Hi,
I will eventually be looking at getting a Tank for an F8 Puffer. My problem being that I don't want to go down the Beak Trimming scenario. I have seen loads of potential fresh molluscs from the supermarket and hoped that by feeding the fish with these that I would be able to keep the beak down to a reasonable size.
I have had a happy Dwarf Puffer for a year and a half but was looking for a larger Puffer. I looked at Amazon Puffers but they seem to be a fish which like to be in groups and also have goofy beak issues.
Is there a chance of keeping that beak in check but using food alone. I was used to going to the LFS to get snails (every weekend but was hoping that buying frozen molluscs would be a good way around this.
If not then I guess we're back to DPs ( no beak issues).
Do you have room to start a snail breeder? A simple bucket will work. If you have an extra small HOB filter or get a sponge/foam filter that runs from an air pump to keep it filtered. A heater would be nice but not necessary.
There are many knowledgeable fish keepers on this forum willing to help and give great advice...The advice is free; What you choose to do with it gives it value.
I had a snail tank for my DP and "she" went through snails like no tomorrow so I guess a bigger fish will have a bigger appetite.
I did find the odd Leech come in on the snails, in the snail tank, which was a nasty suprise so I'm a little bit shy of bringing in anything from an LFS. Breeding would be too slow I think. Just thought things like Crab sticks and Fresh Mussels from the Supermarket might nail it. Do Figure 8 crush the shells of Mussels and Cockles? If so, surely this would be the same as pond snails?
With my DP, I had about a year of every weekend going to the LFS for snails so trying to not get caught in to that lifestyle again. Eventually fed my DP Whiteworms which worked a treat and were sustainable at home. DP didn't have any dentisitry problems though.
My F-8s almost never required any incissor trimming (I have kept dozens of these fish). Around 90% of their diets have been home-reared snails, all home tank reared by me.
IME, SAPs require at least 95% of their diet appropriately sized snails (all Ramshorns or common pond snails).
Some home snail tanks are not well maintained. Mine recieve the same care as my fish tanks. That pretty much guarantees clean, healthy snails.
So would seafood from a Supermarket suffice as I like the odd weekend when I don't go to a LFS collecting snails? Must admit to being slightly embarrassed sifting through yet another tank of aquatic plants whilst people are wondering what the hell I'm doing and should they call Security.
If you bred your snails then it must be a massive tank. My DP used to eat about 3-4 snails a day (well, I say eat; more like bite, kill and leave to rot ) If that was to be 4 snails a day, that would equate to 1,460 snails a year! Wow!
Would a nice bag of fresh Cockles work in the same way??
jeromecarlyoung wrote:
If you bred your snails then it must be a massive tank.
I have the best luck with a 5g bucket. Enough to feed my full grown and juvi F8s snails for 90% of their diet, as well as giving snail goodnes to my 5 DPs as treats once or twice a week.
There are many knowledgeable fish keepers on this forum willing to help and give great advice...The advice is free; What you choose to do with it gives it value.
Do you collect your Snails from LFS? I used to collect about 30-40 a week from LFS and keep them in a 5 Gallon Tank at about 28c, to reduce any onboard Ich. Breeding of snails was occuring but nowhere quick enough as they were consumed real quick. Maybe mine was overfed.
Happy Fish though.
jeromecarlyoung wrote:So would seafood from a Supermarket suffice as I like the odd weekend when I don't go to a LFS collecting snails?
My F8 was fed mostly ramshorn snails, but also enjoyed frozen bloodworms, live California blackworms, and occasionally live ghost shrimp. Never had beak overgrowth issues. I personally like for the bulk of an F8's diet to be snails, but don't stress if you can't provide snails every single day. Variety is necessary.
Are F8s fussy about live food at all as my DP would only eat live food. Whiteworms were the only practible way forward with that. Bit of a cheeky monkey she was.
Healthy live foods are excellent treats, but IME healthy F-8s do not require such beyond treat levels.
If LFS collected snails are used, they should be QT'd at minimum 3 weeks at 80F. A month would be better. Feeding live materials fresh from the LFS is foolhardy. That naumnber or QT vessels would require more space and care than would breeding the needed numbers.
RTR wrote: Feeding live materials fresh from the LFS is foolhardy.
I went in to a Petsmart one time to buy some ghost shrimp. The tank they were in as well a few of the other surrounding tanks had several long hair like things strewn around and a few of those hairs were sticking out of some of the fish. I promptly walked out of the store.
One thing I like about Petland is that they keep all their feeders away from the regular fish. And they sell ghost shrimp for $5/25. Petsmart charges $.33 ea. We have a regional chain called Jack's and they want like $3.33 for their ghost shrimp...$3.33 for a single ghost shrimp?
There are many knowledgeable fish keepers on this forum willing to help and give great advice...The advice is free; What you choose to do with it gives it value.
jeromecarlyoung wrote:Are F8s fussy about live food at all as my DP would only eat live food. Whiteworms were the only practible way forward with that. Bit of a cheeky monkey she was.
My F8 wasn't as picky as my DP. She'd accept frozen bloodworms or spirulina brine shrimp if I was out of snails. For my DP, if it isn't alive, she won't touch it. I'm giving her live California blackworms for now.
At the good LFS by me, ghost shrimp are 5 for $1. That was way more than I needed for one F8, so they'd give me 3 for 50 cents. I didn't want to mess with setting up a shrimp tank. I did get a starter group of ramshorn snails on eBay, though, which produced enough babies in a 10 gallon snail tank to keep my F8 well fed.
I think my Snails must have been a little bit uninterested in sex or something . I used to keep them in a 5 gallon tank with a filter and about 20c/70f. I put lettuce leaves in for food and that was that. I used to fish out loads of snails from the Lfs and put them in the snail tank but my DP soon got through them. I think Bio load from snails can restrict the amount of snails per gallon also. I think they poop a lot.
Have you tried Whiteworms for your DP. They worked really well for me.
My F8 would eat about 2 pea-sized ramshorns a day. I had to crush them for her first with the back of a spoon -- she never did get the hang of biting into intact shells herself. They still get a good deal of the "crunch" factor even if you crush them first.
but was hoping that buying frozen molluscs would be a good way around this.
) If that was to be 4 snails a day, that would equate to 1,460 snails a year! Wow!
