The Puffer Forum

i recently bought a gsp from my lfs. they told me to feed it live guppies about 20 a week. is this ok?

There's no "amount per week". You should feed them every time their stomach dips inwards (next to the tail).

Guppies are not a staple food for GSPs. I would not even offer them as an occasional treat unless I had raised them myself--maybe not even then. In fact, my GSPs have never eaten a single guppy, rosy or (shudder) goldfish.

Please read the GSP stickies in the library. These are must-read articles for GSP owners, providing lots of good information about care and feeding of GSPs. If you still have questions after reading the articles, post again and we'll help you sort through it.

I had to cover my guppies' (and their babies') eyes while I was reading this post! It's bad enough when it happens accidentally ... someone should report your lfs to the RSPCG (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Guppies).

Susanna

Don't get me wrong. Wild creatures eat other wild creatures and we refer to that as "nature". The reason I do not feed guppies to GSPs is that this is not their diet in the wild and it is not required for their health in captivity.

I would toss in a small crayfish or some live ghost shrimp in a heartbeat. Not for the pleasure of seeing them eat a live creature, but to provide stimulation and a foodsource similar to what they would have in the wild.

Yup.

I consider ghost shrimp as 'toys' for my GSPs and F8. They are never more brightly colored or excited as when they are hunting them.

Let me add in that you shouldnt feed GSPs fish. They're molluscivores, not piscovores. Ie they eat shelled stuff.
A steady diet of fish can affect their liver as they can't process the fish oil, I believe.

Read these articles if you want to know how to keep your GSP healthy:

http://www.thepufferforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=10

http://www.thepufferforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=12