The Puffer Forum

I've kept freshwater tropical fish since I was about thirteen and I've finally decided to move onto something more advanced.
I'm currently setting up a new, bigger tank and I'm planning on keeping south american puffers as I've had them before and loved them.
I've read it's a really good idea to breed your own snails to feed them, and in my smaller gourami tank I've recently had an outbreak of what I think are 'bladder snails' but I could be wrong? They're pretty small, with a kind of curly shell.
I was wondering if anybody knew if these would be suitable for puffer food!
Thanks, Jo x

I am not familiar with "bladder" snails. Do you have a another name or the scientific name?

I fed my SAPs with common pond or ramhorn snails. Both were accepted.

very similar to pond snails. they have a slightly longer shell (maybe)

http://www.weichtiere.at/english/gastro ... sidae.html

I remember someone mentioning these a while back and had to look them up also

Thanks J-P, that helps.

Superficially they look as though they would serve similarly to the common pond snails, but at least one of those pictures on the ref'd site looks pretty heavy-shelled. It is certainly worth a try - watch the first few feedings closely (pick small snails at first) to be sure that the SAPs can crush the shells readily. Their incisor plates are not awfully heavy (a big part of why their dentistry is relatively easy) and you don't want them to break those plates off on too-thick shells.

HTH

I got bladder snails that i feed to my fahaka, he seems to like them just as much as anything that goes into his tank.

thanks guys, all good information. I'll take a couple to the aquatic centre when i next go just to check they're ok.