The Puffer Forum

Puffers arn't a cheap pet. They require $$$ be it for food, filter media, more food, etc.

Try finding crayfish or freshwater clams. They do just as good. Just as with cleaned oysters (raw/live) from supermarket and with raw cocktail shrimp.

well i got every think set up and his in the tank its just the food i am worried about fw clams etc are going to be in store in summer as i wanted some for my fw tank. so i am going to wait for the clams then. as for buying them at the store that's going to be pricey i am not sure i am going to have to check how much they are.

I bet it would be like 3-6 pounds for you guys (which is pretty pricey.) So you may not be using them for food. All I can say is keep trying, or buy tons of plants for another tank so you will prob have a breeding set in the plants and or eggs.

Nick, let me know if you're still looking for snails - I'm in the UK and might be able to help you out. I don't know where you are in N. London, but when I was there I always found Maidenhead Aquatics in Mill Hill very good.

I already mentioned Maidenhead aquatics to Nickz... I go down to my local one every weekend to snatch their nuisance snails.
Quite often, though, if they haven't had a new weed delivery, they don't have any... mine has a huge problem with MTS(which i know can be too hard, but I feed the tiny tiny ones to Mickey all the time and he crunches them easily/just sucks the meat from larger ones)... unfortunately, that involves sticking my hand in a Cichlid tank to fish them out

I can send some small MTS, but can't get enough of any others to breed I'm afraid at the moment!

( should set up a business breeding pond snails)

Hey people i still in desperate need of the snails Raphael couldn't send them and i really need them

I'm in the US so I can't help you out but if you can find some mysis shrimp at a lfs they would work too. Also, check the grocery store. I bought some frozen mussels for $3 for a bag of about 100 and I just plop one in the tank and the puffs go crazy. If you crack it open just a bit the puffs will use their teeth to get at the meat, which helps keep the teeth worn down.

Same deal here, I'm in the US and I don't know if they'd live long enough to get to you...

You added me to your messenger and we had a chat about this a couple of days ago. I really wish I could help out! My puffer didn't eat snails, so I don't have any to send you .
I really think that eBay is your best option. People are selling ramshorns on eBay all the time. I know that credit card/paypal isn't an option, but most eBayers will accept personal cheques as well. You said that cheques weren't an option on messenger? Why's this? Sorry if I sound prying, I don't mean to be... I just would really like to help! There must be someone you know (parents, aunts, uncles, neighbours, friend's parents) who you could explain the situation to so that they can write the cheque for you in exchange for cash? If you could buy 10 ramshorns from eBay that'd be enough to start you off on breeding them.
I have to say though, at this time of year the post is hectic and I wouldn't reccommend having anything live posted to you until the new year. As a quick fix measure you could go to the local supermarket or fishmonger and buy a couple of smallish crabs. Just pull the legs off and use scissors to cut them into portions. The shells are hard enough to give your puff's teeth a workout. I know this is an expensive option for you, but as a temporary measure for a couple of weeks it might just be do-able?
I read once that somebody who kept dwarf puffers (I don't know where I read this, so this may not be reliable) managed their teeth by feeding bloodworms on a flat, rugged stone. The principal I suppose is that when the puffer pecks at the bloodworms it scrapes it's teeth against the rock. If anyone knows more about this please do say... I don't know much about this technique.
As a side note, I've sent you a PM Nickz with the URL of a fish forum with a section for buying and selling. Join up and post a message in that section. There are people on there with puffers who might be able to help you.

Dwarf puffers do not seem to have the incissor overgrowth problems as the other species do.

Hmmm... that may be why the bloodworms on a rock technique worked. Perhaps it would not be as effective with a figure eight

Once the christmas rush is over, I can attempt to mail you a bunch.. I'd have to call the post office and find out approx how long it would take to get them to you though.

thanks for the post, well i was thinking last night is it okay to feed them mussels? for like around about a month until i can find the snails and start breeding them? But it would be so great if i had snails but apart from that is mussels okay and what other type of sea food is good for the teeth

Ok foods you could try on the uk market and where to get them!
All Frozen
Shell on king Prawns - Sainsbury- frozen foods
Regular prawns - any supermarket
Cockles - any LFS
Mussel - most LFS
Krill - most LFS
bloodworm any lfs
crabs legs - costco

freeze dried krill

Live
fresh earthworms garden or bait shop
crickets - reptile shop
meal worms -reptile shop

As for snails. Do you know anyone at all or even ask at a LFS who has a pond.Look in the filter and you will find more than enough to start a tank.

Hey rocker THANXS ALOT FOR THE LIST i found a link to eBay ramhorn snails will they do?

this one is 10 SMALL mixed snails ramhorn
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/10-small-Ramshorn ... dZViewItem

and this one is just 10 ramhorn snails
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/10-Ramshorn-snail ... dZViewItem

should i go with the big ones has they will breed faster?

o yeah i might get them not 100% sure because i told my dad to get a credit card lol

EDIT - I forgot to say would it be okay with the been so cold they should be okay right