Introduction
ARK: Survival Evolved is a sprawling world brimming with prehistoric creatures, mythical beasts, and fantastic shoulder pets. Amongst these diverse creatures roams the Bulbdog, a bioluminescent companion prized for its ability to illuminate the darkest corners of the game and detect Aberrant creatures. Successfully taming, maintaining, and breeding these creatures requires a thorough understanding of their dietary needs. Simply put, feeding your Bulbdog the right food will dramatically increase your chances of a happy and useful shoulder pet. This guide is your one-stop resource for mastering Bulbdog food in ARK, providing you with the knowledge necessary to ensure your luminous friend thrives. This article will cover the best food to tame, maintain and breed bulbdogs.
Understanding the Bulbdog
The Bulbdog is a small, dog-like creature with a large, bioluminescent bulb on its head. Their enchanting glow isn’t just for show; it provides vital illumination in dark environments and assists in identifying corrupted creatures on the Aberration map. Found primarily in the dark and treacherous regions of the Aberration, Genesis: Part One and Two maps, Bulbdogs are naturally cautious, often fleeing from danger. Their primary function is as a living flashlight, offering invaluable assistance when navigating caves, nighttime landscapes, and the perilous depths of Aberration.
But a Bulbdog is more than just a light source. They possess the ability to detect the presence of Nameless, formidable creatures unique to Aberration. This skill makes them indispensable for survivors venturing into these challenging environments. Moreover, their charge light ability can stun certain creatures, providing a tactical advantage in combat.
The health and functionality of your Bulbdog are directly linked to their diet. Proper nutrition impacts everything from their ability to recover from damage to the strength and duration of their charge light. A well-fed Bulbdog will recover health more quickly, have a more potent and longer-lasting charge light, and be more receptive to breeding. Neglecting their dietary needs can lead to a weakened, less effective companion, hindering your progress in the game.
Best Food for Taming a Bulbdog
Taming a Bulbdog is a delicate process that requires patience and the right food. Unlike some creatures, Bulbdogs prefer a vegetarian diet, making the taming process slightly unique. Approach with caution! The key is to remain hidden, using Ghillie Armor or a similar stealth-enhancing strategy, and feed it its favourite food while it is unsuspecting. Here are the most effective food sources for taming a Bulbdog:
Exceptional Kibble: This food represents the gold standard for taming a Bulbdog. Exceptional Kibble drastically reduces the taming time and increases the taming effectiveness, leading to a higher-level, more potent Bulbdog upon successful taming. Obtaining Exceptional Kibble requires a specific recipe, combining a fertilized Rock Drake Egg (or Golden Hesperornis Egg), a Focusing Lens, Citron, Giant Bee Honey, and Fiber. Crafting this kibble is an investment of time and resources, but the benefits for taming are undeniable. Using Exceptional Kibble, you’ll find the taming process to be significantly faster and much more efficient than using other food options. Taming Effectiveness is a key factor in taming. The higher the effectiveness, the more levels the creature retains after the taming process is completed. This is why the kibble is such an important aspect to getting high levels.
Crops: Crops offer a viable alternative to Exceptional Kibble, albeit with a lower taming effectiveness and longer taming time. While crops might not be as efficient as Exceptional Kibble, they’re easier to obtain, making them a practical option for survivors who are earlier on in their progression or resource constrained. Rockarrots, Longrass, Savoroot, and Citron are the most effective crops for taming a Bulbdog. These crops can be cultivated in crop plots, requiring seeds and a water source. You’ll find that Rockarrots generally offer the highest taming value among crops, followed by Longrass, Savoroot, and Citron.
Other Potential Food: Raw meat can be used, but is far less effective and should really only be used as a last resort.
