The Puffer Forum

So as most of you know...I have just gotten a DP about a week ago. Sadly, he refuses to eat the frozen bloodworms that I generously offer him. I called my lfs where I bought my DP from and they said that I should try live tubifex or brine shrimp. They said that these foods were successfully eaten at the lfs by the DPs. So my plan is to feed Squirt(my DP) live foods until I can successfuly wean him onto frozen bloodworms. Does anyone have any idea on how to wean fish onto frozen food ? All answers will be appreaciated. Please respond ASAP . I need to think of my "strategy" before I consider doing any action.

Maybe feed some of the live with some frozen. Take a needle and get the bloodworm to stay on the needle, then wiggle it around like a live one? good luck!

That is a good idea! But I tried that a couple of days ago and he didn't take. Hmmm....

Sometimes a lot of patience is needed. Don't forget that you and whatever is holding the worm will be quite scary.

Try soaking them in garlic.

Pufferpunk wrote:Try soaking them in garlic.

How long do I soak? And do I only soak it in the juices? And my last question...if I do manage to get my DP to eat the garlic soaked bloodworms...isn't that all he will eat? Like if I try feeding him normal frozen bloodworms later...will he eat it?

He may because he'll recognize the bloodworms as yummy food and will need less motivation to eat them. If for some reason he doesn't there's garlic products designed for fish food and that would be easier than constantly preparing fresh garlic. You have to wait for the worms to thaw so it would be easy to add a drop of garlic stuff.

I dunno.. I was never able to! Live blackworms were ate happily, frozen bloodworms were spit out and I received a look of disgust back when I had my little guys years ago.

ya thats what my fahaka does, he spits them all out. My shrimp love em though lol

Gotta try to find blackworms

At least all of ya'll puffers tried the dang stuff. My DP would only stare. Humph.... Sorry I've just been really bumbed out lately trying to get him to eat. But anyways...I would even leave the frozen bloodworms overnight in a jar for him to at least try...yes I know that this will slightly increase the nitrates due to slight rotting. (But I just did a 50% water change and he is alright) But still...he refuses to consider or even try the bloodworms. I think I will try with the bloodworm soaked in garlic idea...but I first want to at least make sure he gets something to eat...before I try the garlic soaked bloodworms. So I will first give him some live tubifex worms....so he can at least regain some energy and to prevent him from dying. *I don't think he will die from hunger...but rather due to weakness of immune system...I mean you have to admit...after you don't eat something for a week you are definetly going to be tired and your immune system will weaken.* After he at least gets a big belly on him from the tubifex worms *HOPEFULLY * Then he will consider the bloodworms. Also, three question, how long do you soak the bloodworms in the garlic? And also, how much of the garlic juice do you soak the bloodworms in? And also, how do you get the juices from garlic???