Treats for Dogface Puffer

[MatthewLaw]

Greetings All- I finally sourced a mostly-black and healthy black dogface puffer. ARIK is a great fish and is in QT for another few days. he is eating mysis, prawn and some shrimp.

what do you suggest as a good healthy treat for him? Clams from the grocer? Also where do you usually get silversides? Thanks!!!

[edmlfc1]

My puffers won't eat silversides but they love mussel, clams, crabs and scallops. I buy them from the local grocer store, freeze then defrost in tank water and feed. The crabs: I'll buy 2-3 cut them in quaters and feed one quater. They go nuts over it. For a treat my S&S loves the red sea veggies. It also keeps him regular.
Hope about a picture of your new guy?

[edmlfc1]

Correction: He hates the red sea veggies and loves the purple. The red sea veggies smell like tabacco.

[LilGreenPuffer]

I think that silversides and other feeder fish are generally considered bad for puffers. When it comes to the seafood, be sure to feed only raw foods. Clams from the grocer are definitely great - they're tasty and good for your puffer's beak.

[puffertt77]

Can we see a pic

[MatthewLaw]

Thanks for your help.

here he is!! the pictuers were taken the day he arrived so i will get a few new ones later on!

[MatthewLaw]

i have another question!! how do you prepare the clams/muscles? do you cook them or just drop them into the tank? what about opening them up?

[Irisis]

Cute puffer!

Not sure if its the same for a dogface as it is for an Mbu. but for Winston I feed him raw mussels/cockles/clams in the shell but freeze them fully first and then defrost in tank water. As for opening them up, I guess it would depend on the size of the food and the puffer. For Winston I have to open the larger ones up but leave both halves of the shell in place as he is then able to crunch through and eat the lot.

He also likes king prawns with the shell on (although I remove the head and legs as they are quite sharp and spiky!) Only tried him on cooked prawns so far, however in about a month I will have moved and so will be able to go to the ocean in the early morning to get him freshly caught food (which I will of course freeze before feeding )

He is also given cooked mussels, winkles and cockles as a treat. He loves the flavour of the cooked ones but they're not supposed to be as nutritious, hence them being just a treat

[MatthewLaw]

thanks for the help!!

i just bought some live clams. would you suggest cooking and then serving?

also for the other few clams i bought, would you suggest i put them into my empty QT? since this may prolong their life or if it safe to keep them in teh DT?

[edmlfc1]

Don't cook any of his food. Any fresh/live food freeze first then defrost in tank water. This will kill any nasties that may tag along on the food and infect your tank. Also with mussels and clams after you freeze then defrost it's really easy to open them. I use a butter knife to pop them open. I also soak their food in vitamins.

[MatthewLaw]

thanks for your help!!!

why do you pry open the shell? I thought you would want the puffer to keep bitting the shell to open it.

[Myaj]

Your new guy is gorgeous, I can't wait to see better pictures. I've always had a soft spot for dogfaces, especially the ones with unique markings.

Those clams have pretty dang thick shells, I don't know if a puffer really could bite through one.. they do help with teeth though when they bite and scrape their teeth on the shell. Paris likes to bite on and throw the shell around a bit after she's gotten all the meat out of it, maybe she thinks more will magically show up

[MatthewLaw]

Thanks for your comments!! My parents have this magnificent black labrador retriever named KIRA. I (like most of us here!!) am a huge puffer fan and immediately fell in love with the black dogface puffer. So I reversed KIRA's name and got ARIK or ARIKA if the puffer is a she!!

The scallops have been working very well along with prawn. i find that ARIK only goes for shrimp when she has not eaten for a few hours (between breakfast and dinner) but otherwise would prefer prawn. i am freezing the clams right now and will try them tomorrow!

i need to clean the tank and will take some better pictures soon!!

[LilGreenPuffer]

Feeding once a day is probably enough.