What to feed puffer fish?

[David Chan]

What food to feed puffer fish? Can they take fish pellets?

[Griffith DreamWalker]

Not advisable. All puffer fish must eat live snails/clams/shrimps depending on the species as puffer fish have a 'beak' that will grow if not 'trimmed' with the hard shells of snails. Do not use Malaysian Trumpet Snails (MTS) as their shells are often too hard and will bra0eak a puffer's beak. Small puffers can be fed smaller pond/ramshorn snails, medium sized ones can be fed larger pond/ramshorn/(small) apple snails(or feeder shrimp) and large puffers can be fed apple snails, live clams, feeder shrimps and feeder fish or crayfish as a treat.

Remember that all puffer fish are carnivorous and are very messy eaters so good filtration is a must. For many puffers, single speciemns are best as they're very territorial and can kill each other. Do read up on what type is your puffer and its requirements please. Also note that feeding frozen food is possible but puffer may need to be trained if unused to such.

PS:: When buying live feed, gut load and feed them with high quality food a few days prior before offering them to your puffer to get optimum nutrition. I do this to all live feed too.

[Ryan Peh]

Does feeding dwarf puffer also require shrimps and snails???

[TheAquarist]

Snails alone will suffice, dwarf puffer wont usually go for adult shrimps

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[Ryan Peh]

Where do you get tiny feeder snails? O.o

Rams horn snail are algae eaters too right? The Rams horn snail I saw are like $1-$2 per piece...

[TheAquarist]

I have malaysian trumpet snails that i give they lay their eggs in substrate, a couple of mts needs maybe 1 month to get a steady population going. In my opinion, you should separate these snails from puffers. 1 reason is to control the amount and also make sure that your puffers wont be overfed, just pellet food and clean water will do .

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[TheAquarist]

Otherwise, you can consider getting snails ramshorn and get them breeding.. rams and pond snail lay their eggs everywhere

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[Ryan Peh]

Hmmm no place I can buy those small snails at cheaper prices?
I haven't even setup my tank but I'm intending to put around 2 dwarf puffers! I really find their shape intriguing HAHA! I was thinking of just feeding pallet till I came across this thread!

[TheAquarist]

Pm TaiZi, he has lots of snails, btw hes in the west

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[Ryan Peh]

Oooo thanks!
Btw, how much do lfs sells them? And do they sell as feeder snail or individual?

[TheAquarist]

They dont sells 'feeder snails' . Most snails hitchhiked on plants. The snails i know that are sold are rams, nerites and apple snail. Not sure bout pricing as my snails were hitchhikers . If you would like to have snails, whatsapp me at 92736650

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[Ryan Peh]

Awesome! I'll let you know when my tank is ready!! I'll need to cycle my tank before adding them right?

[Griffith DreamWalker]

Yes, all aquariums need to be cycled unless you want tank crashing or a ton of dead fish for the first few months. Also, what TheAquarist said is untrue. Feeder snails can be purchased at an average price at c328 which has daily stock of pond, apple and MTS, depending on stock.

Also, like I stated earlier, DO NOT feed puffers MTS unless you're willing to risk a puffer with a cracked beak (which may kill them) as MTS shells are very hard and have been said to even crack larger puffers' teeth.

[Ryan Peh]

Do puffers have to eat snail daily? Or can I feed them other stuffs once in awhile?

[TheAquarist]

My bad, i'm not in the west, as far as the lfs i know, they dont.

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[Ryan Peh]

Wait I meant, can I feed them other stuffs and only once in awhile I feed them snails

[Griffith DreamWalker]

For all puffer fish, be it big or small, need to at least be fed snails at LEAST(preferably more than this) once a week, but feeding a snail or two every alternate day is for the best. Other than that, other live and frozen food should be fed. Only offer high quality pellets when feeding puffer.

[Ingen]

Are you referring to indian dwarf puffer or the normal size puffer? Dwarf puffer don't crush snails like the bigger size ones. They eat snails by sucking it out. I used to keep them and they love anything live and won't take any dry food, I read online stating these dwarf puffer do not have beak like the normal ones. I had a hard time feeding frozen and end up hatching bbs for them. I used to have infestation of pond snails, so occasionally I will feed them with it too.

Initially they look cute when hunting snails, but after awhile it became too cruel to watch once you empathize with the snails, although that's the natural relationship between them...

[Ryan Peh]

Ooooo I'm talking about those miniature versions of figure-8 puffers or spotted ones.

Will bloodworm do?

[Griffith DreamWalker]

Ooooo I'm talking about those miniature versions of figure-8 puffers or spotted ones.

Will bloodworm do?

Those are considered medium-large sized puffers and need brackish water when adult. However, we are not discussing tank parameters but feeding. Frozen or live bloodworm contains very little nutritions and should not be used as the main food but as a treat due to this. With medium sized or large puffers, offering feeder fish, feeder shrimp and snails are the best bet. I've already stated this earlier in my first post, so please read it.

Side note: When feeding feeder fish, feed them with nutritional food a few days prior offering to puffer. Make sure none are suck as puffers may get infected.