The Puffer Forum

I know there's lots here on feeding puffers and such in the library but I was wondering more on peoples personal techniques...here's whats been going on...
my f8 is probably almost 3" including his tail...Im wondering if this is big enough for him to eat about 1" apple snails? Im not going to feed him today in hopes that he'll answer that question for me and chomp down on one of the little suckers. I've only had him for 3 days now and I've been giving him king prawn, I shelled it and chopped it into pieces and I drop him about 4 little pieces a day. I was wondering if any of you leave the shell on the prawn? I was thinking of skewering a prawn on a chop stick and trying to coax him into eatting/attacking it...anyone ever do that? Maybe the prawn shell will help slightly with his teeth? Not super worried about it yet because his teeth are still almost too small to see...which is why I ask if he's old enough to eat big snails. Also...I know it's good to change his diet and I want to start giving him blood worms and earth worms...wondering A) Where is a good place to get blood worms? The pet stores Ive checked with around here dont carry them in any form, not even freeze dried....there is a reptile place...do reptiles eat blood worms? Also, earth worms out of my yard would be good for him? I use no fertilizers or pesticides, nor do my neighbors... anyways...let me know

It's not a question of whether the puffer is old enough for snails, it's a question of whether the snails are small enough for him to have to chomp through the shell to get some teeth wear out of the deal. It's recommended that you feed puffers snails about as big as their eyes. A 1" apple snail sounds too big, and your puff can easily 'slurp' the snail out of the shell with out having to chew through any tough material, which defeats the whole purpose of feeding snails. I'd try to start breeding ramshorns which stay smaller than Apple Snails, and that way you have a steady supply of appropriately sized snails.

Uncooked shell-on prawn is also recommended, as it is also another tough thing the puffer has to chew through to wear his teeth down. If your puff isn't taking too well to eating dead foods, sometimes it works to attach the food to something and move it around to trick the puffer into thinking it's live. Eventually your puff will think everything associated with you = food, so it will get easier to introduce him to new things.

Earthworms are risky because you really have no idea of what toxins are in the soil. Even if you don't use pesticides or fertilizers and your immediate neighbors don't, run off can carry pollutants into your area and affect your worms. Sometimes there are toxins in our soil from people who owned the property long before us.

Bloodworms aren't necessary, and if you set up a snail breeder you will have a steady food source. Still, there's no problem with shell-on prawn or cockles from the grocery store. Just be sure there's nothing added to them when you read the packages, and be sure its raw of course.

sounds good! I like the rule of thumb about snails and the size of the puffers eyes. Didnt think about the fact that he could slurp the snail out rather than chomp through the shell. Im still not going to feed him today just to see if he'll eat one of the snails at all. When breeding snails...are rams horn or river snails the best for puffers? Where is a good place to get some to start off with?

Just tried the skewer with a peeled prawn, I'll do I shell-on tomorrow. Uploading a video of it to youtube right now so I can show off

Pond and ramshorns are the easiest and fastest IMO.
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Agreed, those guys will breed out of control with just a bit of water and some cheap flake. I added 2 DPs to my 15 gallon snail breeder (thinking they'd pick off the newly hatched snails) and the snails are still everywhere... hundreds at least!