The Puffer Forum

Hi guys! I have a couple questions about my Figure 8 puffer. I’ve had him since December. He has a 20 gallon tank to himself with low-end brackish water (around 1.005). I’m sorry if these questions sound dumb, but I want to make sure I’m doing things right!

I’m looking to get him a more varied diet. Right now he eats bloodworms, mysis shrimp, snails, brine shrimp, and ghost shrimp (3 as a weekend treat). I am wondering if frozen shrimp from the grocery store would be okay to let him have too. The grocery store has frozen cooked and uncooked shrimp. I don’t know which to get. I’m looking for something that I can pick up at my grocery store or Petsmart/Petco. What about anything freeze-dried? Krill or shrimp? I read the article about feeding on the website, but I want to know what’s suitable for a little F8. Also, is there anything else I can give him to help keep his teeth down (besides snails)?

Okay, another question. I’m wondering if my little guy has IP’s. I feed everyday around 6 pm, and his stomach gets round after he eats. But then the next day when I get home from work, it’s back down again. Is that normal? I’m attaching two pics: one of him before he eats and one after he’s done eating. He acts normal, and his poop is brown and firm looking. Let me know what you guys think.

Thanks!

Before he eats:


After he eats:

Raw shell-on shrimp from the grocery store is fine. Mine always enjoyed it. Freeze first to kill off any possible parasites, then thaw and serve.

It's normal for their tummy bulge to flatten, anywhere from a few hours to a day or so after eating, particularly if you're not overfeeding (which is a good thing!). As long as the stomach doesn't appear concave, you're good.

Adorable puffer! F8s are my favorite.

You would be surprised at what you could feed your puffer from the seafood market. Crab legs, shrimp, mussels, clams, prawns, crawfish...of course for the big stuff you would put small chunks in...not a whole crab leg LOL. Also for crawfish and shelled items you need to break up the shell a bit.

Puffers also love ramshorn snails and live earth worms.

If I were you I would drop the brine shrimp and ghost shrimp..and stick to more nutritional foods.

Here is a feeding article

library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/

I agree with pufftastic, he looks like a nice healthy puffer! But, if you wish you can treat for IPs just to be on the safe side.

I'll second the suggestion to drop the frozen/thawed brine shrimp - they are good appetite stimulants and so-feeding them with new foods may well get the fish to try and learn new foods, but nutritionally they are quite poor and pollute the water easily. I disagree on live ghost shrimp -as with any other live food, they are as nutitious as you make them, and properly housed and fed and maintained they can be highly nutritious, if somewhat lacking in crunch. I use the routinely as hunting treats for my F-8s whose diet otherwise is largely homegrown snails. Newly purchased live foods are rarely highly nutritious.

HTH

Okay, thanks for the info you guys! I'm glad to hear you think he looks normal. Maybe I was just being paranoid! : )

I did not mention it before, but I agree that he looks good. The before/after shots are just right INHO & IME. The fish is eating just the right amount. He looks good. Keep that up and he can live for a very long time.

He's a lovely looking puffer...fed and unfed..