Many of the pufferfishes have a hearty appetite. They will greedily devour anything near at hand. Puffers eat hard-shelled preys with great relish, thanks to their strong jaws. So, do pufferfish eat crabs?
You can be happy that your pufferfish is not picky about food, but this doesn’t give the go-ahead to feed these pets with just any food. Some foods may be edible but not suitable for pufferfish.
We thought of expounding on the pufferfish diet and if these pets consume crabs, and the benefits crabs can have to them. Do not miss out on this interesting information.
Contents
Do Puffer Fish Eat Crabs?
Yes, pufferfishes eat crabs. Cracking the crab’s shell may seem like a punishment to pufferfish, but they delight in engaging in such exercises. Their jaws are strong enough to crack open crab shells effortlessly.
As the jaws are busy crushing shells, pufferfish teeth also get to crunch them, which helps to grind the teeth down. These fishes are omnivores and enjoy a pretty varied diet.
The wild pufferfishes are predators, eating many different preys, including shellfish, snails, crustaceans, and other fish species.
Captivated species are more likely to have problems with teeth overgrown than those living in the wild because they often eat soft foods.
As a puffer pet owner, it’s imperative to feed your fish with shell-forming foods, such as mussels, crabs, snails, shrimp, clams, and bloodworms, to limit the growth of its teeth.
Do Puffer Fish Eat Hermit Crabs?
There is no exact answer about pufferfish eating hermit crabs. I am saying this because some pufferfish will eat hermit crabs, but some will leave them alone.
I would advise you to try adding one hermit crab to your puffer’s aquarium and see its reaction. Hermit crabs are pretty healthy to feed puffers, so it’s good if your puffer can eat them.
These preys are non-poisonous and come with a hard shell that allows pufferfishes to gnaw at it.
Do Puffer Fish Eat Fiddler Crabs?
Yes, fiddler crabs are great food for Mbu pufferfish. Like other puffers, Mbu pufferfish require most of the diet to be shelled foods.
Mussels, mollusks, shellfish, fiddler crabs, clams, snails, etc., are all crucial foods. Feeding fiddler crabs help Mbu pufferfishes to keep their teeth trimmed down.
Crabs, including fiddler crabs, will actively try to hide in the aquarium, and they allure puffer fish to hunt them before they escape. Hunting is puffer fishes’ natural instinct.
Benefits of Crabs for Puffer Fish
Captivated pufferfish require to eat the same food their wild counterparts would eat. They need hard-shelled foods, and crabs prove to be significant.
Crabs provide something that pufferfish can crunch on, purposely to prevent teeth overgrowth. Pufferfish beaks don’t go unnoticed.
The pets have four front teeth that converge to form a sharp chopping machine that is beak-like, and it never stops growing.
Thus, part of pufferfish dental upkeep requires frequent gnawing on the hard-shelled foods to file them down.
Moreover, crabs are essential foods since they provide minerals and vitamins paramount to pufferfish.
How to Feed Puffer Fish Crabs?
Pufferfish relish eating live crabs than frozen and dead crabs. You should directly feed your live pufferfish crabs, which they want.
Pufferfish are excellent hunters, and they will quickly chase down prey that crawls in their tank. Live crabs don’t sit still, and their movement allows puffer fish’s natural instinct to hunt to come into play.
Small crabs are good for pufferfish as there is no chance the crab will pinch and hurt your pet. You shouldn’t chop small crabs; your fish will eat them comfortably. However, it would be best to cut up crabs that are too big.
Suppose it’s your first time feeding crabs; allow some time to see how your pufferfish behaves upon seeing them. Not all pufferfish will eat crabs.
When Should You Feed Crabs to Puffer Fish?
Pufferfish cannot thrive on one diet only, which is true for all animals. Pufferfish need a mixed diet for the body to obtain all the nutrients it demands.
So then, your puffer needs other foods besides crabs. Crabs should only serve as an occasional food to limit puffer fish’s teeth growth.
Since crabs don’t fit to be the main diet of pufferfish, you have to moderate it. It’s easy to overfeed these pets more than you think.
Your pufferfish can have crabs 1-2 times per week. The number of crabs to feed will depend on your puffer. The best way would be to allow roughly three minutes and observe how many crabs the fish eats.
What Foods Do Puffer Fish Eat?
As omnivores, pufferfishes have a lot of food options. Hard-shelled foods are their favorites, but they also munch on algae.
If you’re wondering what to feed your pufferfish apart from crabs, the answer is straightforward.
These creatures have a varied diet and eat anything from coral, sea sponges, shrimp, crawfish, algae, flatworms, and mussels.
Pufferfish also have an excellent appetite for oysters, snails, lancetfish, krill, and bloodworms. All these foods are suitable for captivated and wild pufferfish.
With all these food options available, you need to avoid feeding puffer fish a single food source because that will make the fish miss many essential vitamins and minerals.
Conclusion
Variety and hard-shelled foods are keys to keeping a healthy and happy pufferfish. Crabs are among the foods pufferfish enjoys hunting and consuming, but it’s best when fed in moderation.
While pufferfish can eat frozen or dead crabs, live crabs are their favorites. Snails, mussels, krill, algae, shrimp, flatworms, sea sponges, lancetfish, bloodworms, etc., are foods that pufferfish will eat happily.
Crabs and other prey with hard shells play a vital role in keeping pufferfish teeth trimmed down.