Aaww That's so cute! You know for a fish called a "fighting fish" they are remarkably affectionate!
Phlox absolutely ADORES his snail! He considers him HIS pet. Phlox is very protective and loving towards him. They sleep together side by side and Phlox leans his head over and rubs his face against the snail's head. He gently kisses him and nibbles on his antenae and the snail trusts him so much he doesn't even recoil. When I throw an algae wafer in for the snail he doesn't always see it and keeps sliding past it or sometimes it lands in one of the plants. All I have to do is point to the wafer and tell Phlox to bring it to the snail and he picks it up and carries it over to the snail and spits it out in front of him. If the wafer is on the floor and the snail is on the move (in the wrong direction) Phlox will sometimes try to "herd" the snail, nudging him until he finds the wafer. One time I threw two wafers in because the snail wouldn't see the first one. He finally found the second one and started eating. Phlox picked up the first wafer and kept spitting it out at the snail but he wouldn't take it because he already had one. Phlox seemed upset that his snail wouldn't eat and kept trying...
When the snail has the wafer and is eating Phlox will sit directly in front of him nose to nose and watches him adoringly while he eats. He may take a gentle nibble once in a while but never tries to steal the food from the snail.
I don't know what I'll do when the snail dies. They don't live too long. Phlox will be heartbroken
