The Puffer Forum

A thought that crossed my mind the other day while I was at my lfs... Why hasn't anyone made pellets made specially for puffers? Hikari makes pellets for all kinds of fish including snails/shrimps and crayfish.

Any thoughts?

The majority of puffers don't eat pellets; the ones that do can't get everything they need from them. Puffers need to eat food with hard shells for their teeth as often as possible.

If someone was to make pellets for them, it wouldn't be different from any other carnivore-specific pellet... Maybe it would have mostly invertebrate meat.

Puffers won't usually eat pellets. You can buy frozen squid though if you want something easy to feed Just supplement with snails.

I just saw a thing of frozen squid at Pet Land when I was there today.

Actually there are puffer pellets available, just not in North America.

PM me and I'll get you the price and availability if you would like to try them out.

LGP, your missing the whole point I'm trying to get across.

As an example 'Hikari' makes a wide range of different pellets/dried goods to fit needs for all kinds of aquatic pets.

Why pellets? Yes some pellets can lack some needs that certain species benefit from, like a puffer needing hard shells, but they can also be very high in Protein and Vitamins that can't be all be obtained with feeders. As important as a verity of live feeders and raw meats are for carnivore fish I personally feel that pellets also play a huge role in a balanced diet.

Just pointing out how nice it'd be if someone would make pellets/dried goods specially made to fit a puffer's needs.



J-P, thank you I had no idea something actually existed, possible group order if enough are interested?

sent you a pm

I think you missed my point, respectfully.

There are no pellets that can really meet a puffer's needs. Raw meat provides huge amounts of proteins, and a liquid vitamin supplement adds vitamins; a really good varied raw diet shouldn't miss much, but as humans, we do fail, and the liquid vitamins cover for this. Pellets, on the other hand, always contain ingredients that don't need to be there - or simply shouldn't - like wheat or flavor enhancers. Why give your fish a pellet - not as appealing, lacking in day-to-day nutritional variety, processed, cooked, and with bonus useless calories from grains - when you could give them what they would eat in nature?

I don't see why we couldn't use it as a quick filler? Like eating cereal for breakfast, instead of a steak. I believe Hikari to be one of the top fish food manufacturers & could possibly come out with a decent pellet. Eating a pellet could add some crunch factor to their diet, if eaten right away. Although 75% off my regular fish's diet is live blackworms, when in a rush I have no issues tossing in some flakes or pellets to change things up a bit.

an ideal diet for most fish would never be pellets. they are an easy way to feed your fish and give them a pretty good diet. all fish would be best eating exactly what they eat in the wild exactly how it is presented (with a few exceptions). IMO processed is never the BEST option.

DrKennethNoisewater wrote:an ideal diet for most fish would never be pellets. they are an easy way to feed your fish and give them a pretty good diet. all fish would be best eating exactly what they eat in the wild exactly how it is presented (with a few exceptions). IMO processed is never the BEST option.

Why not? You don't think science and technology have come this far and can't produce a concentrated pressed form based on their natural diet? It is no different than any MRE's we use when over seas and can't cook. Provided it is not a staple... but still a viable option regardless.

Either way I sit on the fence on the issue. It has its pros and cons.