what type of snails can we feed fahakas?

[kido]

guys, are any type of snails ok to feed fahakas?

i might be able to get some trumpet and ramshorns snails... would these types be ok to keep their teeth in check?

[Nick]

Fahakas are probably strong enough of tooth once they get large to pulverize trumpet snails, though they're usually not recommended for puffers. Ramshorns are good, and a large fahaka can even easily take down apple snails.

[grubbster]

Pond snails, ramshorns, garden snails. Trumpets not so good as they are very hard shelled.

[kido]

thanks guys.. no trumpets then..

about the apple snails, Which apple snails do you suggested? Pomacea canniculata or pomacea bridgesii? If bridgesii, that might seem expensive right? also don't they get to golf ball sizes?

my fahaka is still about 3" .. can they crack apple snails?

[apachepufferman]

my 3" ate an apple snail he kinda chewed the shell around the opening before just sucking out the snail itself but he can almost get his mouth open enough to crunch it. In another month he will be big enough to. I have an mts infestation in that tank to and he chomps those open like they are peanut shells. He doesn't even have to bite it and spit it out a couple times before they crack; so I'm kind of a toss up on mts for fahaka and other giant puffers. Realistically if a fish is strong enough to eat an oyster he is most likely strong enough to eat an mts IMO. I know a lot of people disagree with me on that one but..... Now smaller puffs like gsps, fig 8s, sap, dwarfs then yes mts are to hard. i'll hop off my soap box now....

[kido]

whats mts?

[apachepufferman]

malaysian trumpet snails

[Nick]

I agree that any puffer that can crack an oyster will crush a MTS to dust. They just have much stronger shells than similar sized freshwater snails, like pond snails and ramshorn snails, which can lead to trouble with the smaller puffers. Almost all salt water snails, cockles, and oysters are all much tougher than MTS in my opinion.

[kido]

appreciate the replies guys..

so at what size would you guys say is my fahaka big enough for me to try trumpets?

[Nick]

I'd probably wait till he's more than 6 inches, if you want to be really safe, but better to ask fahaka owners.

[apachepufferman]

My fahaka crunches through trumpet snails really easy and he is 4-5 inches. From what i've seen he has never had an issue with them since I got him at about 3".

[caoboy]

My Fahaka went to town on a bunch of MTS that I picked up from my LFS. It's still about 3-4 inches, didn't have too much a problem breaking the shells enough to get the snail out. I received about 100, and there's maybe 15 or so after a few days of him foraging.

[Cerberus]

What would be the least expensive but most practical diet to feed a Fahaka. I can culture MTSnails but I was hoping there was something more economical. Any suggestions now that my meal worm idea has been shot down?

Cerberus

[The Bruce]

most of the food i get for my puffers comes from the seafood section at the supermarket

[apachepufferman]

i buy frozen bloodworms by the flat. They run about $16 and it will feed my fahaka for over a month. I also go to the local supermarket and pick up fresh clams, or muscles that run about $5 a pound but I only get about 6-7 of the smaller ones I know he can tackle at his size and that will cost me about $2-3 and then I i get the fresh shell on shrimp that I think are size 20 or something like that. I get about 15 of those and it costs about $4. That combo will last in my freezer for well over a month close to 2. It really doesn't cost that much to feed him really. I probably overfeed him a bit but not to much.
If you have a community tank then just cultivate your snails in there and when you see some then just pick them out and throw them in your fahaka tank.