The Puffer Forum

I have a tank I'm considering getting SAPs for, however it contains some snails I don't want eaten. There's one apple snail that's about two and a half inches around and three nerites that are approximately one inch long each. Now, the nerites are generally hidden by that extremely thick shell, so I don't figure they'll have much problem, but the apple snail is a very active one and likes coming all the way out and crawling around.

Are all bets off or will the size of the snail keep it safe?

By the way, they will be provided regularly with pest snails from another tank.

Even with the size of the apple snail, I think there would always be a chance an inquisitive SAP would try a nip at it especially when its fully exposed out of its shell.

So it'd probably only be a matter of time, eh?

Well, I suppose I can consider moving the snails to another tank. Just an idea for now, though. Thanks for your answer.

I dont think there is a definitive answer, its all a matter of risk. If the nerites remain buried you could see if the SAPS bother them and whether they pay any interest in aything over the size of their feeder snails and also their temprament. Then it will be a judgement call on your part but initially perhaps the apple wouldnt be a good idea until you can better assess what theyre like.

Back when I had SAP's I could not get mine to eat snails at all, and they paid them very little attention ... and I would have said that a large Apple snail might be okay with them, but thing is, no puffer is like another, so you never know. Personally I'd be afraid to try it. I used to have dwarf puffers in my community tank and I had some very large Apple snails in thereas well, and even though the DP's could not eat those snails, they sure did torture them something awful. They would hover near them and as soon as the snail would show it's flesh, the dwarf was in there having a bite! It got so bad that I gave away all my large Apple snails.
Now things are different and I have about 8 Apple snails that are getting large, and I keep them in with my Congo puffer because he totally ignores them and the snails are allowed to do their thing without risk of being tortured.

I have a HUGE apple snail, prob close to 4 inchs, and I tried putting him in with Samson, well within 5 mins of gary being out of his shell and crawling the wall near samson, he nipped one of gary's long antennna ,so i removed him, I then tried to put him in with the Oscars and they were playing catch with him, they would spit him back and forth LOL Then I tried putting him in with one one DP, well she started hoving around him, and taking nips at his fleash, so now he has a 2.6 gal all to himself till I can get another comm tank setup?

Don

Thanks for the food for thought.

And MrHumphries, double thanks for the laugh. By the way, are you free?