd eat 24/7 if I let him. I usually only feed my fish once a day, but since he's a baby I thought I'd feed him twice... but the way he acts I'm not sure it's enough! I fed him blood worms, mysis shrimp and some chopped up clam so far (and soaked it with vitamins). I'm not sure how old he is, but he's only about an inch and a half long stem to stern. Should I be getting up in the night for 4hr feedings? LOL

[purplecandle]

You should feed once a day until the belly is nice and round...

But, instead of one large meal you could to two medium/small meals.

Remember to feed 6 days and then 1 fast day...over feeding a puffer is easy to do and very harmful.

If you have anymore questions about this puffer feel free to ask! And Welcome!!!!!!

[Pufferpunk]

this little guy was by far the most animated and friendly

That's the right way to pick em! I think 2x/day is enough & I'd still take one day off/week. Same as my DPs--although with their worm feeder, they kind of eat all day...

[tennisball]

Thanks very much. I didn't know about the fasting one day thing... is this true even for babies? I figure their tummies are smaller (which was why I was wondering about frequency). I can see his tummy stretch when he eats though, so maybe it's not so small.

[RTR]

Baby fish are not fasted at all for me. But "baby" is just that - hatching to 6-12 weeks old depending in the species. Few store puffers are that young.

By a standard length (not including caudal fin) of 1/3 to 1/2" for F-8s, I would skip one day per week. It is your option how many feedings per day - it is the total quantity that matters. If a single feeding, restrict the fish to a lightly rounded belly. "Lightly rounded" does not mean bulging to the point of showing belly outlines - that is over-feeding. IME, crunchy foods are very important to SAPs and F-8s, but not as important for DPs. Your listed diet is not very high-crunch to me.

By a year and and a half or so, you can drop back to alternate-day feeding. Fro, 2 1/2 -3 years and up they should not be fed more than alternate day maximum, better 3 x weekly. That holds for the rest of their lives. When they get old -12 years and up, their appetite tends to drop a bit, as they are slightly less active - then I hold the 3x weekly feedings, but slightly smaller meals. Old F-8s tend not to over-eat as younger ones will so easily. Fat puffers do not live as long as trimmer ones for most hunter-predator puffers.

HTH

[tennisball]

Your listed diet is not very high-crunch to me.


HTH

I was going to get some snails for him, but the fish store guy indicated he was a bit too young for that. He said he had given him dead snails, but that he had only sucked the snail out from the shell rather than breaking it. What would you suggest? Baby snails? I assume, since they tend to overeat, that I should just several in there to see if they breed.

Also, I don't know if it really quailifies as 'crunchy', but he did eat some of the freeze dried mysis from the top of the tank. It's pretty 'crispy' anyway.

[purplecandle]

Stop listening to the fish store employees..they are there to sell fish..most have no training and the ones that do have training know very little about puffers.

Do not feed your puffer dead snails, you are risking water quality..and it sounds gross and they smell BAD.

They can eat snails as big as their eye. Ramshorn snails or pond snails.

You can breed your own. It is easy..If I could do it you can do it
Snail breeding article ~ library/feeding/basic-snail-breeding/

Feeding article ~ library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/

[jtbadco]

Never too soon to start with the snails IMO.......when he says 'dead' snails....he is probably referring to 'crushed' snails (makes sense)....and that is the perfect way to introduce a puffer to snails.

you can squish them between your fingers if you're not squeamish or crush them between 2 spoons if you are. your puffer will soon realize they are food and will begin to actively hunt them in time. Even when you crush the snails, the puffer is forced to chew thru bits of shell and this will get it used to working for it's food. best If you can find snails that are approximately the size of your puffers eyeball.

[purplecandle]

You are probably right jt....as soon as she said dead snails, my mind jumped to how bad they smelled!!

Jt is right freshly crushed snails are ok!!

[RTR]

LOL! I nearly freaked at the mention of dead snails - that would damage the water so fast! But crushed fresh snails are a good way to introduce puffers to your varieties of snails as food.