The Puffer Forum

Just out of curiosity, what is the harm in them? Why do we hate them so much?
The reason I ask is that I am looking for something to entertain my puffer, so if there are snails in the sand he can dig for that would be awesome but I gather that that is a bad idea?

Their shells are so hard, they have been known to break puffer's teeth.

Ah! Thanks! Is there any type of snail or critter you know of that could establish the sand and be a bit of fun for the puffer to find?

Trying to keep food items in a tank with a puffer is an exercise in futility more often than not. Some Carinotetraodon species and some lurkers will not dig for snails often. Large Fahakas and mature T. mbu often ignore smallish snails, even on the glasses.

FWIW

Pig totally ignores snails, ramshorns, mystery snails, and the blasted MTS. I curse the day I asked for snails to take home for Spuddy

Are they really that hard to get rid of?? They must be crazy tough.

My GSP seems to like shifting sand to get the last dregs of a snail.

Such snails as this can seal their operculu airtight. This enables them to survive for amazing periods of time. Mounted museum specimens have been know to revive months to years after being put on display. They are really that hard to kill.

Many to most snails have the sense to go nocturnal if day-active snail predators are in their tank (most puffers are diurnal, but not all), and they really don't have much brainpower. Snails with this configuration have remarkable survival skills.

I've just discovered my daughter had put all the collected MTS on the lawn. She felt sorry for them, and didn't out them in the bin <weeps>

Lol, I'm the same! I feel bad about killing anything... Even if they are pests x.x

Death is part of life. Part of keeping pets is being able to euthanize them without pain if necessary to avoid extended pain/discomfort at disabling levels. Forcing a severely disabled pet to undergo extended pain I consider extreme cruelty. That is no kindness IMHO. NIMFT, never.

Interesting, I hold similar views; I adopted a rescue dog, nobody else would take him as he had epilepsy. What they didn't disclose was the severity of it, even on maximum meds. In the end, he suffered a massive fit, and stroked. They STILL wouldn't give me permission to PTS, so my vet told them that he was now severely disabled. Still nope. So we PTS anyway, and told them he'd fitted and died in his sleep.

V v cruel imo. Having seen what he suffered, I would never let any of my animals suffer as he did

Aww poor dog glad he's not hurting anymore

And yeah, I know death is a part of it, hated having to put down the occasional fish that was too far gone already. but I just have a soft spot for snails... Which is not good when I love puffers!

I can see why!

D'awww

Little snail!