5 Gallon Tank Live foods for pea puffers

Hello, all! I have recently gotten a pea puffer and she isn’t the best eater, she’s healthy and plump but only takes live snails. Eventually I’m going to run out of snails and varied diets are really good for all fish. I’m thinking of going live food only for her and was wondering which are good for the pea puffers and preferably pretty low maintenance

 

I've heard good things about feeding them bloodworms, brine shrimp, tubifex worms, and mosquito larvae.

I have a tub full of live snails that I would be happy to send your way.

 

I've heard good things about feeding them bloodworms, brine shrimp, tubifex worms, and mosquito larvae.

I have a tub full of live snails that I would be happy to send your way.

What is the difference between tubifex and blackworms? I’ve always wondered

 

They are very similar but I think blackworms are bigger. The only thing is both are notorious for carrying diseases and parasites, like many live foods, which I why I think the frozen or freeze dried version is preferred.

 

They are very similar but I think blackworms are bigger. The only thing is both are notorious for carrying diseases and parasites, like many live foods, which I why I think the frozen or freeze dried version is preferred.

I’m thinking of trying daphnia or grindal worms. Do you know anything about culturing daphnia?

 

Have you tried frozen blood worms? I have two pea puffers. One will occasionally eat them, but the other one never has.

Mine are in a 40 gallon community tank, and they stay fat, so they're eating something. I'm sure they eat snails, and I suspect they pick off a juvenile shrimp now and then.

You might try to find someone with cull neocaridina shrimp and try to get a colony established in the puffer tank.

 

Sorry, I have zero experience with live food. I only use frozen.

 

Have you tried frozen blood worms? I have two pea puffers. One will occasionally eat them, but the other one never has.

Mine are in a 40 gallon community tank, and they stay fat, so they're eating something. I'm sure they eat snails, and I suspect they pick off a juvenile shrimp now and then.

You might try to find someone with cull neocaridina shrimp and try to get a colony established in the puffer tank.

I have and it was spit out nearly immediately. I want to get cherry shrimp anyways, and she plays nice with the amano that’s in the tank so I know the shrimp would work

 

Does anyone know the difference between daphnia magna and Moina? Which would be better for my pea puffer?

 

Mine had the exact same issue. I just offered frozen bloodworms and brine shrimps for 4 days with her refusing until she started taking the brine shrimps. Now I’ve been using frozen food as staple and snails as treat.

 

and she plays nice with the amano that’s in the tank

Been following along..
Interesting, never thought about Amanos as tankmates. I know each bean is different, but may just give it a go?
My duo do enjoy bloodworms, once a week, along with baby Mystery and Ramshorn snails.

 

Been following along..
Interesting, never thought about Amanos as tankmates. I know each bean is different, but may just give it a go?
My duo do enjoy bloodworms, once a week, along with baby Mystery and Ramshorn snails.

Cool. My amano has been doing great. Mine won’t eat frozen food unfortunately.
I’d try one amano with caution

Mine had the exact same issue. I just offered frozen bloodworms and brine shrimps for 4 days with her refusing until she started taking the brine shrimps. Now I’ve been using frozen food as staple and snails as treat.

I’d be more concerned that the brine shrimp isn’t nutritious enough but I am going to try daphnia although my question still hasn’t been answered

 

Cool. My amano has been doing great. Mine won’t eat frozen food unfortunately.
I’d try one amano with caution

I’d be more concerned that the brine shrimp isn’t nutritious enough but I am going to try daphnia although my question still hasn’t been answered

I would certainly not only feed brume shrimps. I feed a mixed of snails, brine shrimps, tubifex, blood worms. I brought up brume shrimps because it was the first frozen food that my pea puffer ate after refusing frozen food for ages.

 

Out of all the foods I've fed to my pea puffer, live white worms are my favorite. They're basically really tiny white earthworms. They're a lot easier to culture than other options like daphnia or blackworms because they just need a shoebox filled with slightly damp soil, cool temperatures, and some food to survive. They don't stink unless you feed them way too much of something like wet cat food. They're very low maintenance, and my culture has been in the same box of dirt for a year with no issue. You don't need to remember to hatch then like baby brine shrimp.

And best of all, they are nutritious and highly appealing to even the pickiest puffers. No fish can resist something writhing around like that. The only downside is that they sink to the bottom pretty quickly, then burrow out of sight before drowning. I'd recommend a feeding dish to avoid this.

Starter cultures come pretty cheap online, I got mine off eBay and never needed another.

 

Out of all the foods I've fed to my pea puffer, live white worms are my favorite. They're basically really tiny white earthworms. They're a lot easier to culture than other options like daphnia or blackworms because they just need a shoebox filled with slightly damp soil, cool temperatures, and some food to survive. They don't stink unless you feed them way too much of something like wet cat food. They're very low maintenance, and my culture has been in the same box of dirt for a year with no issue. You don't need to remember to hatch then like baby brine shrimp.

And best of all, they are nutritious and highly appealing to even the pickiest puffers. No fish can resist something writhing around like that. The only downside is that they sink to the bottom pretty quickly, then burrow out of sight before drowning. I'd recommend a feeding dish to avoid this.

Starter cultures come pretty cheap online, I got mine off eBay and never needed another.

Yeah I love the idea and have done research on them but I can’t keep them in a cool place or fridge. Parents are strict on these things. Do you know anything about daphnia?