Frozen crayfish as food

MonsterMicah

Feeder Fish
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Dec 22, 2022
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I live up in Canada and a bag of raw Zipperback Pacific White Shrimp (presidents choice brand) costs me about $15 (probably closer to like $12) and lasts me a few months at least. My puffer is full grown and eats about 3-4 shrimp per week. A small Fahaka would eat less at once, but more frequently.
Would the shell of a shrimp be sufficient to grind down their beak? I had an Oscar I used to feed Alaskan shrimp and their shell felt more like a flimsy plastic as opposed to a hard covering.
 

phreeflow

Goliath Tigerfish
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Nov 19, 2007
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I live up in Canada and a bag of raw Zipperback Pacific White Shrimp (presidents choice brand) costs me about $15 (probably closer to like $12) and lasts me a few months at least. My puffer is full grown and eats about 3-4 shrimp per week. A small Fahaka would eat less at once, but more frequently.
Woah…I’m totally over feeding my puffers. Are you saying that your adult fahaka or a smaller species only eats a few shrimp per week?

Do you feed anything else to keep the beak filed down?
 

FahakaPapa

Polypterus
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Dec 14, 2015
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Woah…I’m totally over feeding my puffers. Are you saying that your adult fahaka or a smaller species only eats a few shrimp per week?

Do you feed anything else to keep the beak filed down?
My Fahaka is over 12 years old and I feed her about 2-4 large shrimp per week and usually a mussel on the half shell as well mixed in there. She keeps the beak in check with the mussels and a few pink rocks I keep in the tank. The shrimp help as well, although their shells aren't that hard.
 
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phreeflow

Goliath Tigerfish
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My Fahaka is over 12 years old and I feed her about 2-4 large shrimp per week and usually a mussel on the half shell as well mixed in there. She keeps the beak in check with the mussels and a few pink rocks I keep in the tank. The shrimp help as well, although their shells aren't that hard.
Yep, I’m over feeding then. What’s with the pink rocks? Anything special or just pink rocks it grazes on? I’ve been giving mine frozen shrimp that are rock solid hoping that’ll also keep the teeth filed down.
 

FahakaPapa

Polypterus
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Dec 14, 2015
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Manitoba, Canada
Yep, I’m over feeding then. What’s with the pink rocks? Anything special or just pink rocks it grazes on? I’ve been giving mine frozen shrimp that are rock solid hoping that’ll also keep the teeth filed down.
Just some rocks that kinda look like shrimp. They've been with her since she was tiny. I see her bite them every once in a while. I figure she's probably self trimming her beak like she would in the wild? I'm not 100% sure but I keep them in there.
 

twentyleagues

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Apr 5, 2017
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I've had my fahaka for about 2 years now. I feed it bug bites cichlid pellets, home bred crayfish occasionally, and ramshorn snails. The bulk of it's diet are pellets and so far no issues with teeth. I moved him to a 125 2 weeks ago that I had stocked with a couple hundred ramshorn snails. He destroyed that colony in about 2 days. He is "afraid" of clams hikari brand half shell. I can't find whole raw small frozen clams. Even if I could I don't think he'd eat them. Mussels are the same thing.
 
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phreeflow

Goliath Tigerfish
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I once had a group of Schoutedeni that would eat pellets. Made life so easy but lost them when I was on vacation. Got a new group and a mbu and none will even look at pellets. Not sure why the first group took to pellets and vice versa
 
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