Puffer/Feeding Q's

Piranha86

AC Members
Dec 26, 2009
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Harford County Maryland
Real Name
Will
Here is a very close picture (taken from the store I bought mine at) of Auriglobus nefastus. If anyone could confirm that that is a Greenbottle puffer, not an Avocado Puffer or A. silas, that would be great.
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I bought it at 'That Pet Place/That Fish Place' in Lancaster, PA. They were marked as nefastus, so I'm assuming that's what it is.

It's currently in a 36g bowfront, and it's got several black skirt tetras and neons in there temporarily. I understand it's a killer, but they're gone this week, and it's too small to bug them very much just yet.

First of all, how do you feed it correctly, I was told to feed it frozen mysis shrimp, that's what they feed them there. I mix these guys with frozen bloodworms to make it more protein-y and healthy. I defrost them, wash them, and then put them in the tank via turkey baster. It doesn't even look at them, meanwhile, the tetras eat them up. Do they just take a while to eat? The tetras are outta there soon, so I figured I'd wait for them to really judge anything. I also have a couple pond snails and ramshorn snails in there as food. I don't think it has touched them.

Also, just to confirm, this fish is full freshwater, correct? I've read that it is, but I wanted to confirm.

Third, what will these do to plants. I keep planted tanks, but this is rather bare and ugly, with a few decoratinos here and there, but not the thing I like. If they aren't compatible with plants, I'll probably take this as my chance to have a giant 'fish bowl' with a castle in the middle *YES!*. I have pea gravel in there now, but is PlaySand a better substrate?


Thanks in advance for your help guys.
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http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&action=quotepost&p=261496
 
Keep in mind that I don't have any experience with this type of puffer personally, but I've done a lot of reading...

If you haven't had him long, give him some time. He may just be adjusting to the tank, getting settled in. When I got to my new place, my DPs didn't eat the first day despite not being fed for 3 days before. When he gets hungry/adjusted enough, he'll eat. I think the snails are a good idea on a regular basis to keep his teeth trimmed.

Again, I don't know for sure, but I think he would probably be fine with plants.
 
Most puffers that I have seen tend to be slow eaters. My dwarf puffer (as well as ones at work) watch the food for a while before they eat it. If there is heavy current and the food "dances" they will eat it quicker. If it just falls lifelessly to the bottom it may be ignored. I am thinking the black skirt tetras are getting the food so quickly, the puffer cannot comfortably eat, so it doesn't. I am basing this off of bumblebee puffers, dwarfs and avacados. GSPs tend to just chase anything out of place like pacman.
 
Most puffers that I have seen tend to be slow eaters. My dwarf puffer (as well as ones at work) watch the food for a while before they eat it. If there is heavy current and the food "dances" they will eat it quicker. If it just falls lifelessly to the bottom it may be ignored. I am thinking the black skirt tetras are getting the food so quickly, the puffer cannot comfortably eat, so it doesn't. I am basing this off of bumblebee puffers, dwarfs and avacados. GSPs tend to just chase anything out of place like pacman.
My DPs barely let any food hit the bottom.
 
Some MTS would be nice from time to time...reason being they need something to file their front teeth down on, maybe peices of coral from time to time. JUST something hard.
I would but but my water is too soft, it kilick.


Just an update everyone, it's eating now, it gets a few mysis shrimp/bloodworms and eats flakes. Tetras are out this weekend hopefully.
 
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