The Puffer Forum

Hi!
I live in Sweeden quite close to the sea. I can easily catch both tiny baby cray fish and mussles, but the question is: Can I feed my puffers with them? It must be better food than with the boiled ones I can buy in a store, right? Of course the sea here is very cold compare to where puffers live in the nature, and the species of cray fish and mussles are not the same... Can there be any poison or toxins that will kill my puffers? Or anything else dangerous?
Thanx, Annika!

Freezing them first would be better idea rather than live.. it would kill off any nasties.

I read they get their lethal toxin from eating these poisonous stuffs.. so i think its ok. unless the water is contaminated in the first place....

Thanx!
Well, my plan was to catch them, hit them with something hard on their heads, and then freeze them for a couple of weeks or so before feeding.
The sea water here is very non polluted, especially on the west coast, no problem there! Loads of children happily use sticks with bread on to catch smal crayfish. ( Of course they cook them before eating.. )
So, next weekend: Fishingtrip!!!

I say go for it if its somethin you want to do. Try not to feed your puffer cooked food at all. If you catch goodies, freeze em for 48hrs to kill the nasties like scpion said. They may have bad bacteria or disease from the sea. If you breed your own, live would be fine because you know where and what's in your water