How To Feed A Puffer?

[KaitKat]

I have LRS Fish Frenzy for my puffer but he doesn't take more than a bite of it. He's only about 2 inches, in case that's relevant. I've only had him for a few days but the LFS guy said he had been eating it just fine when I got him. I have noticed he doesn't keep his attention on the probably 1 inch or slightly smaller chunk I give to him, he goes for the smaller pieces that break from that floating around the water. Even though he chases them he's only eaten 1 of the smaller chunks.. its almost like he's playing with them. This is my first time using LRS so I'm not sure how much I'm actually supposed to be feeding him... he only eats 1 bite in "1-2 minutes" and I know that's not enough.
So, should I try giving him pea-sized pieces of it instead of a chunk and see how that goes, or is there a better way to do it? That might be a stupid question but I'd rather ask than just do it and end up being wrong

 

[Lorekeeper]

Well, if you're giving him a 1 inch chunk of food, and he's two inches, that's way overfeeding. That's like giving a 6 foot tall person a 3 foot chunk of hamburger and asking them to eat it.

I'd break it up into much, much smaller chunks, and drop it front of a filter or pump to see if he likes the "hunt".

Or... depending on how big the chunk he's eaten is, it may be plenty. Take a look at him, and really consider how large his stomach is. Sometimes, we like to overfeed because it seems like so little to us, when in reality, we're stuffing our fish to the brim.

 

[KaitKat]

Well, if you're giving him a 1 inch chunk of food, and he's two inches, that's way overfeeding. That's like giving a 6 foot tall person a 3 foot chunk of hamburger and asking them to eat it.

I'd break it up into much, much smaller chunks, and drop it front of a filter or pump to see if he likes the "hunt".

Or... depending on how big the chunk he's eaten is, it may be plenty. Take a look at him, and really consider how large his stomach is. Sometimes, we like to overfeed because it seems like so little to us, when in reality, we're stuffing our fish to the brim.

Wow yeah, you're right. I think I was so worried because the chunk felt so tiny to me but that's half his size... oops. I like that filter idea- I'm about to feed him and will let you know how it goes. Thank you!

 

[KaitKat]

Wow that was cute- he snatched up the small piece I gave him, shook it like a dog shakes a toy, and then ate it.

He didn't notice at all when I dropped it by the filter so I left the bubbler on to keep the water movement going and hoped that'd work. He was being much less shy today and "begging" for attention instead of the "oh hi, okay that's enough for today, bye" that he's been doing, so I got his attention at the front of the tank, showed him with my finger the food behind him (where I dropped it) and he ate it! The water movement let him chase the food along the top and he looked like he liked it. He's actually "begging" for more right now but for his stomach, I think he's had enough. Thanks so much!

A couple more questions though- Does it matter if I feed him in the morning vs at night? I know it usually doesn't matter but I've also never had a fish that "lays down" to go to sleep either so I thought I'd ask. And, I have dehydrated bloodworms as a treat for my betta, but do you know if that's something the puffer would be able to have too? I don't think they live in the ocean but again, I might as well ask lol

 

[Lorekeeper]

I don't think it matters when you feed, personally. When I kept pea puffers, I'd drop in a few snails every morning and they'd be gone by that afternoon.

As for the bloodworms, you can try them, but they have very little nutritional value - kinda like fish twinkies. He may or may not go for them, since they probably aren't exactly what he's used to eating. If you'd like to provide a bit more of a varied diet, live snails and frozen clams on a half shell are good options.

 

[KaitKat]

I don't think it matters when you feed, personally. When I kept pea puffers, I'd drop in a few snails every morning and they'd be gone by that afternoon.

As for the bloodworms, you can try them, but they have very little nutritional value - kinda like fish twinkies. He may or may not go for them, since they probably aren't exactly what he's used to eating. If you'd like to provide a bit more of a varied diet, live snails and frozen clams on a half shell are good options.

Okay, thank you so much for your help!