Pea puffer question(s)

[EleanorM]

so I got a couple (3) pea puffers.  They’re all together in my 9 gallon to get through deworming, a round API of all in one and Ich X just to be safe.

The back up plan is one in each of my community tanks if they cannot all get along (always have a back up plan).

This particular tank had a deliberate pond snail issue (because I knew I was getting a puffer).  There are still some snails to be found.  I can count six at the water line right now.

Question:  for 2.5 days now, I have been using tongs to try to feed the babies blood worms.  Just generic Omega One frozen slab (as opposed to ice cube version). 
 

I put about a 1/2 inch square into an old tea strainer and rose under water and empty on to a paper towel.  I then use the tongs to push them into a pile and pick them up.  Then, I simply hold them in the water to see if anyone is hungry or interested.  5 consecutive feedings without any puffer showing any interest in the blood worms.  After 2-3 minutes, the worms have all drifted out of the tongs, and I have faith the shrimp will make quick work of the rare snack.

should I be concerned?  Is it possible they’re getting enough snail hunting in throughout the day that the snack just lacks appeal?

here are some photos so you can see body shapes.  I can’t tell if their bellies are full or not.

For scale, that last photo: the plant is MonteCarlo 

Edited February 22, 2023 by EleanorM
Typo fix

[EleanorM]

Here is the “lone wolf” of the triad:

The white speck is a baby snail on the glass…

 

This is the pair

 

To me, the loner puffer seems full as does one of the pair.  The bottom fish in the bottom photo has significantly less of a belly than the other.

Full of snails?  To skinny?  Keep on feeding blood worms?  Give them a day or 2 to go murder hobo on my snail population?

[Matt B]

Are these Peas still very small? They look good from what I can see.  We just added a 3rd to our 10gal . I had forgotten how tiny they can be. I found that feeding can be a little tricky at first, and some can prefer one food over another , but it gets easier. We did frozen blood worms, ( the tweezer method) .  And then started feeding live brine shrimp! They seem to love live foods or frozen foods. Our Peas get along great, sometimes they chase each other but nothing serious.