Food For Puffers' Teeth Besides Snails?

[babyduke]

It's been almost a year since I bought my 2 GSPs & 2 Fig8's and to my surpise, they are all doing well and more so getting along great except the moderate tension during feedins which isn't unusual. I think having them only in my 55G tank with good quality water is the key. I'm concerned about their teeth. I've been feeding them ramshorn snails which I try to stock but I'm running out of tiny snails. Any snails bigger than the puffer's eyes seem too big for them to eat and if I crush the big ones and give to them, it really serves no purpose since they're only eating the meat mostly. Are there any other food available that can keep their teeth trimmed?

 

[nmonks]

I think crushed snails help, just not so much, so as a substitute they will do. They still have to deal with the bits of shell in the meat.

You could also try small crustaceans. Woodlice for example. You can buy frozen krill and mysis easily enough.

Some people have had success by using a lava rock and smearing prawn meat into holes in the rock. As the puffers extract the food from the rock, they wear their teeth down. Obviously you will need to clean the rock fairly regularly to remove any food you miss.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[bogwood]

Some people have had success by using a lava rock and smearing prawn meat into holes in the rock. As the puffers extract the food from the rock, they wear their teeth down. Obviously you will need to clean the rock fairly regularly to remove any food you miss.

that sounds like a good idea... will help prevent 'puffer bordom' too...

 

[Nethius]

I buy shrimp rings. The meaty parts of the shrimp go into my other tanks, and the bottom part that still has the shell goes in my puffer tank. Seems to be working well, I also feed snails, but not that often.

 

[Flumpus]

I catch my Figure 8 chewing on the crushed coral every once in a while...

 

[SirMinion]

I catch my Figure 8 chewing on the crushed coral every once in a while...

Our figure eights sometimes gnaw algae of a rock and this seems to do the trick nicely.

 

[Little Fish]

I fed my F8s with crayfish when I run out of snails. They consumed the whole crayfish, including the shell and legs.

 

[ajbettle]

ours eats cod, shrimp, bloodworm, lavae, all seafoods really!