The Puffer Forum

Starting to upgrade our F8 tank from artificial plants to real, got some Java ferns and the next morning the leaves have all these perfect little circles bitten (I'm guessing?) out of them. Not actually seen them biting the holes but guessing it must be them? Anyone else with F8's have this? Or is this a sign the plant has a problem?

Could be snails on the ferns being nipped off along with a little leaf?

Haven't seen any snails on it, I know with real plants the chances are there are snails. I thought maybe they might be going for the shrimp that sit on it but their aim isn't that off! There are a lot of holes

Pufferbites

I Thought so, just didn't realise they ate plants

They don't as such, if a bit of food lands there they will take it and whatever it's attached to though

Thank you guys! Found all the little circles of spat out plant in the filter, happy to know it's nothing to worry about

I've heard that they might be mistaking the spores on the bottom of the leaves that form the new plantlets for snails.

Yeah definitely sounds like puffer bites. My previous Figure Eight would chomp little holes in my java fern too.

Had a figure 8 years ago that lived alone in an unfiltered, heavily planted aquarium. Mostly planted with aponogeton. Started noticing the holes about a week after he went in and since the tank had a healthy population of pond snails, I assumed that's what he was after. Later I saw him just swimming up to the plants and taking a bite and eating it. My abei bites holes in his plants all the time, but it's always because the plants got between him and his food.