Question about fahaka puffer teeth

[PattysAquatics]

I got a Fahaka puffer back in August and he is a good 4 inches right now. Its diet consists of raw frozen shrimp I cut up, worms,blood worms/ brine shrimp,  repashy grub pie and ramshorn snails. I put ghost shrimp in occasionally for him to hunt and tried the frozen cooked mussels.
Now my question is is feeding him around 10 ramshorn snails with other food a day enough to keep his teeth wore down? Like I said I tried the cooked mussels which I’m not a fan of being cooked and the shells open enough for him to get the meat out without using his teeth so I feel is pointless. I just started breeding mystery snails and just got 3 clutches hatched in a tank waiting to grow out for more of a food then small rams horns . I want to find crayfish to breed but living in Wisconsin this time of year I can’t find any and I’m not sure they are legal to sell in fish stores. 
So after my long book does anyone have experience with feeding puffers or more specifically fahaka and know if what I’m doing is enough to not have to worry about trimming his teeth. Or know any other food sources for his teeth I’m not thinking of? 

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/26/2022 at 2:03 AM, Grizzly said:

I got a Fahaka puffer back in August and he is a good 4 inches right now. Its diet consists of raw frozen shrimp I cut up, worms,blood worms/ brine shrimp,  repashy grub pie and ramshorn snails. I put ghost shrimp in occasionally for him to hunt and tried the frozen cooked mussels.
Now my question is is feeding him around 10 ramshorn snails with other food a day enough to keep his teeth wore down? Like I said I tried the cooked mussels which I’m not a fan of being cooked and the shells open enough for him to get the meat out without using his teeth so I feel is pointless. I just started breeding mystery snails and just got 3 clutches hatched in a tank waiting to grow out for more of a food then small rams horns . I want to find crayfish to breed but living in Wisconsin this time of year I can’t find any and I’m not sure they are legal to sell in fish stores. 
So after my long book does anyone have experience with feeding puffers or more specifically fahaka and know if what I’m doing is enough to not have to worry about trimming his teeth. Or know any other food sources for his teeth I’m not thinking of? 

@mountaintoppufferkeeper have you ever kept any Fahakas ?

[mountaintoppufferkeeper]

On 11/25/2022 at 11:50 PM, TheSwissAquarist said:

@mountaintoppufferkeeper have you ever kept any Fahakas ?

I have kept a fahaka to about 5" or so in the past before moving that one on to a friend to replace one he lost and to focus on my puffer projects. @Grizzly  I did not really see any issue with the fahaka teeth overgrowing on snails and similar foods to yours. At that small of a size the fahaka mouth was still growing as the teeth were but I would guess at 8" on up it would be more of a risk. 

REPASHY

If you can get that on a clam shell so your puffer has to crunch the shell that would add more wear to the teeth. 

SNAILS

I personally look at ramshorns as probably too thin to really wear down puffer teeth by themselves, trumpet snails are a tougher shell, and mystery snails seem to be thicker shells and much better longer term for teeth wear. 

CLAMS

For a fahaka I would also try to get acceptance of clams on the half shell of appropriate size from either a seafood department at a grocery store, a seafood market, or the aquarium specific clams in the frozen food section of your LFS etc. I used Hikari bio pure clams on the half shell with my fahaka back then with good success after it had got to 4" or so. 

If I didnt have the LFS clams I would try fresh clams of appropriate size from a seafood department etc and just half the shell before feeding or before freezing it with a little vitachem and garlic guard for later feeding. 

FROZEN CRAB LEGS

I havent tried it but have considered snow crab legs for a fahaka at larger sizes. They are smoother than king etc often on sale and in theory are just like a crayfish you can find in the frozen section of thr grocery store. 

CRAYFISH

I do not believe Wisconsin allows you to recieve a shipment of live crawfish but if that ever changes.... I have thought of online ordering pounds of live purged crayfish normally used for a crayfish boil for my fahaka. My idea was if its food grade for me its food grade for my fahaka. 

My idea of getting pounds sent to me was to remove the need to have quite so much tank space needed for "crayfish ranching" to support my future 18" puffer. For my fahaka I estimated I would need to raise 10-20 adult crayfish a week to feed those as a primary food source.  I am less of a crayfish devotee and more of a puffer guy so I knew that crayfish program would fail if I attempted it. 

CRABS

Fiddler and mangrove same as crayfish not sure breeding and raising them would be fun for me 

Thats all the options I can think of that I would try with a fahaka puffer 4" and up. 

Edited November 26, 2022 by mountaintoppufferkeeper

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/26/2022 at 9:42 AM, mountaintoppufferkeeper said:

I have kept a fahaka to about 5" or so in the past before moving that one on to a friend to replace one he lost and to focus on my puffer projects. @Grizzly  I did not really see any issue with the fahaka teeth overgrowing on snails and similar foods to yours. At that small of a size the fahaka mouth was still growing as the teeth were but I would guess at 8" on up it would be more of a risk. 

