The Puffer Forum

I'm trying to consolidate tanks, and I'm thinking of moving my 3 Fig-8's into an established tank, with some livebearers and plants and....LOTS of Snails! There are probably 50-60 snails in the tank. They're wrecking the plants, but my wife likes them, so we never remove them. She knows that they'll be eaten with the puffers coming to the tank, but I'm more concerned with overfeeding. With all that natural food in the tank, could the puffers eat themselves to death? Will they try to gorge on the snails in one day, or just pick them off as they get hungry?

I would guess your puffer will over eat. It's happened before. Then again he may not. What size tank is it? You also might have issues with 3 F8's in with the other fish. Also the F8's will need low end brackish water. Will the plants tolerate that?

Ive read posts here that say puffers will sometimes overeat themselves to death, and other times not. I guess its really up to the temperment of the puffer. One of the things I think ive learned the most from this forum is that puffers really are quite unique as far as energy, temperment, feeding habits and other behaviorial attitudes. They are all individuals! Some are fat, some are mean, some can handle others of thier own kind and some not.... Just like people!

I would kill the snails with copper first, and not chance it.... then after they are dead slowley do water changes until the water tests zero for copper, than put the puffs in. If you want to save some for feeding make a small snail breeding tank before the copper treatment.....

Well, this kind of depends on how many puffers and the size of the tank and amount of plant cover. Collect as many as you can out of the tank and raise them in another tank and let the puffers clean up the rest.