# Ideas for switching new dwarf puffers from live food to frozen?



## Lisasaquariums (Aug 16, 2013)

Hi all,
I just picked up a few dwarf puffers Carinotetraodon travancoricus last weekend. The store had been feeing them live black worms (which they of coarse loved). I'd like to feed them live food consistently but I have to start up some cultures. The tank they're in has small rams horn snails they've been eating and I've taken some out to breed for more snails as food in the future, but they've really chowed down on the ones that were in the tank (have possibly ate them all already..). So I've tried to get them to eat some frozen blood worms and PE shrimp. They seem to pick at it, possibly eat some? But they're not into it so much. SO any ideas of how to entice them? 
Thanks!


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## juyun1 (Apr 7, 2012)

Do you use tongs/tweezers? I feed my puffer frozen bloodworms by holding the food in front of them.


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## Wiccandove (May 19, 2012)

Make sure the bloodworms are thawed before you try to feed. Sometimes you have to wiggle the food with tweezers to get them interested. I used a q-tip with mine - just don't let them eat the fuzzy part lol. You won't be able to breed snails fast enough to keep up with them as the only food source, more of a snack really. They will catch on after a while and learn to love the frozen foods.

I find with mine work well with trumpet snails. They have a harder time with the adults but they make short work of little mts, and because mts breed so fast and stay hidden during the day it gives them something to hunt. 

I feed mine snails, frozen blood worms, frozen mysis shrimp and very recently managed to get my red-eye to eat freeze dried blackworms but I think thats more of anomaly. 

Enjoy your puffers, they can be addicting!


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## Lisasaquariums (Aug 16, 2013)

Thanks guys! I'll try wiggling them. The snails would be a once in a awhile thing to keep their teeth in good shape. I think they were a bit more interested in the food today, hopefully they get into it.


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## Wiccandove (May 19, 2012)

Lisasaquariums said:


> Thanks guys! I'll try wiggling them. The snails would be a once in a awhile thing to keep their teeth in good shape. I think they were a bit more interested in the food today, hopefully they get into it.


Dwarf puffers don't run into teeth issues like the larger puffers do. If you watch them eat snails they just suck them out of the shell and leave the shell behind.

http://i.imgur.com/8a39xhf.jpg


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