The Puffer Forum

I have a 10g, it was a snail farm but the puffer eats them faster than they can breed.... So I shoved a marble cray in there, it spawned once already and has another batch of berries on it's way. The little crays are growing quickly as well.

I just get free snails from people on my local forums when I run low or their snails become a problem, right now I have apples, ponds and rhams though I do find the rhams lay egg patches the quickest.

so does it bud...

In regards to RTR's comment, I keep the fish in there so I don't forget to feed the snails

It was a bad habit of mine when first starting out. It was a snail only tank and I saw the populations drop dramatically for a reason unknown to me. I added the guppies and had an explosion of snails soon after, and still have many many to feed my SAPs and my DP.

My only problem tank is the one with the apple snails.

I would have to say I have seen evidence that supports what J-P said. When I set up my GSP tank I waited over a week and filled it a fourth of the way with already cycled water but still wasn't sure it was COMPLETELY cycled. I added some feeder guppies. Soon after I got a few snails so my GSP's could have food when they got there and put them in there tank. Little over a two weeks later I got my puffs and they came home to a feast!

Cycled water does absolutely nothing th help cycle a tank.

Pufferpunk wrote:Cycled water does absolutely nothing th help cycle a tank.

Oh I just assumed it would.

I intended to keep my tank as a live food breeding tank too, but then realized I had to move the baby fish somewhere. As long as my fish dont bother the snails, or the shrimps, Im not worried. The babies will be moved out as soon as theyre big enough to fend for themselves. The snails are starting to take over, anyway.

I dont know where you are shopping, but I got a dozen of ghost shrimp for $4. Unfortunately, most of them died, so. I dont know if that commonly happens, but Id lower the price if they are fragile like that. I suspect that I just didnt know what I was doing with them, Ill get more advice next time. I really, really want cherry shrimp but I cant find them.

Ive already noticed my one puffer has small snaggleteeth (like buckteeth) only miniature. His jaw isnt overlapped. I noticed after giving them shell-on shrimp and snails that the teeth got ground down so I can still see the buckteeth, but they are flat straight across. Its cool to see the actual result of the hard foods at work.

"but I got a dozen of ghost shrimp for $4"

seriously! thats a way better deal.

That is a great deal. Keep in mind, GF have no nutritional value (only crunch value), unless gut-loaded with healthy foods. I like to feed them algae wafers, so my puffers eat their veggies.

greenspottedlover wrote:

Pufferpunk wrote:Cycled water does absolutely nothing th help cycle a tank.

Oh I just assumed it would.

I think it's time you learned about cycling!
library/water-filtration/fishless-cycling/
library/water-filtration/fishless-cycling/
library/water-filtration/aquariummicrobespart1/
library/water-filtration/aquariummicrobespart2/

Great school project for you!

Well I did know basically what cycling consisted of, but this has GREATLY expanded my knowledge. This does explain past problems with new setups.

Pond and/or ramsforn snails do not require cycled tanks in any case. They can be used to cycle a tank - if you have enough of them.

Got it up and running today. I shall soon post pics.

How do ramshorns breed. Do I need multiples to breed. I saw 1(literally 1) at my LFS the other day is why I'm wondering.

From what I know trumpet snails are the only ones that don't need a 2nd snail to breed though I could be wrong, I'm sure you could easy google this one up.

HGI wrote:From what I know trumpet snails are the only ones that don't need a 2nd snail to breed though I could be wrong, I'm sure you could easy google this one up.

Yah true. might be my best bet.

what does every one feed there snails? I've been feeding mine some old fish flakes and its seems to work fine. Just curious what others use.