The Puffer Forum

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Frozen brine shrimp aren't a super food choice wise. In addition to the pond snails, you can get some non-seasoned, uncooked seafood from a grocery store, like mussels, shrimp, squid etc. I also like to include tilapia and earth worms, to offer some thiaminase (An enzyme that inhibits the body's ability to uptake b1) free/low food sources. If the seafood is fresh, freeze it first, and thaw/ soak the food in a bit of tank water (Don't use straight tap) with the addition of vitamins, such as Vitachem and Selcon to make sure they are getting balanced nutrition, as freezing does break some of the nutritional value, but it is important to freeze to kill bacteria and or parasites.

not frozen, dried. I was desperate the other day when it wouldn't eat so I added a little.

Oh, yeah. I wouldn't give them anything dried. Most of those suggestions I gave are incredibly affordable. Buying a few pieces of shrimp or some kind of seafood usually runs me about a dollar or so, unless I'm buying a fillet of tilapia, which I just cut off a small portion and cook the rest for the husband.

my LFS is ordering me frozen baby half shell clams to add to the diet as well. As for the earth worms, can I just get fishing worms and freeze them first, or add cut up and live?

I don't freeze the worms first, I just rinse off the dirt. You can scoop out a bit of tank water, and drop them in that before putting them in the tank. I do buy fishing bate worms, the ones called trout worms/panfish worms/red wrigglers. Cutting them to an appropriate portion, you can put the other end back in for later.