Puffers eating snails!

[Radcliffe]

I finally got some snails to feed to my small green spotted puffers and wow that was a feeding frenzy! I read that they need to eat snails to keep up with their tooth growth. Well, I figured that meant they would eat the entire snail, what with the needing to eat the shells. Well, not so much. The puffers had an immediate solution to the fact that some of the snails were way too big for their mouths. My idea was to have the ones too big there to reproduce.

Instead, the puffers seem to have a specific technique born in to suck the snails out of their shells. I was shocked! I now have some of the fullest puffers ever. I took as many of the snails out as I could reach, they will be free to reproduce in another tank. My current plan is to let the snails grow, then put in some lettuce to collect some and transfer them into the puffer tank. They are such fun, sweet fish that I want to make sure they have the diet they need.

Ah, live and learn!

--R

 

[youngest-fish-nerd]

i feed my dwarf puffers really small snails because there mouthes are tiny,
but the big ones they eat the insides,
theye swim in side almost and wigle around,
its awsome.

 

[Radcliffe]

Yes, that is exactly that they did! lol

I will be raising the snails separately now!

--R

 

[youngest-fish-nerd]

me to,
with mosqito fish

 

[bbfeckawitts]

Yes they just suck them right out of their shells! The smaller ones would be better to wear their beaks down.
Hey have you ever thought about using the biggest ones (that they suck out) as gravel?
Just a crazy idea
Brianna

 

[Radcliffe]

Yes they just suck them right out of their shells! The smaller ones would be better to wear their beaks down.
Hey have you ever thought about using the biggest ones (that they suck out) as gravel?
Just a crazy idea
Brianna

Actually yes! The tank only has substrate enough to cover half the bottom (waas from an established tank) and the rest bare to help me keep the bottom clean. I hear they can be messy so being able to keep the tank super clean is important to me. I am thinking that the shells that don't get eaten will make a nice texture contrast to the black gravel. How funny that with all the people trying to get rid of snails, here I am trying to make sure they breed in my freshwater tank so that I have a decent supply for my little puffers!

--R

 

[bbfeckawitts]

Yes I know, it seems like the people who want the snails get none, while they keep multiplying in huge numbers for the people who DON'T want them!

Brianna

 

[Radcliffe]

Exactly! That is how it goes, I guess!

My guess is that the 5 snails I have left will have a happy life in my 29 gallon planted tank. They are zooming around there now, and being left alone. I see tons of little snail trails in the dust on the back glass in the morning after I stir up the substrate to work on the decor. It is really very cute, and I can lure some onto a piece of lettuce when I have enough to take some out.

--R