The Puffer Forum

ok so i bought some frozen tubifex worms over the weekend and i just decided to try them now, and it was a total disaster. the puffers didn't want anything to do with them. juliet just plain ignored them, and ra kept taking a mouthful and spitting out instantly as if it were the worst thing he ever tasted, and would keep doing it like he hoped he'd eventually get a good tasting mouthful. they also look weird, really like and stringy and white. not at all what i thought tubifex worms were supposed to look like. the cube was a reddish purple color like i expected but as soon as i put it in the cup of tank water to thaw the color bled out into the water and the worms were white. they also the consistency of snot when i tried to slowly drip them back into the cup. does this sound normal? and should i try them again in a couple minutes to an hour, or just give up and figure they don't like tubifex and go back to my blood worms.

Buy some corydorases. They absolutely love tubifex. BTW, you need to be careful with feeding too much with tubifex (it doesn't sound like it's a problem right now though ), it's fattening. I only use freeze dried tubifex, and that's only for my cories, when I want to prepare them for breeding. I've never tried it on puffers. Maybe I should test it, just to have done it. I won't know until I've tried. Yes, I think I will try this tonight. I don't have Hufflepuff to grump in a corner for two hours this time, but I guess there are other puffers who can do the job just as good.

Was the water cool that you defrosted in or was it hot? I'm thinking you cooked them.

it was just tank water at 77 degree F. i didn't think that could cook them.

My puffers hated tubifex too I have a tray of frozen tubifex still in my freezer because they just wont eat them, no matter how hungry they are lol! I was a little grossed out by the stringy, snotty consistency too lol!

I use live blackworms or frozen bloodworms.

i use bloodworms too but i wanted to add alittle variety into their diet besides teh occasional snails because i can't get them as often anymore. i guess i'll have to try something else then.

try FD plankton

I don't know many fish that really like tubiflex worms once they've had the good stuff (blood worms or better yet, live black worms).

I offered them to the puffers and frog and betta the other day. The betta was definitely happy with them. The frog and puffers are sick, so IDK if they actually disliked them.