Crunchy Foods Question

[pufferpuggirl]

Yes, well you're lucky you have that option. My husband won't go anywhere like that, he will complain about it being too far, or him not having the time, something I'm sure.

But good for you redspotowner, I hope you can get some crunchy things for George.

[diverchic]

Hi Schismy007!

If he can bring back enough would you like me to freeze them and send you some registered next day guaranteed post once the postal strike crap is sorted out or I get back from holiday - whichever is sooner? I think if I freeze them and then put them in one of those small cooler bags with an ice pack they should be okay for when they get to you and can be refrozen when they arrive.

[pufferpuggirl]

Oh Good Heavens, no! I wouldn't want you to go to any expense. I'm sure I will eventually find some place where I can get more diversified foods for my puffers. Besides, I can't expect you to help me out each time I run out, but I am VERY grateful that you would make the offer! Thank you so much!!

[Pufferpunk]

LOL, usually the purchaser pays the expense of shipping, not the sender.

[eieio]

Hi Schismy007!

If he can bring back enough would you like me to freeze them and send you some registered next day guaranteed post once the postal strike crap is sorted out or I get back from holiday - whichever is sooner? I think if I freeze them and then put them in one of those small cooler bags with an ice pack they should be okay for when they get to you and can be refrozen when they arrive.

What a nice offer, redspotowner!
One of my favorite things about The Puffer Forum is how nice, and how helpful, our members are!
Such a pleasure to visit here!

[pufferpuggirl]

LOL, usually the purchaser pays the expense of shipping, not the sender.

Ah, but don't forget that this is England, things tend to be exactly opposite anything that made sense to me back in America. We may all speak the same language (even if they English did ruin it ), but there's alot of differences between the way things are here and what they are like back in the U.S.

[pufferpuggirl]

Well today has been a good day, with some good news.

I was doing water changes today, and I had to do the snails tank, as I'd not done it for a couple weeks. It wasn't nasty though, but still... had to be done. Well I thought I'd just go around and see about trying again with the ramshorn snails, to see if the puffers would taken them, and I'm glad I did.

My GSP's are always keen on taking snails, so I gave them some first, they loved them. Then I thought, let's try BeeBoo because he's the one I've been worrying most about. So I took some bigger snails in to him. As soon as I dropped them into the tank, he was interested in what they were, and he watched them fall, and then - bang! He ate one! So I put some more in, and as many as I would put in, he would eat. When I had him in my other tank, he would just ignore them totally, so I thought he just didn't like them. But this time around he was very keen on them, and that put a big smile on my face. I then went around to all my puffers tanks,(with the exception of my Baileyi, suvattii, Palembang and Congo), and fed them snails. At first my Fang's just watched it sink and I thought, that's it, he's not going to have them. But then I tried again, and he took 3 of them! My Abei loved them too. I did put some in my turgidus tank, but can't say if he had any or not. I seen my F8's eating them, and the Ceylons loved them too.

So after that, I cleaned up the snails tank and I made sure to feed them good, so they will reproduce and make more baby snails. I must admit that I got a bit dismayed when I had bought those other snails and after finding all their shells empty, thought that my puffers weren't going to be eating any more snails, and hence the urgency of this thread. But now I feel that there's some hope. At least most of my puffers are taking the ramshorn, and if I can get an increased population, then I don't have to worry so much about feeding them so many different kinds of crunchy foods, although I am still feeding them the raw shrimp with shell on, and would welcome finding any different crunchy foods. But it's good to know that they are taking the ramshorn, since they are the easiest snail to keep and breed.

I still have no idea why the other snails died. All I've found is the empty shells, which leads me to believe that the ramshorn killed them and ate them out of their shell?? I don't know, but something happened and all that is left is their shells. I don't mind the ramshorn, it's just that my puffers didn't appear to be interested in them, that's all.

If I were a drinking girl, I'd have a drink to celebrate the joy I feel in knowing I shalln't have to worry about puffer dental problems! (Hopefully!)

[StormySkiez]

i had exactly the same problem with the pond snails, wonder what that could be? n yes i agree with u, its not always easy to find fresh seafood etc over here

I have bred pond and ramshorn snails together in the same tank. The pond snails are small. They took a very long time to breed and grow to a good size. I must have had 10 times more ramshorn the pond snails. I started breeding them at the same time. I don't know why yours would be dying. I kept mine with danios in a 10g tank doing weekly water changes. I made sure I fed the tank extra food every other day along with fresh veggies weekly and algae chips. It took a good 6 months to have a decent supply of snails. I fed the puffs very little snails while trying to establish the snails.

Are you two keeping the tank heated and and feeding the snails well? Snails breed faster in warmer water and if they are fed well. My rams did not eat the pond snails.

I always wondered if raw shrimp shell was hard enough to keep puffer teeth trimmed. IMO it isn't, not what I have here. I'm able to get frozen crab and mussel in the shell here. I'm using that. I had to cut back on tanks here and tore down my 10g tank. I donated my snails to the LFS.

[pufferpuggirl]

Yes, I do keep a heater in my snail's tank, and a small filter too. I don't have a problem with my ramshorn breeding, and living .... just those other snails, and I'm not certain they were "pond" snails, just my guess.

I have often wondered myself if a shrimp's shell is hard enough to keep the teeth trimmed down in a puffer, and I have to agree with you, I don't think it is. But at least I know now that BeeBoo (my MBU) will take the snails, as he didn't used to. So I really don't need to worry so much anymore. It still would be nice to find a better variety of foods, but until I do, I will be trying to get my snails population increased.