The Puffer Forum

So, ran around town for a bit. Stopped at LFS, and saw they had some tiny fiddler crabs for $2. Daughter wanted one, and was gonna stick it in her tank... However, when we got home - she said, "Can I feed him to the puffer??" It'll be his first crab, and I'm sure small enough he can take it. Gettin the video camera ready!

Also, stopped at Wal-Mart, they had 2 lbs of clams for $3.50 - looked like a good deal to me. And a big bag of shrimp, $3.00! The next size bag (was huge for a big party I suppose) for $10. $8.50 and I bet it's enough to keep him well fed for quite some time.

Ohyouknow wrote:So, ran around town for a bit. Stopped at LFS, and saw they had some tiny fiddler crabs for $2. Daughter wanted one, and was gonna stick it in her tank... However, when we got home - she said, "Can I feed him to the puffer??" It'll be his first crab, and I'm sure small enough he can take it. Gettin the video camera ready!

Also, stopped at Wal-Mart, they had 2 lbs of clams for $3.50 - looked like a good deal to me. And a big bag of shrimp, $3.00! The next size bag (was huge for a big party I suppose) for $10. $8.50 and I bet it's enough to keep him well fed for quite some time.

I'll have to hit up walmart soon and see if they have that good of a deal around here. uncooked right?

I see nothing that says cooked!

Ohyouknow wrote:I see nothing that says cooked!

That is a crazy deal. I spend over 8 bucks for my frozen blood worms. I am sure he would love some variety. I'll have to wait until grocery shopping however

I prefer feeding live crunchy things to my puffers... keeps their natural instincts heightened.
Kaleeko LOVES medium-large cray fish

L!$A wrote:I prefer feeding live crunchy things to my puffers... keeps their natural instincts heightened.
Kaleeko LOVES medium-large cray fish

I already give him ghost shrimp and he won't eat the snails or hermit crabs in his tank and I am happy with that lifestyle

I only pay five bucks for 4 oz of bloodworms. He likes them ok, but only if he feels like he is chasing them down. He seems pretty curious about the fiddler crab, it's been hanging around the hidey holes, and dodging into them. It's funny to see my fahaka kind of acting like, "I'm turning around, I'm nooooot interested.... Keep on doin what you're doin... Ignore meeee....." but you see one eye aimed straight backwards at the crab, and he's hovering backwards towards it... Little smart a$$...

I'd prefer live foods for him, but ghost shrimp are low on nutritional value, and I can't seem to get a hold of snails for the LIFE of me. Was hoping WalMart had another mystery snail, and we'd have a chance at having a mating couple. Babies for the win.... instead, no. My daughter was like, "No Snails!? GUYS! HEY GUYS! QUIT STEALING MOM'S SNAILS! THE PUFFER NEEDS THEM TO EEEAAAT!"

So bossy. I got her calmed and told her we'd buy shrimp LOL...

Ohyouknow wrote:I only pay five bucks for 4 oz of bloodworms. He likes them ok, but only if he feels like he is chasing them down. He seems pretty curious about the fiddler crab, it's been hanging around the hidey holes, and dodging into them. It's funny to see my fahaka kind of acting like, "I'm turning around, I'm nooooot interested.... Keep on doin what you're doin... Ignore meeee....." but you see one eye aimed straight backwards at the crab, and he's hovering backwards towards it... Little smart a$$...

I'd prefer live foods for him, but ghost shrimp are low on nutritional value, and I can't seem to get a hold of snails for the LIFE of me. Was hoping WalMart had another mystery snail, and we'd have a chance at having a mating couple. Babies for the win.... instead, no. My daughter was like, "No Snails!? GUYS! HEY GUYS! QUIT STEALING MOM'S SNAILS! THE PUFFER NEEDS THEM TO EEEAAAT!"

So bossy. I got her calmed and told her we'd buy shrimp LOL...

ahaha very nice. I just give him ghost shrimp to excite him when he isn't doing much. I breed ramshorn also but he hasn't gotten the instinct to eat them yet. He loves to go to the top and tear apart the blood worm cube while it's floating so I'm happy with that part.

Ohyouknow wrote:I see nothing that says cooked!

are the shrimps an orange type color or a grey?

Another very easy thing to breed are marbled crayfish, they are a-sexual and you do not need a male and female.
They are pretty easy to care for, you just need a decent sized tank, lots of decor (caves, plants etc) all you need is a heater and an airstone. They also do not eat their babies unlike Electric blue crayfish.. they give birth to about 50-100 babies each time. All my puffs love them!

L!$A wrote:Another very easy thing to breed are marbled crayfish, they are a-sexual and you do not need a male and female.
They are pretty easy to care for, you just need a decent sized tank, lots of decor (caves, plants etc) all you need is a heater and an airstone. They also do not eat their babies unlike Electric blue crayfish.. they give birth to about 50-100 babies each time. All my puffs love them!

actually easy thing i've heard is just get a plastic tub from walmart. put on a heater/airstone and pick up some lava rock

You don't need a filter for them? I happen to have a small spare filter - just not an extra tank just for them. Asexual is good, i'll have to ask the pet store about those next.

As for the shrimp - grey ones. I figured the uglier the better, I am not a huge seafood fan. And these clams are really gross when you crack them a bit.

ok i believe if they are grey they are raw. the ones you dont want are cocktail shrimp(the ones you use for finger foods at family gatherings etc). i think im going to have to try marbled crays, even though i have my GSP in marine, they are only for food anyway right? obviously breed them in FW but they would wind up going in marine as food

I'm sure they'd probably survive in marine long enough to get devoured. If nothing else, the marine water would choke em up and slow them down, right (just a guess lol)...

If nothing else, the fiddler crab I have is cleaning up my tank some... Seems to be getting his fill of junk from the substrate (I don't see anything, but he sure is grabbin at stuff and eatin it...)

Ohyouknow wrote:I'm sure they'd probably survive in marine long enough to get devoured. If nothing else, the marine water would choke em up and slow them down, right (just a guess lol)...

If nothing else, the fiddler crab I have is cleaning up my tank some... Seems to be getting his fill of junk from the substrate (I don't see anything, but he sure is grabbin at stuff and eatin it...)

I dont know. I put ghost shrimp directly from breeder tank into marine tank and they live for days before being eaten