The Puffer Forum

Ah that was the thing we noticed I wasnt sure how much they ate as only DPs before but we definately learnt lesson with this! Definately cut into small pieces. Is the cooked stuff really that bad even if get something like coldmachineUK mentions to get more vits in? Will do for now with mix of bloodworm, have snails as well and plan to go source some mussels locally for them too. Definately getting some of the vits me thinks, I have a growing list for payday at the end of the week!

LOL yep my squeal was definately there doh!

Also DON'T shoot me I wont be trying this out unless you guys think its ok but somewhere read it is ok to feed...crabsticks!

Well, it's not going to kill them but it's not good for them either. Without going in to a whole cellular biology dissertation what basically happens when you cook something is you denature (a form of changing it by heat, chemical or both) the protein structure of it making it either not quite as easy or easier to use by the body. This also effects vitamin availability, solubility and structure in the food source. Take a hula hoop and pretend it's a protein chain. In it's "non-cooked" form it's fun and easy to use. Add a little heat, change its structure and it isn't as easy to use anymore and a lot less fun....

In humans this isn't that big of a deal, we've adapted to cooking our food, breaking it down and digesting it in that state. Puffers and other wild animals have not and some domestic carnivores have developed a tolerance to it. So, in short, the puffer will not get enough of the needed proteins, amino acids (these make protein), and vitamins from cooked food. Soaking in a multivitamin only eliminates one of the three big issues.

Now mind you that is the down and dirty "Why not to feed cooked food to wild animals" lecture and it makes huge leaps and liberties over certain aspects. It would take pages to really get in to it properly.....I can continue this in PM if you'd like.

Oh, BTW, my brain is now nauseated......

Just curious Dad .... what should those of us whose puffers won't take raw shrimp do? When I first started keeping puffers I bought nothing but raw shrimp, and it would just sit in my tanks and basically start to foul the water. No one ate them raw. Then I bought some nice big fat shrimp tails, cooked, and they will eat those right up. I do understand that cooking reduces vitamins in foods, but I don't know how we're to get our puffers to eat something they aren't the least bit interested in.

LilGreenPuffer laughs at when people get hurt.
Nice healthy GSP's you got there.

But it was funnyyyy! *whines*

I dont mind, all the family make fun too! LOL

Thanks for that Dadof4 it is good to know, you can continue in PM but give your brain a rest! (As well as mine! LOL)

Hehe... I, too, watched with the sound down at first then read that you yelped so I had to turn the sound on. Can definitely tell you're from the other side of the pond.

schismy007 wrote:Just curious Dad .... what should those of us whose puffers won't take raw shrimp do? When I first started keeping puffers I bought nothing but raw shrimp, and it would just sit in my tanks and basically start to foul the water. No one ate them raw. Then I bought some nice big fat shrimp tails, cooked, and they will eat those right up. I do understand that cooking reduces vitamins in foods, but I don't know how we're to get our puffers to eat something they aren't the least bit interested in.

Try other foods like in the feeding article and try soaking foods in garlic extract. Live foods work well too....mine love live trout worms and nightcrawlers. You can also try to wean them to raw food.