REPASHY

If you can get that on a clam shell so your puffer has to crunch the shell that would add more wear to the teeth. 

SNAILS

I personally look at ramshorns as probably too thin to really wear down puffer teeth by themselves, trumpet snails are a tougher shell, and mystery snails seem to be thicker shells and much better longer term for teeth wear. 

CLAMS

For a fahaka I would also try to get acceptance of clams on the half shell of appropriate size from either a seafood department at a grocery store, a seafood market, or the aquarium specific clams in the frozen food section of your LFS etc. I used Hikari bio pure clams on the half shell with my fahaka back then with good success after it had got to 4" or so. 

If I didnt have the LFS clams I would try fresh clams of appropriate size from a seafood department etc and just half the shell before feeding or before freezing it with a little vitachem and garlic guard for later feeding. 

FROZEN CRAB LEGS

I havent tried it but have considered snow crab legs for a fahaka at larger sizes. They are smoother than king etc often on sale and in theory are just like a crayfish you can find in the frozen section of thr grocery store. 

CRAYFISH

I do not believe Wisconsin allows you to recieve a shipment of live crawfish but if that ever changes.... I have thought of online ordering pounds of live purged crayfish normally used for a crayfish boil for my fahaka. My idea was if its food grade for me its food grade for my fahaka. 

My idea of getting pounds sent to me was to remove the need to have quite so much tank space needed for "crayfish ranching" to support my future 18" puffer. For my fahaka I estimated I would need to raise 10-20 adult crayfish a week to feed those as a primary food source.  I am less of a crayfish devotee and more of a puffer guy so I new that crayfish program would fail if i attempted it. 

CRABS

Fiddler and mangrove same as crayfish not sure breeding and raising them would be fun for me 

Thats all the options I can think of that I would try with a fahaka puffer 4" and up. 

Talk about in depth!👍

[PattysAquatics]

On 11/26/2022 at 2:42 AM, mountaintoppufferkeeper said:

I have kept a fahaka to about 5" or so in the past before moving that one on to a friend to replace one he lost and to focus on my puffer projects. @Grizzly  I did not really see any issue with the fahaka teeth overgrowing on snails and similar foods to yours. At that small of a size the fahaka mouth was still growing as the teeth were but I would guess at 8" on up it would be more of a risk. 

REPASHY

If you can get that on a clam shell so your puffer has to crunch the shell that would add more wear to the teeth. 

SNAILS

I personally look at ramshorns as probably too thin to really wear down puffer teeth by themselves, trumpet snails are a tougher shell, and mystery snails seem to be thicker shells and much better longer term for teeth wear. 

CLAMS

For a fahaka I would also try to get acceptance of clams on the half shell of appropriate size from either a seafood department at a grocery store, a seafood market, or the aquarium specific clams in the frozen food section of your LFS etc. I used Hikari bio pure clams on the half shell with my fahaka back then with good success after it had got to 4" or so. 

If I didnt have the LFS clams I would try fresh clams of appropriate size from a seafood department etc and just half the shell before feeding or before freezing it with a little vitachem and garlic guard for later feeding. 

FROZEN CRAB LEGS

I havent tried it but have considered snow crab legs for a fahaka at larger sizes. They are smoother than king etc often on sale and in theory are just like a crayfish you can find in the frozen section of thr grocery store. 

CRAYFISH

I do not believe Wisconsin allows you to recieve a shipment of live crawfish but if that ever changes.... I have thought of online ordering pounds of live purged crayfish normally used for a crayfish boil for my fahaka. My idea was if its food grade for me its food grade for my fahaka. 

My idea of getting pounds sent to me was to remove the need to have quite so much tank space needed for "crayfish ranching" to support my future 18" puffer. For my fahaka I estimated I would need to raise 10-20 adult crayfish a week to feed those as a primary food source.  I am less of a crayfish devotee and more of a puffer guy so I knew that crayfish program would fail if I attempted it. 

CRABS

Fiddler and mangrove same as crayfish not sure breeding and raising them would be fun for me 

Thats all the options I can think of that I would try with a fahaka puffer 4" and up. 

@mountaintoppufferkeeperthank you that definitely was a lot of useful information.
I can’t find the clam on the half shell in my lfs and are an arm and a leg to ship them so I will look at the grocery store. I love the repashy clam shell idea will have to try that. I also have trumpet snails in a couple tanks I can start giving him as well . He ate all of them that were in his tank from the couple years I had it before getting him. Thanks again 

[mountaintoppufferkeeper]

I just kinda got on a roll there 🙂

 I have ordered online before for the clams etc. Its more justifyable at larger quantity of frozen foods but I definately agree that shipping cost isnt cheap.