The Puffer Forum

what about squatters rights

Not sure about the disease thing though, haven't heard of it myself

My insisting on no MTS for puffers did come from more than one sad case, but only one of the involved fish was seriously damaged to the point of my being unable to save it. Losing a teenaged F-8 due to incorrect feeding on the keeper's part is IMHO stupidity, and that particular stupidity I will not be guilty of again. The others were saved, with great effort and repeated sedations (in the days before we knew about clove oil).

I am a big fan of MTS, although their gravel stirring is seriously over-rated at the level of aquarium myth - they are O2 limilted and do not protect against anoxic substrates), but never in a puffer tank or for puffer feeding. That is an easily avoided problem.

HTH

As RTR has said it happened on more than one case.

A friend of mine had a tank full of SAP's for sale that also housed MTS.
One or two of the puffers had broken teeth. They never sold as they soon became skinny. The snails were fairly large and it coud be argued that they had come in with chipped teeth.
However there is no need for MTS in a puffer tank so why take the risk.And for me that risk is too great.
Sometimes you donot have a choice as to whether you want to introduce them to a puffer tank as they soon 'just appear'. Given the choice though, I would omit them from a puffer set up.

I tend to be conservative- if someone say's "bad things can happen"- I shy away from doing it, even if it's just a myth....works out the same or better either way. Chompers doesn't mess with them at all- so I'm not as worried about him chippin his tooth- but I just assume they be gone.

I was just hoping to do it in a lazier fashion by adding a fish that will eat them than doing the regular feeding routine. It's worth it, so I'll do it.

I've been watching the video's of Manutius's primary tank and I'm wishing I had something more like that- it's a gorgous tank with a great variety of fish to include the mbu! Fantastic tank!!

Thanks for your comments but the stark reality is that I should have Clooney in a tank all by himself. I am very proud of my tank and my fish but I still have pangs of guilt for having him in there. All I can do is keep on top of water quality and provide him the best life I can.

I guess I am lucky with Clooneys temperament and the fact that he tolerates other fish, this is something else you must consider if you are gonna add something to get rid of the snails. I agree with the other guys and the MTS are no good for puffers, though Clooney is big enoufh to handle them I'm not too sure I would risk yours with them, the bit of cucmber of lettuce works a treat and couldn't be any simpler. Even if you do add some loached the likely hood is that they will feed off the scraps from the puffer, which there must be plenty of otherwise you wouldn't have so many snails!! If thats the case the loaches will eat the easy leftovers and not bother with hunting out the snails and all you will have done is add to the bioload of the tank

Thanks for the input.

I have to agree eliminating risk where ever possible is the root I prefer.

I stir my sand extensively a couple of times a month anyway and I often wondered just how much the snails were turning over.

well- it worked last night. First thing this AM there were a few snails on the cucumber and they were easily dismissed.

The only reason I say it's a hassle- the tank is fairly high (eye levelish)- so I need a ladder to get in and out of it.

There's not a lot of left over food- Chompers is the lone inhabitant and he usually eats everything before it falls to the bottom. I'll get better about water changes- promise.

Clooney looks happy enough- sure he could probably use a bit more space- but on the whole that tank looks great! I'm counting down the days til Christmas is over...so I can start working on my 55 planted/community tank.

The best thing I did for my brackish F8 comunity tank was ad the MTS!!!
Over 3 years they been living with my F8.
Only the first time I added them it was critical in the sence that my biggest F8 tried to bit one, but after that they have learned that the shell is to hard, but I think they have somehow learn to slurp the biger ones, becuse it´s I only se biger ones ocasanely.
But find lots of empty shell ranging from smal to big.
But I have alot of small ones living in the sand.
Before I had them I had to clean the bottom very much, but after i got the them it´s nearly 00 % wast, the look of my tank and the healt (int the sence of no posible rotting wast anymore )of the tank had both get better since adding them.

And I don´t think the the stir up of these is overrated, yes they only go down to oxygen level of the gravel/sand but in that way they keep that level more oxygen (as plants also do) and because of that the next level which in the start was not with oxygen filled, also starts to get oxygen in it.
But ofcourse it´s not a dramatical change of deep that get oxygen in it, but it makes a small change and that is better than none.

And if having a big size than sand size gravel, you can notich it is less depris to suck up when sucking the gravl when you have aloot of Mts than without, so better for the healt of the tank.

So I am a big fan of the cleaning aid of MTs and other snails.