The Puffer Forum

Almost two years ago I lost my precocious "Puffy", Anthron Reticularis, due to an inadvertant over-cleaning of his tank and extenuating circumstances. Soon I am going to acquire a two year old Tetradon Lineatus (Fahaka). Of course I have been researching on the wonderful Puffer Forum. I have noted the foods to feed: snails, unshelled shellfish, i.e., crab legs, mussels, etc. My only experience in feeding this kind of fish to my "Puffy" was a disaster. I purchased a small fresh squid from a fish store (the squid had arrived from the east coast a few hours earlier), I brought it home, rinsed it well, chopped it into suitable bite-size pieces. I fed just a few to Puffy and happily watched Puffy enjoy his new treat! Within a short time Puffy was not feeling well, on the bottom of his tank. I was scared to death. For two days he was not well. I did not feed him during this time period and Thank GOD! he snapped out of it. Today I enquired at an excellent caliber local grocery store about their mussels. I asked if I could freeze them (to kill any bacteria/parasites [which I did not know to do with Puffy's squid] ), and they said absolutely not! , they said mussels had to be eaten alive, dead they released a toxin.

I am hesitant about feeding any kind of shell fish because of my bad experience. I need some expert advise on where to purchase, freeze non-freeze, etc. quality shell fish for my soon to arrive Puffer. I read coldmachineUK's excellent article on feeding in the PufferLibrary and I noted the "gamma treated" frozen mussels. I have no idea of what these are or where to purchase them.

I am asking for some excellent, experienced advise on the safe feeding of shellfish & snails to Puffers.

Thank you! Rouge

I use Gamma Foods by Tropical Marine Centre. They do whole cockles in shell, in bulk bags, and they also do a variety of other foods including mussels. I use the bulk bags, but they even do blister packs now I believe.

The LFS I visit locally has these in store, so I'm quite lucky with that, but I expect you could probably find them online somewhere.

I must admit I've not heard about market shellfish (i.e. store-bought) releasing toxins after being frozen though...

I was told that too. But I think it has something to do with: when you cook it live it opens up and you know it's a good mussel or clam. If you freeze it and cook it dead then you don't know and you can get food poision or something like that. But for feeding it to your fish, I freeze all my fresh seafood then feed. I have been feeding mussel's, clams, crabs etc. to my fahaka and my Stars & stripes puffer. I haven't had any problems with them getting sick from food.

Hi ! This is Rouge/Jackie replying . .and thank you for your quick response!

1. Do you buy this fresh sea food from your local grocery store?
2. If it is fresh (like mussel's) do you take it home and instantly freeze it,
(uncooked) then it is dead -- the butcher said No, No. I do not think you cook i
and then freeze it.
3. I am so confused because of my/and Puffy's bad experience with the squid.
4. It seems to be so simple for most dedicated feeders of puffers!

Thank you for your interest and concern... Jackie

I would ask them What toxin is released. I bet you they would be like uhhh,duhhhh,deerr, I don't know. I would never feed anything I get from the pet store that isn't live unless it's live brine shrimp. I would only feed feeder fish to non-puffer fish. You should have got the frozen squid from san fransico bay. At least you know your pet store didn't touch it.

I get my clams from an asian market, I don't know if its the same with clams compared to mussels but my puffers are to small to open a clam so I crack on open for them. Would that hurt my puffer?

Nope.