Food snails...
- Thread starter carcinoma
- Start date
malaysian trumpet snails.
they are very common. u can probably go to petsmart and ask to just take some because it is a nuisance to their system.
they reproduce very very fast.
and do no harm to your fish.
also very good at mixing your substrate.
http://media.photobucket.com/image/mt%20snail/rustyshackleferd/MTS2.jpg
when i had some with my old mbus. i added 100+ into the tank. but the mbu cleaned out in like 2 days before they even got a chance to reproduce. so you might want to let them multiple in a seperate tank until you have enough to throw in the tank.
they are very common. u can probably go to petsmart and ask to just take some because it is a nuisance to their system.
they reproduce very very fast.
and do no harm to your fish.
also very good at mixing your substrate.
http://media.photobucket.com/image/mt%20snail/rustyshackleferd/MTS2.jpg
when i had some with my old mbus. i added 100+ into the tank. but the mbu cleaned out in like 2 days before they even got a chance to reproduce. so you might want to let them multiple in a seperate tank until you have enough to throw in the tank.
Watch out with the MTS they have a harder shell than other snails and can damage you puffers teeth is he is persistent. I have a sump on my tank and bought 5 apple snails. It takes a little while to get them to reproduce but once they get going there are plenty of snails to feed. I also breed cherry shrimp and feed them. If you don't have the capacity for a sump just a separate 20g and a aqua clear will do. The trick to apple snails is to not let there eggs get wet as they lay them above the water line and they hatch in about a month.
Apple snails, ramshorns, and pond snails all work well. I don't have any puffers as big as yours yet but the general rule is the snail should be about the size of the puffer's eye for the puffer to eat it. Though I do have 2 GSP that will eat larger snails- about 2x the size of their eye. Pond snails (small black conch shell shape snails commonly found in ponds and on plant at the LFS) are my puffers' favorites- shell is not too hard and the size is good . Breed really easy too- get a plant or 2 from a store that has them in the tanks, put in a 10g with a foam filter and add a little flake food 2-3 times a week - go very little on the food until you see a bunch of them in the tank. Do not put in a display tank - either your puffer will wipe them out or if not the puffer tank the snails will overrun the tank. Had a tank with them that I broke down, cleaned with chlorinated water (including the gravel) and put back up for shrimp. Within 2 weeks I notice pond snails in it- must have been some eggs in the gravel that didn't rinse off. That's why I warn against putting them in the display tank.
I gave my puffer some snails I found in the backyard (and rinsed off). The one that was too big for him I just smashed first and he had no problem with it that way. Supposed to be good for their teeth/beak to give one a day or so I heard, otherwise owner has to clip or it won't be able to eat.
Also, WalMart usually has a bunch of snails on their $5 plants...just find the one most densely populated and buy it.
Also, WalMart usually has a bunch of snails on their $5 plants...just find the one most densely populated and buy it.
I agree on Apples, Ramshorns and Ponds. I have heard from various sources that MTS snails can break a puffers beak/teeth. I only have the mini dwarf puffers and just today got them some pond snails which I hope they will love!
most pet stores will give you snails, if not for free they will give you like a dozen or two, maybe even three depending how many are infesting their tanks, for only like 50 cents maybe a dollar. then you get a goldfish bowl like i did, put most of them in there with a little bit of an algae wafer and let them lay their eggs. not too long after you will have your own snail farm and you dont have to worry about finding a pet store with some because for the most part, unless they are big in plants, not all stores will have those small snails and you will have to take other measures to get their teeth trimmed. and eventually probably have to do it yourself if they go long enough without that hard shelled food.
I was shopping for plants to deco my new puffer tank for my hairy puffer, and at my LFS they had perfectly sized snails for 5cents a pop!