Frozen Bloodworms

[TammyLiz]

Obviously my 3/4" puffer can't eat a whole cube of frozen bloodworms in one sitting. He looks totally stuffed after just two or three larvae. I had been feeding brine shrimp but now I have a bunch of new loaches that I'm feeding frozen bloodworms in the evenings, so I'm throwing a few in the puffer tank at the same time. My question is this: Can I just stick some of them in my refrigerator in a little bit of tank water overnight to give them to the puffer again in the morning? He's not good with the once a day feeding. Plus, my loaches are too tiny yet to eat a whole cube even between the lot of them. If it's OK, how long can I leave it in there before throwing it away?

Or is there a better way to use partial cubes? I defrost the whole thing in tank water before using it.

 

[Pufferpro]

Obviously my 3/4" puffer can't eat a whole cube of frozen bloodworms in one sitting. He looks totally stuffed after just two or three larvae. I had been feeding brine shrimp but now I have a bunch of new loaches that I'm feeding frozen bloodworms in the evenings, so I'm throwing a few in the puffer tank at the same time. My question is this: Can I just stick some of them in my refrigerator in a little bit of tank water overnight to give them to the puffer again in the morning? He's not good with the once a day feeding. Plus, my loaches are too tiny yet to eat a whole cube even between the lot of them. If it's OK, how long can I leave it in there before throwing it away?

Or is there a better way to use partial cubes? I defrost the whole thing in tank water before using it.

you're ok to stick it in the refrigerator. But you might be suprised at just how much you're puffer can eat! It's often said that a puffer will eat it's self to death if you allow it to. Not that that will happen to you or anything (at least not with only one cube.)

My advice would be to feed him one cube at a time and then watch how long it takes him to clean it up. I feed only once every two to three days and that had been the best situation for my Green Spotted Puffer. he's a year old and about 3" long now.

 

[TammyLiz]

you're ok to stick it in the refrigerator. But you might be suprised at just how much you're puffer can eat! It's often said that a puffer will eat it's self to death if you allow it to. Not that that will happen to you or anything (at least not with only one cube.)

My advice would be to feed him one cube at a time and then watch how long it takes him to clean it up. I feed only once every two to three days and that had been the best situation for my Green Spotted Puffer. he's a year old and about 3" long now.

No seriously, these cubes are bigger than the entire puffer. And they're compact. Once they defrost they're like twice his size. There is no possible way for him to even eat a quarter of it. He is so fat after just a few. Maybe the cubes are bigger than the ones you have. Each larvae is about an inch long. I have been feeding him twice a day because in the morning he eats until it looks like he's going to pop and then his belly goes flat again by the end of the day. Maybe it will be different once he gets bigger. He's a teeny little thing now. It will make things easier if I can keep the bloodworms in the refrigerator.

Thanks for the reply.

Tammy

 

[nmonks]

You don't want to overfeed a puffer. They will eat so much at once, and it's not good for them. Puffers are adapted to eat a lot of low calorie food (i.e. shellfish with their shells on). So they "expect" to fill theit stomachs, because only a small amount of what goes in actually gets digested. In aquaria we give them high calorie food (i.e. bloodworms) that can be almost totally digested. Too much high protein food overloads their metabolic system and in particular this raises the amount of ammonium they produce and so stresses the filter.

Aim to have the belly of the fish a little rounded, but not expanded like he's swallowed a bowling ball.

What you want to do is feed little but often. I'd say 20 worms a sitting for a 4-5 cm fish. But feed 2-3 times a day. Also try other foods. I find frozen prawns and lobster eggs to be very useful. Most puffers take mussels, too. Mussels and prawns can be bought as "human food" very inexpensively. If fish get addicted to once food, that can be a problem.

Yes, you can keep frozen foods defrosted but chilled, just as with any frozen "seafood" we would eat. As with defrosted seafood, use within 24 hours! Add a little water to stop the worms dehydrating, though.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[Bowman]

If it's OK, how long can I leave it in there before throwing it away?.

Bloodworm will keep OK in the fridge overnight, infact I would expect it to be ok for much longer than that.

Or is there a better way to use partial cubes?

Use a sharp knife to cut it into smaller portions whilst it is still frozen, this is easier if you allow it to sit for a few minutes on a dish in a warm place, it will soften slightly from its hard-frozen state but it will still be quite firm. Then you can put the still frozen unrequired bits back in the freezer for later use.