My Puffer wont eat snails!

[sarad]

Hi,

I have 2 ASP's and they won't eat snails. At the moment they are 1 1/2" long and very happy to eat mysis and bloodworm (frozen). They turn their noses up at anything else..please help..I know about their teeth and they are in a 110 litre tank, fully cycled, ammonia and nitrates 0. They are very active and nosey. Tank very heavily planted and they go mad at feeding time. They come to see me every morning and zoom around like their showing off together.

[Boxermom]

What's an ASP? Some puffers won't eat them. Some will but only if they are the right size. The snails should be about the size of the puffer's eye, so you're looking for tiny snails. There are other hard-shelled items you can feed instead if they absolutely won't eat snails, though. Stuff like cockles and clams. Their teeth get worn down by scraping the meat off the shell.

Are you sure your tank is cycled? Cycled tanks should show some nitrate.

[sarad]

Sorry, I mean't south american puffers and nitrites!! tired...very long day but I just worry about my boys.

[Boxermom]

Ok, now I'm really confused. In a previous thread, you said you had GSPs. Now they are SAPs. The difference is critical - one is pure freshwater, the other is brackish. Do you have a picture of them?

[Pufferpunk]

Yeah, that is a little confusing..

The only way I could get my SAPs to eat snails was to put them in a large breeder net with the snails.

[sarad]

I took them back to the shop because I knew I wasn't being fair to the (green puffa's) and got 2 SAP's. My mistake, I thought I'd let you know....

[Boxermom]

Ahh, okay. That clears it up then.

[sarad]

How do I wean them onto snails..........

[Boxermom]

I don't know of any way to get them to eat snails other thank to keep offering them snails of the right size. You can also slightly crush it before offering it, which helps release the smell and makes it easier for them to taste. Don't use your fingers though, broken snail shell is very sharp. Use two spoons or something like that.

[sarad]

Thx, will give it a try tonight when they are really hungry............will let you know how I get on............

[spoot]

You can also try soaking the crushed snail in some garlic.

[CoreyK]

I had to crush them against the glass for my Figure 8's to get the idea.

[DarkEntity]

I did the same thing for my Fig8's, crushed them a little so that the blood etc got out and they could smell it(?) and that was it, only had to do it 2 or 3 times before they were having a go at my fingers as i droped the snails in the tank

[mojoevanilla]

Seems like an obvious suggestion, but if your not, make sure to try putting them on the front of the glass so there moving around, my DP hadnt had snails its whole life i think before i got him some, and the second he saw it moving he knew it was food. Its definitely his favorite food lol Make sure they are very small too.... at least to start out with, my puff only eats the insides of the snail, but my gf has 2 GSP's that will eat the whole shell and all.