Food for Maintaining a Tamed Bulbdog
Once you’ve successfully tamed your Bulbdog, maintaining their health and happiness requires providing a consistent and nutritious diet. A well-fed Bulbdog is a more effective companion, with improved health regeneration and a brighter, longer-lasting charge light. It also prepares them for breeding. Here’s a breakdown of the recommended food sources for maintaining a tamed Bulbdog:
Berries: Berries represent an excellent everyday food source for your Bulbdog. They’re readily available, easy to gather, and provide the necessary sustenance to keep your companion healthy. Amongst the various berry types, Mejoberries are the preferred choice. Mejoberries offer a higher nutritional value compared to other berries, making them the most efficient option for maintaining your Bulbdog’s hunger levels. Stocking up on Mejoberries is a simple yet effective way to ensure your Bulbdog remains well-fed.
Crops: You can continue feeding your Bulbdog crops after taming, but this can be resource-intensive. While crops are beneficial, they require more effort to obtain compared to berries. If you have a thriving crop farm, supplementing your Bulbdog’s diet with crops can provide additional nutritional benefits.
Meat: You can also feed a Bulbdog meat for survival if needed. It won’t provide as much nutritional value and isn’t recommended for daily feeding.
To efficiently manage your Bulbdog’s food, consider utilizing a food trough. Food troughs automatically dispense food to nearby creatures, ensuring a consistent supply. Simply fill the trough with the appropriate food source, and your Bulbdog will automatically eat as needed. This eliminates the need for constant manual feeding, saving you valuable time and effort.
Food for Breeding Bulbdogs
Breeding Bulbdogs allows you to expand your collection of these valuable companions and potentially obtain individuals with superior stats. Food plays a crucial role in successful Bulbdog breeding, impacting mating intervals, the health and maturity of offspring, and the imprinting process. You can get mutations that can be beneficial for both you and the bulbdog.
Exceptional Kibble: Exceptional Kibble is highly recommended for breeding Bulbdogs. Providing breeding pairs with Exceptional Kibble ensures optimal health and vitality, increasing the chances of successful mating and healthy offspring. The superior nutrition of Exceptional Kibble contributes to shorter mating intervals and improves the overall health of the baby Bulbdog.
Crops: Crops are another good source of nutrition during breeding.
Imprinting is a crucial process that allows you to bond with your baby Bulbdog, significantly boosting its stats and effectiveness. During the imprinting phase, baby Bulbdogs will request specific tasks, including a food request. Feeding your baby Bulbdog the requested food during imprinting provides a significant imprinting bonus, maximizing its potential.
Food-Related Tips and Tricks
To further optimize your Bulbdog feeding strategies, consider these additional tips and tricks:
Finding Food: You can find the recommended foods for Bulbdogs on various maps. Farming locations for crops can vary, but generally, fertile areas near water sources are ideal. The Island, The Center, and Ragnarok are popular choices for crop cultivation. Obtaining Exceptional Kibble ingredients requires more advanced strategies, such as venturing into Rock Drake nests on Aberration or harvesting Giant Bee Honey.
Preserving Food: Food spoilage can be a significant challenge in ARK. To prevent food from rotting, utilize preserving bins or refrigerators. These structures significantly extend the shelf life of food items, allowing you to stockpile resources for future use. Preserving salts can also be used to further extend the preservation time of meat and other perishable items.
Managing Food Consumption: Proper planning can help minimize food waste. Monitor your Bulbdog’s hunger levels and adjust the amount of food provided accordingly. Using food troughs efficiently ensures a consistent supply without overfeeding. Store excess food in preserving bins or refrigerators to prevent spoilage.
Conclusion
Feeding your Bulbdog the right food is essential for maximizing their potential in ARK: Survival Evolved. This comprehensive guide has provided you with the knowledge necessary to tame, maintain, and breed these luminous companions. Remember, Exceptional Kibble is the gold standard for taming and breeding, while berries offer a convenient everyday food source. By implementing the tips and tricks outlined in this article, you’ll be well-equipped to keep your Bulbdogs happy, healthy, and shining brightly in the darkest corners of ARK. So go on, give your Bulbdog a treat, and prepare for adventure!
