The Puffer Forum

Hello all,

I will be setting up a planted 10 gallon tank for a single dwarf puffer soon.

I know most people recommend feeding frozen blood worms as a staple food, and snails as an occasional treat. Is it not a good thing to feed snails on a regular basis? I planned to set up a spare ten gallon tank to raise snails in to feed the puffer, and would think a ten gallon tank would be able to supply a good source of snails to be fed almost daily for one dwarf.

Also, when feeding snails to a dwarf puffer, should I try to give them snails no bigger than their eye, as suggested for puffers in general? I have read they don't crunch their prey like the larger puffers. Do the pull the snail out of the shell? What size of snails are ideal for feeding a dwarf?

Thank you,
AZ

Your assumption about the size of a snail being about equal to the puffer's eye is correct.

I do not think that you can feed a puffer too many snails...although a varied diet is important also.

I feed my dwarfs, in addition to whatever snails I can lay my hands on, frozen thawed bloodworms and live blackworms. I've also tried krill and shrimp - although their fav is the live blackworms.

That will be quite a spacious tank for a single DP. I'm sure he'll be very happy. You could get a couple without any problems if you so desired.

I just moved my snail production from a tupperware to a 2.5g tank. A 10g will produce more than enough snails for you.

IME my dwarfs eat snails smaller than their eye whole and munch 'em up. Snails bigger than that they pick at and try to pull out of the shells.

I agree that snails as a staple wouldn't be bad, but add some frozen bloodworms and live blackworms for variety. Mine love both.

Sometimes I like to sneak the snails in at night so they have to hunt 'em down the next day. I think it gives 'em more to do that just eating what I drop in right away. And it's fun to watch 'em search.

Yeah I thought a 10 G would be pretty spacious for a single dwarf. But I like the idea of just getting a single puffer. Maybe if I decide I really like them I'll set up a 20 and try breeding them.

I definitely intended to feed the puffer blood worms occasionally. But I would think pulling a snail or two out of the tank and tossing them in for the puffer to go hunting would be easier than breaking a chunk of blood worms, thawing them, straining them and then feeding them.

And I will also try to locate some black worms locally. I know someone must be culturing them here in Minneapolis. Maybe I'll get a tank going to raise them also.

Snails seem like a great way to get some good food into my puffer indirectly. If snails will eat some food high in color enhancing foods like squash and carrots and spirulina, I can get those into the puffer's diet.

AZ Burns

Sounds like you're on top of things. I'm sure it will all work out well for you (and your little puffer as well)

I've been thinking of culturing my own blackworms as well since the ones from the store have all sorts of strange things in them (leaches, planaria, etc.) I think dwarfpuffer.com (a gread DP resource) has a sticky about how to go about it. I just did a complete clean-out of my 2.5 triops tank and there were TONS of tiny blackworms in the gravel, so it can't be too hard. Maybe the snail tank would work for both. I'm gonna look into it.

PS, I recommend an oto for a planted tank. My puffs don't take any notice of 'em and they really keep things clean. I also have a couple ghost shrimp on clean-up duty; they love the extra blood worms, and the puffs love to eat the tiny shrimp babies but completely leave the adults alone.

I'm hoping to start up a blackworm culture as well.. the hard part is getting your hands on some of the worms in the first place!

Thanks for all the feedback,

I do really like Otos. In fact a planted tank with nothing But Otos and Amano Shrimp would suit me just fine. But so far as I know Otos aren't being bred in captivity, and I don't like the collecting methods that are used to capture them.

Hopefully I'll keep the algae under control by having a low bio-load from a single dwarf puffer, and by only having a single 15 watt bulb over the tank and sticking with plants that can do well under that light.

AZ Burns

Otos are actually being bred in captivity I'm pretty sure, its just hard to find them and when you do they are pretty expensive.

There's 2 fish stores here in Madison that sell live blackworms. I just bought some an hour ago. Where are you in SE WI? My parents are in Racine. I make trips down there all the time. I'm sure somewhere around there has to sell them. I'll let you know if I find anything out.

Toadman, I'll send you a PM