Kessil

Dietary question

Kensington Reefer

Supporting Member
I am looking for someone who can answer a question about “thiaminase”
I have a MBu pufferfish
It’s a freshwater fish
My primary feeds are frozen and thawed prawns and clams
These are marine organisms
Something happens and there is a “cleaving of the molecule”
When they are available, crayfish are the preferred diet, as they are freshwater and the issue doesn’t exist.
I have had the puffer for 3 years now.
It has grown from 3” to about 22”
And seems in ideal health

Maybe a veterinarian can answer?
 

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Switch to seafood that doesn’t contain thiaminase like smelt, cod, tilapia. I think cockles are good to go . Also good quality pellets contain plenty of B1 should be included in diet since any food if fed containing enzyme thiaminase breaks down B1 (thiamin) in the fishes body which can create health issues down the road. Once a week or two of prawns/ clams shouldn’t be an issue if the diet is supplemented with pellets and other non thiaminase foods. When i lived in Florida back in the early 90’s my old neighbor had a pond plus raised canvas pools full of large predator fish. I’d help feed the fish when he was outa town since his wife would not get near the fish lol. Earth worms and roaches were cheep or free so they were always tossed in the buckets plus whatever fish I’d catch locally especially snake heads or other evasive fish went into the feed buckets or holding tank. Thats where I first learned that feeder minnows if fed regularly without other supplements can be harmful since they contain thiaminase.
Cool puffer ! That old neighbor of mine gave me one just like yours which i had in an old hot tub for several years which i turned the jets on an hour a day for his exercise routine lol.
 
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