The Puffer Forum

I purchased 4-dp's today and i kid you not these babies are so tiny they are hard to know what to feed.A blood worm is bigger then any one of them.they are less then 1/4 inch and the smallest so tiny even less then that. I was truely wondering if i should get some fry food for a few weeks until they grow a little.I have never seen a dp so small.What do you all think of some fry food for a few weeks?? I have had dp's before but never this tiny. Please advise and help would be appreciated-tank-15-gal; ammonia-0-nitrite-0-nitrates-5 and ph-7.8 steady-they don't know how to eat a blood worm. going to try some b.-shrimp later but seriously concidering fry food.thanks river-7

Brine shrimp is not very nutritional. Try tubifex worms or baby bloodworm

I feed small DPs and other small fish bloodworms with a pair of forceps and small scissors. I grab a BW with forceps and cut about 1/4 off and the cut piece will normally stick to the scissors which can be dipped in the water to released. This allows you to drop pieces in front of the fish and not over-feed making a mess. The first few feedings they might not get it but it won't be long and the little DPs will be anticipating and following the food drops.

If the fish are real small cut the pieces even smaller. Also keep in mind that they may not eat the whole BW piece but instead will suck out the contents leaving the skin. Feed them 2 or 3x a day until they get big enough to eat larger meals and go longer.

Good luck.

JRC3; thanks soo much as i don't think they do get it yet. How long can they go without eating?? Never had a problem with them eating before. I will try cutting up a b/w in the morning and maybe they will be hungrey enough take it.could i crush a snail for them or are they still too small? I think i will pick up some of that fry food just in case they don't eat-it might be easier for them and maybe mix with a b/w till they do get it.thanks so much to all river

UPDATE ON TINY PUFFS; Sorry to say i lost them all last night. I think the stress was too much for them. Checked parm;=ammonia-0-nitrite-0-nitrate 5 ph; same and steady. Can't figure out what killed them except maybe they were just to small. Am going to get 4-more today only bigger ones and here's hoping i don't lose these new ones as well. No reason for them to die; Unless stress level was too high for them. I feel really bad as i hate to lose a fish any fish but especially little puffs. river-7

Sorry for your loss.. something must have went terribly wrong. Pls try to find out what's the cause. Why not try one first and get the hang of it. Once u are more confident, u can add on at a later stage.

hi; i am just going to get 2-today and i just can't figure out what went wrong but i picked out the smallest ones and maybe that was the problem. Today i will pick out 2-big ones. thanks river

All 4? I can't imagine stress killing all 4. Something else to try for food is baby brine shrimp eggs. Just follow the direction and you'll have food in like 24-48 hours. http://www.marinedepot.com/OSI_Brine_Sh ... BS-vi.html For me they hatch in FW but you may need to add salt as directed. When the eggs hatch the baby shrimp kinda jitter around in the water and should really stimulate feeding...Though I don't think eating is why all 4 died.

Something like Hakari "First Bites" may work, but I doubt it. NLS H2O Stable wafers say it is good for fry, but I never tried them...But once again I don't know if DPs will touch prepared foods. I'd try the brine shrimp eggs first.

I've tried frozen baby brine shrimp before. All it really did for me was muckup the water. http://www.petsolutions.com/C/Frozen-Fi ... Mgod-2UAXQ


Good luck.

BTW, I have to ask an obvious question, and don't be insulted, but did you use a dechlorinator? If you test your water params I think you did...But I have to ask. *wink*

Also, check the bags water's PH. Maybe you need to acclimate the fish more slowly. I usually take about an hour to do this anyways. Float for 15min and then keep adding tank water to the bag ever 10mins or so while the open bag's top is curled over so it floats. Also were the DPs in their own tank, alone?

Hi; yes, i always use prime and accumulated the correct way-so i just bought 2-more and they look good except may have ip's one is kind of skinny and sunken in, so i'll see when he/she eats and see if he/she bulks up and how long it will take to go down. May have to worm-really think so as the one has a little yellow look and i find puffs with worms seem to have that yellowish look.wish me luck will keep you all updated.Thanks to all who are taking the time to help my babies.-Sorry yes it is species only and these 2-will be alone-river

Never buy a fish with a concave body. Also, always ask to see them eat. Treat right away, for IPs.

Hi:PP; they are both eating and looking a little more filled out and hunting down snails i put in there[small ones] and to my surprise a free loader got in and it's a baby puff no bigger then a pin head-I could not believe it i had to look twice-so i guess it will be lunch but he seems to get away from the other 2-what to do??? I don't want to see it become lunch but what else to do.?? If i can catch and seperate this pin head baby what to feed? And re; ip's is it ok to soak prazi; in garlic, vita-chem and prazi; altogether? or just worm first?? thanks river

Maybe just a brine shrimp? If your skinny puffer's belly goes back to concave later on, treat them both for IPs.

The worst where i purchase these puffs is you can't see them good and they won't feed them and they say too busy right now-i have even hung around for them to feed and they don't.So i did tell them is i lost one more i will take my business else-where.Maybe that will wake them up.These 2-are comfortable now and hunting and checking out their new home.So i will worm tonight and hope for the best-Do i have to remove filter=i don't want to mess up my cycle as it's been cycled for about 6-months and doing well.Doe's any of the prazi; get to the filter or just in the puffs? Sorry for all the questions but i just don't know. Do i dose the tank or just their food-never used prazi; before always used jungle fizz-tabs and now we can't get it over here. thanks river

No, the dewormer has to be in their food, so it your filtration won't affect it.

The baby could be a guppy fry. I get them from time to time.

For me PraziPro has been 100% effective...Now that's not to say that the puffs I treated didn't have IPs to start with. I soak either bloodworms or crushed snail in the meds, then feed directly to fish with forceps. I add a drop or two Prazi to about a tablespoon of water and let it soak for 10-15min or so. They should eat it as long as the med taste isn't too strong.