Feeding Figure 8S?

[kniesh]

Hi, I got my 5 Figure 8s today, along with another 7 BBG's. They have actually ignored the many Cherry Shrimp so far, preferring the Prawns I put in. I plan feeding these guys on a mixture of, Mussels, Prawns, Squid, and crab meat, but my question is how many times a day should I feed them, is it 1 big meal or 3 smaller ones? I am presuming 3 but cant find the information anywhere.

Thanks in advance

 

[jennybugs]

Well I feed my tank once a day maximum. If the puffs are overfed they become very fat and rotund. One of mine was getting a big chunk of the food until I fed the tank from two ends which allowed everyone to get something. I feed the puffs their meatier foods and then put the live bloodworms in for the BBGs

 

[kniesh]

Thanks for the reply Jenny, yeah 1 it is, I ended up stumbling across it on a profile somewhere. I just need to find some mussels/clams in shells for them now, am sure Asda will sell them.

 

[jennybugs]

I wouldn't risk getting them from a supermarket. I am to believe it best to use the ones that LFS sell in the shells frozen as they are gamma treated to make them safe for the fish to eat or something. I've not been tempted to try anything else as I'd hate to make my fish ill.

 

[kniesh]

Thanks for that. I would have just presumed supermarket ones as no one has stated where they get them. I will ask my LFS today.

 

[jennybugs]

I know some people get their prawns from the supermarket but I prefer to get all my meaty foods for my fish from the LFS and that way I have comeback if they aren't any good etc. I buy the gamma frozen foods for all my fish too. They come on blister packs of ice cubes

 

[AdAndrews]

Jenny, i agree with your ultra-catiousness, but i believe anything in a decent supermarket, thats safe for human consumption is safe for fish, im going to be getting:

crab
crab sticks(maybe)
mussles
cockles
maybe some cheap cuts of fish

plus, to what im going to be feeding my puffer, of:

cherry shrimp
live pond/ramshorns/MTS snails
live apple snails (or dead, chopped in 2)
bloodworm
earthworm(if the ground isnt frozen solid)
brine shrimp
frozen peas



I was told to give a huge variety, and of course, i wont have all of that in my house at any one time to feed, but i think it will be good to mix it up

Adam

 

[kniesh]

Thanks for the replies. I have tons of MTS already living in there Adam so I think I have that one covered. They have already got a few but the sand bed is quite deep so I think I will have a supply for a good while yet. The rest is similar to the list you made, thanks.

 

[connorsbala]

Just be careful with MTS', people say that their shells are too hard for puffers to feed off as they can actually break their beaks; espeically the larger ones. If you can, try and get yours hands on pond snails..they are easy to breed and puffers can eat them without difficulty. Get a bucket, a few pond snails, fill with de-chlorinated water, leave it outside and provide smooth surfaces such as rocks for the snails to lay their eggs on. If you can, run an open-ended airline into it. Add soft foods such as cucumber every so often, the better fed they are, the more likely they are to breed.
Alternatively, ask your LFS to give you some of their pest snails in their tanks...they should be glad to get rid of them!

 

[kniesh]

Just be careful with MTS', people say that their shells are too hard for puffers to feed off as they can actually break their beaks; espeically the larger ones. If you can, try and get yours hands on pond snails..they are easy to breed and puffers can eat them without difficulty. Get a bucket, a few pond snails, fill with de-chlorinated water, leave it outside and provide smooth surfaces such as rocks for the snails to lay their eggs on. If you can, run an open-ended airline into it. Add soft foods such as cucumber every so often, the better fed they are, the more likely they are to breed.
Alternatively, ask your LFS to give you some of their pest snails in their tanks...they should be glad to get rid of them!

Yeah I read that about the MTS'. I also read quite a few places that a decent sand bed and a load of MTS actually help the beak trimming. Think Neale Monks was one of them to say this. I think the reason being that because there's so many they just eat the smaller ones, which leaves the larger ones to breed. Lets hope so. I am going to get some pond snails too though

 

[AdAndrews]

I personally dont think an MTS could break the beak of a puffer, do bones break dog's teeth?

 

[connorsbala]

I never fed my puffers them so i can't say that you should or shouldnt, i just said it so that you could keep an eye out

 

[kniesh]

I never fed my puffers them so i can't say that you should or shouldnt, i just said it so that you could keep an eye out

Thanks, I will definately be keepin an eye out for it.

 

[jennybugs]

When I first started my tank up I had MTS in the sand and got rid as the puffs just bit the feet off the snails. I believe them to be too hard shelled for F8's myself and they never ate them by crushing up the shells, unlike the pond and ramshorns I breed.

Adam, you're braver than me. Wondering what nutritional value there is in crab sticks myself, and good luck getting them to eat peas. Mine just look at them and me and swim off

 

[AdAndrews]

Adam, you're braver than me. Wondering what nutritional value there is in crab sticks myself, and good luck getting them to eat peas. Mine just look at them and me and swim off

crab sticks were only a maybe
cant wait til i get him!!!!!!