The Puffer Forum

Hi.
I have got a mbu and a fahaka puffer(Don't panic they are in saparate tanks ) I feed them on a array of seafood but the only shelled variety i use is cockles,however i'm unable to buy them anymore because all the stores are struggling to get hold of them.I can get live mussels in shells but i'm unsure if i can freeze them.I have asked around and people are warning me not to do it.Has anyone got any advice on this.Thanks.

I'm not 100% sure that freezing them is ok.
Most likely the reason is you can't make sure the mussle wasn't already dead before freezing. When you cooke them first the ones that don't open, were dead and could be rotten. So when you eat the ones that didn't open while cooking you could get very sick.
I don't know if puffers would get sick from already dead/rotten mussle, or maybe they won't even try to eat them.
I would probably freeze them because I just can't believe a puffer will eat a rotten mussle. In nature they will come across already dead/rotten food also.

I feed my fahaka with frozen live mussels and have done for a year.
I buy from Tesco/Sainsbury, sort any that are open and throw away, then wash and freeze the rest.
Thaw in tank or vitamin water for an hour before feeding.

Thanks,I will give this ago.

I buy my mussels and clams from a local grocery store. They always sort though them and never sell me any that are open. I freeze them once I get home. Then when I am ready to feed I run them under tapwater (just long enough to get the shell open), then I thaw them in vitamin water and garlic extreme. I have not had any problems (knock on wood). The look I get is priceless everytime I get a new guy. They always ask me how I plan to cook them so they can give me tips. When I tell them it's for my fish, the expression on their face is ". I just love the new guys, I get a good laugh everytime I go.

My fahaka is about 5 or 6 inches long now - do you think he'd manage mussels or cockles in shells yet? He has thawed frozen cockles currently but not in shells (and snails, bloodworm, prawn, live shrimp etc). Do you feed them live cockles or mussels in shell or do you always freeze first? I could get live cockles locally (from the beach) and leave them in my shrimp tank and use as required, is that a good idea or not

I have a fahaka that is about 3" long (growing every day ).When i can get hold of frozen cockles in shells,Which is'nt that often.He does really enjoy them but i have to open up the shells first.I have never given him live cockles,plus i think they are harder to open.

Just crack them open--he'll do the rest!

Last night I went cockling at my local beach - 15 minutes is plenty to find a months supply of live cockles (and a few mussels). I have them in a bucket of saltwater (made up as per a marine tank) so they can rinse for a day or 2. The smaller ones I plan to feed live (I'll keep them in my shrimp tank to keep them fresh) and the large ones I'll freeze and feed later.

Where in Wiltshire are you? could it be worth a little trip out at low tide to collect a few cockles?

My fahaka is about 6" as well. I freeze my muscles and then I rinse them under my water and put them in the tank when it is shut tight. I make my lil guy work for his food. He doesn't crack the shell yet but he does chew on it enough to keep his teeth down I think. It takes him an hour or two to actually get the muscle open enough to where he can eat it.